Wehman's Wizards' Manual, A Practical Treatise on Mind Reading, According to Stuart Cumberland and the late Washington Irving Bishop. Ventroquilism as Practiced by Valentine Vox and others. Sleight of Hand. Secrets of Performing Many Marvelous Mysteries, Such as have Astonished the Public of All Nations
New York: Wehman Bros. 1895.
Softcover. Very good. 7 x 4 5/8 inches, 122 pp + [8] (ads), in original side-stapled printed wrappers; sparsely illustrated. Some loss of paper on spine, but still tightly bound and very good. The first 86 pages are dedicated to instructions for a wide range of magic tricks for people of all skill levels, using both everyday objects and specialized apparatus. Includes many illusions performed with cards, coins, rings, handkerchiefs, and hats, as well as a section of "miscellanous tricks" that includes effects such as "the chest that opens on command," "How to make water remain in a vessel with holes in the bottom," "to produce bowls of fish and fire from a borrowed shawl," "the dancing egg," "the flying glass of water," "the Chinese marble trick," and "to shoot a small bird and bring it to life again." The magic section is followed by a lengthy chapter on ventriloquism and a much shorter one on mind-reading effects, which explains some basic principles and notes that "actual thought transmission by air waves, ethereal influence, etc." does not occur during the mind reading demonstrations of the famous performers mentioned in the title. The last chapter, titled "Spirit Mysteries Exposed," reveals the slight of hand, apparatus, planted audience members, and other methods by which mediums appear to communicate with the spirit world.
Item #21763
Price: $100.00