Alexander, the Magician: The Magic Show Book ©1937 The Macmillan Company, NY Hardcover, w/dj, 145 pages ©1945 Second Printing ©1947 Third ©1950 Fourth

Image courtesy eBay seller NancyAlloy

Comments: from the book, "Much of the material in this volume has been revised by the author from his column "The Magic Club" which appears weekly in Young America, the National News Weekly for Youth." Effects range from gags, to simple tricks, all the way up to building your own Die Box.

Contents (from book):

v Introduction

1 I. First Instructions Warnings and Gimmicks
5 Producing the Wand
6 The Vanishing Wand
8 Sleight of Hand: a few basic moves
10 The Vanishing Handkerchief
11 A Routine of Sleights: with a ball
12 The Climbing Ring: on wand
14 The Coin or Ring Box: for vanishing
15 Catch Tricks: introduction to "betchas" with an example
15 Impromptu Tricks: description with an egg balancing example
16 Mind-reading Tricks: description, with a center tear example

18 II. Easy-to-do Tricks
18 The Elusive Coin: coin fold
19 The Coin and Orange: version of coin in orange
21 The Coin Tray: coins multiply
23: String and Straw: cut & restored
24 The Joined Silks: join when thrown in the air
25 The Broken Match: restored
25 Color Clues: determine color of crayon
26 Rings on a String: magically removed
27 Pins and Ribbons: determine color of ribbon on four safety pins
29 Rattle Boxes: spectator can't find the box that rattles
31 The Chinese Ticket: torn and restored
32 Seeing Through: magician knows which hand holds the coins
33 String and Ring: ring appears on string between two hands
34 Another One: using a bracelet sized ring

36 III. Pocket Tricks
36 Paper Squares: gag
37 Cubes and Glass: stunt
38 The Paper Bridge: balance a glass on paper between two other glasses
38 Pencil and Ring: catch trick
39 Television: gag writing duplication
40 Spectators’ Choice: another catch trick
41 Penetration: pushing a hat through a small hole, gag
41 Walking Through: a hole cut in a paper
42 Coin and Paper: large coin through small hole
43 “Heads”: magician always knows which end of the matchbox has the heads
44 The Stick and Pin: a wooden pin penetrates a safety pin
45 Five Sides Alike: paper stunt
46 Coin Vanish: in the hand
47 The "Spirit” Drinks: water vanishes in the dark
48 The Spirit Glass: a glass of water chimes answers to questions
49 The Mystic Cross: a line on the palm turns into a cross

52 IV. Silks
52 The Knot: untied mysteriously
53 Instant Knot
54 Another Knot
55 Silk and String: handkerchief appear on string tied between wrists
56 Dyeing Silks: change colors through tube
58 Handkerchief Ball: gimmick described with a routine
60 The Magic Tubes: for productions
62 Novel Production Tube

65 V. Magic Tubes
65 Passe Tubes: silks appear in two empty tubes
70 “Drum Head Tubes": use a loading method
74 The Swift Messenger: a small figure vanishes

78 VI. Feature Tricks
78 Nest of Boxes: watch to nest of boxes
82 The Rabbit in a Hat!: using a Servante
85 A Hatful of Handkerchiefs: body load
87 A Load of Wood: production
90 Loads of Other Things: other ideas
90 Eggs in the Hat: another hat load method
93 “Transposition” — a Grand Finale: using the Handkerchief Ball and Servante

97 VII. Real Magic
97 The Bran Glass: bran changes to candy in a glass
100 The Magic Vase: a versatile gimmick
102 The Die Box: with construction plans and routine
109 Red and Black: red and black balls transpose

113 VIII. Number Tricks
113 All Alike: multiplication stunt
114 Thought Number: determine the original number thought of
115 Another Thought Number
116 Magic Number: predicted, 1089 trick
118 Omitted Number: determine which number crossed off
119 Number Mystery: determine the final total
119 Spirit Slate: using a flap slate
121 Clock Numbers: magician knows what time the clock was set to

124 IX. Miscellaneous Magic
124 The Appearing Rose: in buttonhole
125 The Pine Tree: a paper fold
126 Egg and Confetti: using a blown egg
128 Laundry Ticket and Confetti: two trick combination
130 Money Divination: teacup confederate
132 Another Code: which object was touched
132 Magic Disks: prediction trick
134 Magic Marble: a confederate vanish
135 Spirit Answers: Q&A session with a confederate

139 X. The Magic Show
142 A Unique Magic Show: routining effects
143 Magic and Mystery: another set routined into a show