Ganthony, Robert: Bunkum Entertainments ©1895 L. Upcott Gill, London, England Hardcover, 188 pages plus ads

Image courtesy eBay seller Weinstein-Perez Books

Comments: "Being a collection of Original Laughable Skits on conjuring, physiognomy, juggling, performing fleas, waxworks, panorama, phrenolog, phonograph, second sight, lighnting calculations, ventriloquism, spiritualism, etc.; to which are added humorous sketches, whimsical recitals, and drawing room comedies". There is not a lot of magic here; these are mostly plays for entertainment. The first and third plays include some magic tricks; and "Second Sight" and "Mind Reading" include some comedy spoof mentalism. Note, includes some dated racial language.

Contents (from book):

ii Preface

1 Part I Introduction

2 Conjuring
2 Preliminary Remarks: imitate the style of a conjurer
2 The Performance: comedy skit with very little real magic but lots of gags
3 - Candle Appears on Table
4 - Candle Lights
6 - Borrowed Half-Crown Trick: with a confederate
7 - Glass of Water Transposition From Hat to Hat
9 - Biscuit and Card Trick

11 Physiognomy
11 Preliminary Remarks
12 The Performance: comedy act presented as a scientific presentation of character reading; duplicate the drawings from the book
15 - The Intellectual
16 - The Ass
16 - Noses
20 - Eyes
22 - Mouths

24 Juggling
24 Preliminary Remarks
25 The Performance: feats of juggling, but most are gimmicked
25 - Balancing Handkerchief
25 - Billiard Ball on Wand
25 - Handkerchief to Parasol
25 - Three Ball Juggling
25 - Ball Juggling on Umbrella
25 - Plate Spinning
26 - Hoop and Glass
26 - Two Men Wrestling
26 Explanation of Juggling Tricks: does not provide the details of some of the commercially available tricks

31 The Performing Fleas
31 Preliminary Remarks: uses a number of cardboard squares with small dots or pellets
31 The Performance:
32 - A Musical Performance
32 - Barber Shop
33 - Hansom Cab
33 - Training Room
35 - Under Water
35 - Histrionic Flea

35 Waxworks
35 Preliminary Remarks
35 The Performance: using imaginary wax figures
36 Madame Jones Lion Faced Lady
38 Judgment of Solomon
38 Cetewayo and His Wives
38 Mary Queen of Scots
39 Daniel In the Lions' Den
39 Columbus Discovering America
40 Sir Isaac Newton

40 Panorama Skit
40 Preliminary Remarks: a skit using a row of pictures stitched together across a room
41 The Performance
41 - The Hudson River
43 - The Albany Boat
45 - The Pallisades
46 - West Point
50 - The Terminus

50 Phrenology
50 Preliminary Remarks: skull reading with a humorous tone
51 The Performance
51 - Children's Head.Reading: monologue
53 - Confederate Head Reading: skit

56 The Funnygraph
56 Preliminary Remarks: can be a ventriloquist skit, or done with a confederate
56 The Performance: comedy skit using a pretend phonograph or record player
59 - Record 1 Scotch Bagpipes
60 - Record 2 Rooster
60 - Custom Record

62 Second Sight
62 Preliminary Remarks
62 The Performance: comedy mind reading
63 - Head
64 - Coin
64 - Piano
66 - Colors
67 - Body Parts
67 - Newspaper
68 - Card Reading9
69 - Finale

70 The Lightning Calculator
70 Preliminary Remarks: can use a Hamley Mystic Slate for a magical conclusion
70 The Performance: uses a confederate

75 Ventriloquism
75 Preliminary Remarks: uses a confederate dressed as a dummy
75 The Performance
75 - Monologue
77 - Skit

83 The Quack Dentist
83 Preliminary Remarks: stage setting
83 The Performance: comedy skit

87 The Soul-Stirring Tragedy - The Blooming Flower of Bethnal Green
87 The Performance: A one person performance
91 - Enter Squire Left
99 - Enter Pirate
99 - Enter Giles
100 - Squire Enters

100 Hamlet Up to Date
101 - The Tower Hamlets

108 Spiritualism
108 Preliminary Remarks: uses a confederate
109 The Performance: provides some general manifestations that the confederate can perform once performer is bound, but does not give details

113 The Bullet-Proof Cuirass
113 Preliminary Remarks: comedy sketch about historic body armor
113 The Performance
118 - Bullet-Proof Experiment

120 Hypnotism
120 Preliminary Remarks
120 Performance: skit with a confederate

126 Thought Reading
126 Performance: uses a confederate
126 - Finding a Pin
128 - Solving a Murder Mystery: quick joke

130 Part II Miscellaneous

130 The Man With One Hair: a poem
131 Monsieur Joe a La Crickette: a poem in French
134 Marvellous Adventures of a Four-Wheeler: sketch given in a cabby's get-up
138 Hans the Boots and the Brandy: a sketch in a German accent
142 Common-Sense: Casabianca poem
143 The Phonograph: a poem
145 The Editorial Goat: poem

148 Part III Drawing-Room Comedies

148 The Proposal: a monologue
153 Like Mistress, Like Maid: Duologue Comedietta
174 A Romance of the Past: Comedietta

189 Catalogue of Practical Handbooks: published by L. Upcott Gill