Cyclopedia of Magic by Henry Hay

Cyclopedia of Magic is a wonderful book. It's primary quality stems from its alphabetical organization. It was written to provide the magician with a wide and solid background of magical knowledge. It provides definitions, descriptions, biographies and some routines on hundreds of magic topics. It is for the most part a compilation of material contributed by magicians such as August Roterberg, Charles Bertram, Eddie Joseph, Ellis Stanyon, John Mulholland, T. Nelson Downs and many others.

The ebook starts with a User's Guide which describes the purpose of the book, and an index to the contributing authors.

A

Acquitment: definition

Afghan Bands: short explanation

Amateur Magicians: definition and article

Anderson, John Henry: 1814-1874; bio

Angle-Proof: definition

Animals: Short article with comments on Rabbits, Pigeons, Dogs, etc.

B

Ball Manipulation: Long article, covers various Palms, Passes, and vanishes. Refers readers to Burling Hull's Expert Billiard Ball Manipulation

Ball of Wool: article, trick described

Bambergs, The: bio. Eliaser 1760-1833; David Leendert 1786-1869; Tobias 1812-1870; David Tobias (born 1843); Theo (Okito) born 1875; David (born 1904)

Bellachini (Sam Berlach): 1828-1885; bio

Billet And Message Reading: article with discussion of the One Ahead, Impressions, Transparency, etc.

Bird-Cage, Vanishing: definition

Black Art: defined, with an article on the Black Art Table and its construction

Blackstone, Harry: bio

Blindfolds: article with description of various forms

Blitz, Signor Antonio: 1810-1877; bio

Book Test: article with explanation and various approaches

Bosco, Bartolommeo: 1790-1863 bio

Bradawl or Ice Pick: defined

Breakaway Fan: defined

Breslaw: died 1783 bio

Bullet Catching: article

Business Methods: publicity article

C

Cake Baked In a Hat: article

Card Box: Defined

Card Frame: article

Card in Cigarette: defined

Card Index: defined

Cardini: bio

Card Manipulation: longer article covers Back Palm, Bottom Dealing, Break, Changes, Crimp, Double Lift, False Count, False Shuffle, Jogs, Flourishes, Forcing, Glide, Glimpse, Mexican Turnover, Palming, Second Deal, Shifts, Slips, and a card worker's bibliography

Card Marking: longer article covers principles, dot & puncture, manufacture, shading/tinting, line and scroll work, and marking while in play

Card Setups (The Rosary Deck): New packs, 8 Kings, Si Stebbins, explained along with several tricks

Cards, Flap: defined

Cards, Key: Article with several types described

Cards, One Way, Pointer, Divided: description of three card location approaches

Cards Up the Sleeve: routine described

Card Through Handkerchief: described

Card Vanisher: several types described

Carter, Charles J: 1874-1936 bio

Changeover Palm: defined

Changing Bag: defined

Children's Shows: article with recommendations

Chinese Magic: defined

Chinese Wands: described, multiple versions

Ching Ling Foo (Chee Ling Qua): 1854-1918 bio

Ching Ling Foo Water Can: defined

Chopper Effects: defined

Chung Ling Soo (William Ellisworth Campbell): 1861-1918 bio

Cigar Manipulation: Article covers multiple sleights

Cigarette Manipulation: for lighted or unlighted cigarettes, also covers holders

Clock Dial: Described

Coils: defined

Coin Box, Okito: defined

Coin In Handkerchief: defined

Coin Manipulation: article covers Palms, Changes, Handkerchief Folds, Palms, Passes, Sleeving, and a coin works bibliography

Coin Tray: described with a routine

Coins, Folding: described

Coins, Shell: described

Comedy: Article with advice

Comte, Louis Christian Emmanuel Appollinaire: 1788-1859 bio

Costume: article with advice

Costume Trunk Trick: described

Culpitt, Fred: died 1944, bio

Cups and Balls: Article covers palming, cup and wand moves, and East Indian cups

D

Dancing Handkerchief: described

De Kolta, Joseph Bautier: 1845-1903, bio

Devant, David (David Wighton): 1868-1941 bio

Dice: Article covers changing dots, Die Through Hat

Die Box, Sliding: described

Diminishing Cards: Described

Divinations: Class of effects in which performer discovers which of several similar objects has been concealed or what order they have been arranged in

Doebler, Ludwig Leopold: 1801-1864 bio

Dollar Bill Tricks: A torn and restored bill described, and the bill to lemon

Doll's House: Frederick Culpitt's illusion described

Dove Pan: described

Downs, Thomas Nelson: 1867-1938 bio

Drawer-Box: described

Droppers: defined

Drumhead Tube: described

Duck Vanish: described

E

East Indian Magic: Article

Egg and Handkerchief: effect detailed in a couple of approaches

Egg Bag: described, with some details of De Biere's egg bag. Includes a general approach to a routine, but no details.

Equivoques (Conjurer's Choice): described

Escapes and Releases: includes short discussions of The Jacoby Rope Tie, Handcuff Escape, Sack Escapes, The Mail Bag, Straitjacket Escape, Escape from Paper Cylinder, Packing Cases, and Siberian Chain Release

Exposures: short article on ethics

F

Fake: defined

Fawkes, Isaac: died 1731 bio

Fish-Catching: defined

Flagstaff: described

Flash Paper: defined

Flower in Buttonhole: defined

Flower Productions: Described in longer article

Forcing: defined

Four Ace Tricks: Covers Charles Bertram's Method, and seven other methods

Fox, Imro (Isidor Fuchs): 1852-1910 bio

Frikell, Wiljalba: 1818-1903 bio

Funnel: Described

G

Gambling Methods: longer article on cheating with cards and dice

General Card: defined

Gimmick: defined

Goldfish Bowls: described

Goldin, Hora (Hyman Goldstein): 1873-1939 bio

Grandmother's Necklace: described

Gyngell: died 1833, bio

H

Handkerchiefs Prepared as Vanishers: described, including the Die-Vanishing Handkerchief and more

Hands: how to treat

Hat Trick: detailed description of Joseph Michael Hartz' production of items from a hat

Heimburger, Alexander: 1818-1909 bio

Heller, Robert (William Henry Palmer): about 1826-1878 bio

Herrmann: family of magicians bio

Hertz Carl (Laib Morgenstern): 1869-1924 bio

History: article on the history of magic

Hoffmann, Professor Louis (Angelo John Lewis, MA): 1839-1920 bio

Hofzinser, Johann Nepomuk: 1806-1875 bio

Holders: several ball and egg holders described

Hoods: as used for coins, cards, etc.

Houdini, Harry (Ehrich Weisz): 1874-1926 bio

I

Illusions: defined

Impromptu Effects: pointer to books with impromptu effects

Indian Basket Trick: described

Indian Mango Trick: described

Indian Rope Trick: described

Inexhaustible Bottle: described, with various improvements

Invention: article, includes a chart with Magical Technics, info on patents, etc.

J

Jap Box: described in detail

Jumping Peg: described

K

Kellar, Harry (Harold Keller): 1849-1922 bio

Kellar Tie: rope release described

L

Lafayette (Siegmund Neuburger): 1872-1911 bio

Laurant, Eugene (Eugene Greenleaf): 1875-1944) bio

Leroy (Jean Henri) Servais: 1865-1953 bio

Levitations: several stage levitations described, the floating ball

Linking Rings: a full routine is described

Literature of Magic: article on historical writings

Load: defined

Lota: described

M

Magical Effects: general description of magical effect types

Makeup: described

Maskelynes, The: family bio

Mechanical Decks: Describes Strippers, Cornered, Forcing Decks, Svengali, Mene Tekel, etc.

Merry Widow: described

Mind-Reading: general high-level discussion, with an example two-person code

Mirror Principle: described

Miser's Dream: routine described

Mulholland, John: born 1898, bio

Multiplying Billiard Balls: briefly described

Muscle Reading: article on mind-reading

Music: article on choosing music

N

Needle Trick: threading needles in mouth described

Nest of Boxes: described

Nicola, the Great (William Mozart Nocol): 1880-1946 bio

Night Club Shows: article

O

Organizations: SAM, IBM, Magic Circle, etc.

Organ Pipes: described

P

Pantomime: article

Passe-Passe Bottle: described with routine

Patter: article

Phantom Tube: defined

Phillippe or Philippe (Phillippe Talon): 1802-1879 bio

Pinetti, Giuseppe, De Willedal: 1750-1800 bio

Pistol: gimmicked pistol described

Plant: defined

Powell, Frederick Eugene: 1857-1938 bio

Practice and Rehearsal: article

Presentation: article on the rules of presentation

Programs: article on building your program

Psychology: article on deception

Publicity: article on advertising

Pulls: several varieties described

R

Rattle Box: described with a routine

Rice Bowls: various methods described

Ring: defined

Ring On Stick: briefly described

Rising Cards: methods include threads, De Kolta method, with routine described along with various other approaches

Robert-Houdin: 1805-1871 bio

Robin, Henri (Dunkell): died 1874, bio

Rope Tricks: defined

Routine: short article

S

Salting: defined

Sawing a Woman in Two: briefly described

Selbit, P.T. (Percy Thomas Tibbles): died 1938, bio

Servante: described in good detail

Shell: defined

Shell Game: briefly described, reader is directed to Jack Chanin's Hello Sucker!

Shower of Sweets: children's effect described

Silent Acts: defined

Silk Tricks: Describes various tools such as False Fingers, Wands, Production from a Match Box, Multiplying Tube, Productions, Color Changing, Knots, Sympathetic Silks, etc.

Slate Tests: writing on blank slates described

Sleeve Up His: defined

Sleight of Hand: defined

Spelling Master: card effect described

Spider: defined

Spirit Effects: article

Sponge Balls: very briefly described

Stage Settings: Article on setting the stage for stage shows, with bibliography on Stage and Theater

Steal: defined

Stodare, Colonel Alfred (John English): 1831-1866 bio

String Tricks: Includes brief discussion of Perambulating String, Pricking the Garter, Snare, etc.

Sucker Gag: defined

Sun and Moon Trick: handkerchief trick described in detail

Switch: Defined

Sympathetic Coins: A Coin Matrix type effect described

T

Table Tricks: defined

Talk: defined

Tambourine: production utility described

Telephone Trick: briefly described

Thimble Tricks: Decent article describes production, multiplying thimbles, and thimble passes

Thirty Card Trick: Cards transfer from one pile to another

Thread, Black: defined

Three-Card Tricks: Three Card Monte describe in fair detail; Mexican Three Card Monte; Slow Motion Method

Thumb Tie: release described

Thumb Tip: defined

Thumb Writer: Defined

Thurston, Howard: 1869-1936 bio

Torn and Restored Paper: various methods described, including Torn Cigarette Paper

Torrini (Count Edmond De Grisy): bio of this fictional character

Tourniquet: defined

Transfixed Pack: two card effects described

Traps: defined

Trunk Trick, Substitution: stage effect briefly described

Tumblers: Bottomless, Mirror Glass, others described

Turban Cut and Restored: described

V

Van Hoven, Frank: 18??-19?? bio

Vanishing Performer: described

Vest-Pocket Magic: defined

Volunteers: Short Article

W

Walking Through a Brick Wall: described

Wands: Article with discussion of production, coin wand, auto-gravity wand, Cigar Wand, Swallowing Wand, and Vanishing Wand

Watch Tricks: Several tricks described including the Watch Mortar, The Watch Winder, and Watch It! Refers readers to Samuel Berland's Tricks with Watches.

Wax: defined

Williams, Oswald: 1881-1937 bio

Wine and Water: briefly described

Wyman, John: 1816-1881 bio

Y

You Do as I Do: Briefly described, with reference to Hilliard's Greater Magic and Hugard's Encyclopedia of Card Tricks