Blackstone, Harry: Blackstone's Secrets of Magic ©1929, 1958 Doubleday & Co., Inc.; 1975 New Revised Edition, Melvin Powers, CA Softcover, perfect-bound, 164 pages ISBN: 0-87980-260-X

Comments: This was better than I thought it was going to be. I expected another beginner's book of magic, but this volume reveals many of the commercial magic effects of the day, and even provides a decent coverage of the Linking Rings and the Cups & Balls. Worth picking up for your collection. I've listed the 1929 Hardcover edition separately because it has slightly different contents.

Contents:

5 Contents
9 Introduction: How to Present Magic
13 Biographical Note: Walter B. Gibson

17 Chapter One - Effective Pocket Tricks
17 Torn and Restored Paper
19 Another Paper Tearing: variation
20 The Ball and the Tube: commercial magic prop
21 Improved Ball and Tube: for vanishing the gimmick
22 Ball and Glass Tube: another variation
22 Giant Match Production: from matchbox
23 The Cigarette From Nowhere: while lighting an invisible cigarette, a real one appears
24 Improved Cigarette From Nowhere: variation
25 The Four Colors: magician knows which dot on a mirror was covered
25 The Divining Die: die put in opaque box yet magician knows what number is on top, with variation
27 Knife Through Handkerchief: knife cuts paper but not handkerchief, with variation
28 Through the Coat: another variation
29 Self Rising Match Box: on hand
30 Cigarette Tube: apparatus described
31 The Mysterious Cigarette: a combination of effects
33 The Divining Dial: clever box helps magician know what color was selected with a dial
33 The Mummy Case: magician knows what color mummy placed in a case
34 The Four Color Blocks: describes a clever commercial color revealing box
35 Pencil Through Coin: Holder for a coin allows a pencil to penetrate
37 The Colored Bars: magician determines which bar in which hole
38 The Red Hot Ball: chemical trick
39 Cigarette to Cigar: gimmick briefly described
39 Colored Crayons: color determined behind back
39 Blackstone's Paper Ball Trick: two in the hand and one in the pocket
42 The Uncanny Die: each spectator sees a different side of the die exposed
43 The Adhesive Cigarette Pack: likely won't work with modern cigarette boxes
43 The Improved Coin Box: Brief trick with the Okito coin box (old style)
45 Con Changing Slide: a clever slide box
46 Penny and Dime Trick: briefly described

47 Chapter Two - Magic with Apparatus
47 The Repeating Handkerchief Vanish: using a pull repeatedly
49 The Drum Production: producing many silks from an empty cylinder on a stand
50 The New Confetti Bowls: rice bowls
52 Die, Frame, and Ribbon: ribbon strung through frame and die, yet die removed
53 The Elastic Sticks: optical illusion
54 Chines Wands: the Chinese Sticks effect described
56 More Chinese Wands: the more modern version
58 The Clinging Wand: gimmicked
58 The Vanishing Wand: when rolled in paper, two versions described
59 Double Production Wand: produce a silk
60 Franciscus Handkerchief Wand: quickly vanish a silk
61 The Handkerchief Pedestal: appearing silk in glass
62 Handkerchief and Glass Production: using the pedestal
62 Vanishing Glass and Handkerchief: use of a servante
63 Egg Cling Clang (with Handkerchief Pedestal): a routine
64 Mysterious Penetration: Glass of Ink rises UP
65 The Chinese Wonder Blocks: ball mysteriously appears between two blocks
66 Comedy Hat Levitation: hat suspends in air
67 The Billiard Ball Box (Improved by El Barto): Billiard ball vanishes from box with two compartments
68 Production of Four Bouquets: with special pot
70 Novel Production Box: yes, with mirrors!
71 Two New Coin Stands: described
72 New Style Production Box: Box with no top or bottom, a tray, and a piece of glass
73 The Bogart Tube: Water poured in tube, cover placed over and broken to remove silks, then water poured out
74 The Passing Knots: knots pass from one set of handkerchiefs to another
76 Con Act Finale: new Coin Ladder described

78 Chapter Three The Linking Rings and the Cups and Balls
79 The Chinese Linking Rings: a full routine for the 8 ring set described
85 The Dropping Ring (An Additional Move): for four together
86 Adding the Key Ring: ideas
87 The Cups and Balls: a routine with 7 balls and most any cups; no sleight of hand and three large load climax
90 Penetrating Cups: optical illusion
91 New Additional Routine: alternate instead of jumbo load finale

95 Chapter Four Mental Mysteries and Spirit Tricks
96 Naming the Number: mathematical
97 Giant Memory: uses special chart
98 Boards and Cards: magician determines card selection through special indexes
99 Thought Foretold: paper predicts mentally selected card
101 The Magic Square Test: a magic square effect
103 Five Cards and Five Pellets: paper predicts remaining card
104 Double Prediction: Effect using several methods
106 Improved Book Test: describes several methods
108 Best Billet Switch: utility move
109 The Ink Bottle: getting info from a paper
110 The Mysterious Name: named person appears on previously blank paper
111 Pocket Slates: small spirit slates briefly described
112 The Abacus Slate: flap slate described
112 The Mechanical Slates: can support two messages
113 The Number Forcing Pack: how to force a number
114 Blackstone's Pet Trick: card trick
115 Sealed Message Reading (Improved Method): magician reads questions before opening envelopes; variations described
119 Two Slate Test: no flaps
120 The Figure Total Slate: cleverly gimmicked slate
122 Card and Frame Mystery: special frame allows message to appear
123 Figure Switching Pads: several approaches
124 The Wrist Pillory: though imprisoned, performer can perform deeds
125 The Thumb Pillory: a "thumb tie" apparatus
126 The Rapping Hand: apparatus described

128 Chapter Five Stage Magic and Illusions
128 Production of Fluids: from under clothes
129 Flower Basket Production: special tray
130 Lighted Lamp Production: special table
131 Vanishing Lamp: vanishes on tray
132 The Germaine Jars: improved presentation
135 Blackstone's Three Card Trick: Three Card Monte on a giant scale (gimmicked cards)
137 The New Sword Cabinet: girl vanishes and reappears at the end
139 The Glass Trunk: girl appears inside
141 A Magical Appearance: opener
142 The Cleaver Illusion: apparently chops the assistant in many sections!
145 Walking Through Glass: illusion
148 Pigeon Rabbit and Goose: production
150 The Girl and the Shadow: illusion

152 Chapter Six Selected Secrets
152 The Egg and Fan: tissue paper to real egg
154 The Needle Trick: needles threaded in the mouth
154 Mystic Razor Blades: version of above
156 Vanishing Water: with pitcher and cone of paper
157 Vanishing Milk: with special pitcher
158 New Cling Clang: gimmicked egg described
159 Instant Glass Production: from under napkin
160 Quick Jell: liquid doesn't fall from inverted glass
160 Spoofy Glass Vanish: with faked exposure
161 Ring on Wand: ring instantly on wand
162 New Ring on Wand: Jardine Ellis type
163 Passe Passe Bottles: bottle and glass transpose with comedy addition

165 Melvin Powers Catalog: includes magic books Blackstone's Modern Card Tricks; 400 Fascinating Magic Tricks You Can Do by Howard Thurston; and Magic Made Easy by Byron Wels.