Buffum, Richard: The Carl Owen Book; Keep the Wheels Turning Volume 1 ©1977 Leslie C. Smith, Owen Magic Supreme, CA Hardcover, no dj, 8.5x11", 303 pages ISBN: 0-930110-05-6z

Image courtesy MartinsMagic.com

Comments: Includes 132 blueprints and over 100 line drawings. Edited by Leo Behnke. The first of the Keep The Wheels Turning volumes. The second was written by Les and Gertrude Smith, covers Floyd Thayer, and is listed here separately.

Contents (courtesy book ToC and additional detail from MartinsMagic.com):

19 Chapter 1 – Carl Meets Floyd
31 Catalog #2 Blueprints 31
- Cabinet of Mystery: later changed to ‘Modern Cabinet’
- Substitution Trunk
- Mysterious Release: later changed to ‘Triple Escape’
- Pillory Escape: later changed to ‘Houdini Pillory Escape’
- Cross Illusion: changed in turn to ‘New Cross Illusion’. ‘New Cross Escape’, and ‘Baffling Cross Escape’
- Cupid’s Doves
- Maid From Nowhere: later changed to ‘Alexander’s Materialization’, and then to ‘Phantom Cabinet’
- Marvelous Appearance: but was never advertised again

39 Chapter 2 – Floyd Thayer 39

50 Catalog #3 Blueprints
- Packing Box Escape: changed to ‘Ideal Box Escape’, and ‘Ideal Packing Box Escape’ later
- Spirit Pictures: then called ‘Great Spirit Paintings’, ‘The Spirit Paintings’, and finally ‘Thayer’s Super Spirit Paintings’
Eclipse Vanishing Lamp

54 Chapter 3 – Carl Owen 54
74 Catalog #4 Blueprints 74
- Germain’s Flower Growth: changing later to ‘Visible Flower Growth of Carl Germaine’, and then to ‘Visible Flower Growth [Germaine]’
- Mysterious Duck Production
- Birds From Nowhere (never drawn)
- Flight of the Rodents (later ‘Where Do the Rats Go?’)
- The Vanishing Ducks (becoming later ‘Hong Kong Duck Vanish’)
- Multum in Parvo
- Goddess and the Reptile
- Asrah Illusion: changing in turn to ‘Improved Asrah Levitation’ and ‘Asrah Levitation Mystery’
- Brooks Trunk
- Double Trunk
- New Electrocution Mystery
- Costume Trunk Mystery
- Thayer’s Super-Vanish Extraordinary
- Multiplying Chairs (advertised, but no plans ever drawn)
- Glass Trunk (later the ‘Glass Lined Trunk’)
- Double Box Illusion
- X-Ray Double Box
- In Again – Out Again
- New Canvas Box
- Voice From the Great Beyond: later subtitled ‘The Great Egyptian Vase Mystery’
94 Chapter 4 – Alexander and Dr. Q 94
104 Catalogs #5 and 5 S Blueprints 104
- Haunted Cabinet and Blocks of Quong Hi: changed later to ‘Cabinet and Discs of Quong Hi’ and ‘Haunted Temple of Quong Hi’
- Non-Visible Super-Vanish (but no plans ever drawn)
- Mysterious Dr. Q Dark Trumpet Seance
- Black Art (later becoming ‘Mysteries in Black Art’)
- A Mystery in Modern Seership: changing to ‘Miracle in Modem Seership’ and ‘Thayer’s Miracle Clip Board’
- Rip Van Winkle
- “Stroubeika”
- Aerial Suspension: same as ‘Broom Illusion’
- Spirit of Spirits Escape (but no plans ever drawn)
- Screen of Life
- Lightning Vanish
- Sawing A Woman in Two: then ‘Sawing a Lady in Two’
- Aga or the Floating Lady: becoming simply ‘Floating Lady
- Creo, or Vampire (later just ‘Vampire’)
- Escape to Sing Sing (changed to ‘Trip to Sing Sing’)
- Tea Chest Illusion
- Artist’s Dream
- Turnstile Mystery: again, no plans ever drawn
- Supplement Catalog 5 advertised these new items:
-- New Drop-Model Production Cabinet
-- Princess of Thebes
-- Sucker Pigeon Vanish: then as ‘Nixon’s Sucker Pigeon Vanish’
-- Confusion in the Ark: Carl never had to draw any plans, but Fred Rickard did for Larsen
142 Chapter 5 – 334 South San Pedro Street 126
142 Catalog #6 Blueprints 142
- Ghost of Chu Chin Chow
- Hong Kong Mystery Pigeon Production
- Spirito (but no plans were ever done)
- Haunted Window
- Flash Appearance
- Boxes of Buddha: becoming ‘Mystic Buddha Chests’
- Improved Noah’s Ark: then just ‘Improved Ark’
- Girl in Drum
- Sword Box
- Temple of Buddha
- Theo, the Flying Lady
- Seeing Through a Man
- King Tut’s Chariot
- Executioner’s Dream
156 Chapter 6 – People and Tricks
169 Catalog #7 Blueprints
- New Sensational Sack Mystery: becoming later ‘Sensational Sack - Mystery’, but actually was only a manuscript
- Modern Rabbit Box Production
- Box, Bucket and Doves
- Sedan Chair
- Morrit Cage
- Boxes of Choy Fong
- Mummy Case
- Mysterio Cabinet
- Triangle Illusion
- Elastic Lady
- Where Is the Lady?: changed to ‘Elusive Lady’
- Jumbo Clock and Lady: but no plans were ever asked for
- Growing Box
- Doll’s House
- Table to Suit Case: (but no plans again
- Bridal Chamber
- From Bombay to London
- Phantom Cage
- Living Half Lady
- Spider Girl
- Lady and Lion
- Merry Widow: only drawn later by Fred Rickard
- Latest Sword Cabinet
- Illusion Steps
- Vanishing Lady and Trunk
- Altar of Fate
- Birth of Chloris
- Crystal Box
- Decapitated Princess
- Boudoir of a Dancing Girl
- At a Tent in the Desert
- Startling Vanish of a Girl in Mid Air
- Demon of Doom
- Girl in the Case
- Dream of a Coolie
- Ordeal of Belzar
- A Strange Disappearance
- Mystery of Three
- Aerial Flight
- Open the Other Door: but you won’t find any plans!
- Wide World Illusion (but no plans)
- New Burning Alive
- Ghost Show Illusion
- Spirit Screen: later ‘Thayer’s Ghost Apparition Screen’
- Princess of Bakhten
- Okito’s Floating Silver Sphere
212 Chapter 7 – The Larsens 212
219 Catalog #7 S Blueprints 219
- Hamfat – The Mindreader
- Haunted Chinese Bird Chest
- Lester Lake Guillotine
- Monster Guillotine
- Pillars of Fear
- Devil’s Torture Chamber
- Disembodied Princess
- Murder in the Telephone Booth: later, ‘Mystery of the Telephone Booth’
- “Amazia”
- Thayer’s Spook Room
230 Chapter 8 – The Smiths
238 Catalogs #8 and 9 Blueprints
- Dynamic Production of Two Trays and Twelve Glasses of Beer
- A Barrel of “Spirits”
- The Birds Fly Home
- Box, Tray and Screen Illusion
- Phantom Aviary
- New Model Dynamic Dove Vanish
- Zenith Water Fountain Act
- Ghost Chest Mystery
- “Resurrection”
- Reincarnation
- Improved Vampire
- Fire and Water
- Cannon and Crystal Box
- Jack-0 Lantern Girl
- New “Flyto”
- Bullet-Proof Girl (drawn by Fred Rickard)
- Where Does the Head Go?
- Chefs Nightmare (drawn by Fred Rickard)
- Buzz Saw
- Battle of the Toy Soldiers (Fred Rickard)
- Famous Spike Mystery
- Walking Through a Ribbon
- Simitars of Bagdad
- plus Miracle Girl Production: not in any catalog
262 Appendix A – The Owen Catalogs
269 Appendix B – Workshop Drawings