Goldston, Will: A Magician's Swan Song ©1934 Will Goldston, London Hardcover, 288 pages

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Contents:

9 Foreword (J.C. Cannell)

11 Chapter I The History of Magic - Ancient Magic
12 Tchatcha-em-ankh
13 Holy Writ
14 Greek History
15 Roman Triumphs
16 Chinese Magic

19 Chapter II The History of Magic - Medieval Magic
19 Early Practitioners - Chaucer's Accounts
21 Scott's Discoverie of Witchcraft
23 Joseph Balsamo - Chevalier Pinetti

25 Chapter III The History of Magic - Modern Magic
25 Conjuring Sleight of Hand vs. Illusions
26 Jean Eugene Robert Houdin
27 Anderson the Great, Hertz, DeKolta
28 Golden Age of Magic
30 A Defense of Conduct: magical exposure
31 Professor Hoffmann
34 Magic and Magicians - Maskelyne

41 Chapter IV Some Specimens of Modern Magic
42 Black Art
45 Horace Goldin's Sawing
46 The Floating Ball
47 Vanishing Lamp
48 False Finger
50 Maskelyne's Magic Kettle

51 Chapter V Eastern Magic
51 Eastern Interest in Magic
52 Japanese Water Trick
54 Oriental Production Tricks
55 Indian Drum Tricks
56 Pottery Mark Appears on Spectator's Hand
57 Burmese Swallowing of a Barrell of Water
60 Hindu Damaged and Restored Wedding-Ring
61 Needle Swallowing

63 Chapter VI Mind-Reading Magic
63 Two Person Code to Name Any Card
65 Book Test
67 Map of England Test
69 Determining Objects Touched
70 Blindfold Test
71 Determining the Celebrity Name
72 Locating an Object in the Room
73 Postcard Trick
74 News of the World

77 Chapter VII Some Famous Illusions
77 Horace Goldin
81 Sawing a Horse in Half
83 Harry Price's Evulgograph
87 The Reverend from Oshkosh Billet Trick
89 A.S. Davis - Stanlyn
90 Davis' Magic Figure

93 Chapter VIII More Famous Illusions
93 Passing an Alarm Clock Through a Sheet of Glass
94 A New Penetrating Tumbler: use any table
99 Chefalo the Magician
101 Chefalo's Umbrella Trick
103 Divination Miracle: book test
106 The Magic Ball: answers yes or no
107 Shooting Through a Woman

109 Chapter IX Tricks of Escape
109 Houdini
110 Murray from Australia
111 Cage Escape
112 Trick Cage
114 The Sack Trick: three methods
117 The Halter Tie
119 Cord Escape
120 Magician Escapes from His Coat Though Tied

123 Chapter X The Flotsam and Jetsam of Magic
123 Sleight of Hand vs. Simple Tricks
125 Simple Card Trick - The Six Packet
125 Magician Determines Selected Card By Feel
127 Magician Determines How Many Cards Added to a Packet
128 Torn and Restored Paper Strip
129 Another Version
129 A Fake Explanation With Cut and Restored Ribbon
130 Handkerchief in Tumbler Transposition
131 A Wand and Handkerchief Trick
133 Obedient Ball for Stage

135 Chapter XI Optical Illusions
135 Pepper's Ghost
137 Ghostly Bottle of Liquor
138 Ghost Through Wall
139 Fake Spiritualistic Séance
140 The Man Without a Body
142 The Mirror Glass
143 Assistant Vanishes in Cabinet
144 Living Head on the Table
145 A Close-Up Production Box
145 A Selection of Party Stunts

147 Chapter XII My Own Tricks
147 On Building Tricks
149 Queen of Hearts Trick
150 The Card Frame
152 A Gimmicked Card Change
152 Colored Silks From Water Canister
153 Thought Reading Experiment
154 Production Puzzle Box
154 Handkerchief Transfers From One Glass to Another
155 Glass Box Illusion
156 Mental Telegraphy

159 Chapter XIII Tricks of Bogus Mediums
159 On Being a Spiritualist
161 Flickering Lights
162 Devices Used by Fake Mediums: 2 pages of diagrams
164 The Examination of a Fake Medium
165 Producing White Clouds
166 Another Examination
167 The Icy Hand
169 Blind Woman Exposes Sitter
170 Medium Turned Blackmailer

173 Chapter XIV Some Experiments in Ghost Hunting
173 About Ghosts
174 Psychic Investigation Council of the Magician's Club, London
174 Advertisement for a Real Haunted House
175 The House in Ipswitch
176 William Shakespeare's Ghost
177 Pontypool House and Chiswick
178 Mysterious Lady at Brighton

181 Chapter XV A Miscellany of Magic Performed by Famous Illusionists
181 A Vanishing Lamp (Louis Nikola)
189 The Cut and Restored Treasury Note
192 Sherwood's Coin and Chocolate Box
195 Wet Paint
197 A Trick With Giant Cards
198 A Stage 'Spirit' Cabinet
198 Bertram's Trick With a Shilling and a Copy of 'Tit-Bits'
202 The Devil's Mirror (Hans)
203 Another Four Ace Trick (Stanley Collins)
205 Nested Envelopes And Restored Card Trick (Stanley Collins)
209 Stanley Collins' Magnetic Aces
212 The 'Esscee' Nap Hand Deal
214 The Chung Ling Soo Slate Trick
214 A New Spirit Hand
217 The Return of Diogenes: a stage assistant production
220 Owen Clark's Thought Transmission
223 Professor Hoffmann's Four Aces Trick - Modern Versions
231 Bautier De Kolta's Three Coins Trick: with a Penny, Florin, Five-Shilling piece, and three handkerchiefs
232 A Good Thought-Reading Trick
234 The Travelling Handkerchief
235 Card Production Extraordinary
240 Wine and Water
241 The Swing of the Pendulum

247 Chapter XVI Magical Furniture
247 Thief-Trap Writing Table: emits pepper into face of thief
248 Book Stack Box
249 Door Booby Trap With Pillow
250 Taking Table: diagram
251 Trick Door: diagram
252 Spirit Rapping Table
252 Surprise Chinese Chair
254 Prisoner Chair
256 A Moving Piano

257 Chapter XVII Seven Lessons in Magic for the Beginner
257 Lesson One: Audience cares about the effect, not the method
260 - No-Sleight Card Trick
262 Lesson Two: A Drawing Room program
263 - Ribbons to Union Jack
264 - Red White and Blue Balls in Three Hats
265 - Bracelet Appears on Rope Though Tied to Wrists
266 - Torn and Restored Cigarette Paper
266 - Self Working Card Trick
268 - Mesmerised Cards: adhere to the hand
268 - Number Adding Prediction
270 Lesson Three
270 - Timing
271 - Vanishing and Reappearing Wand
271 - A Yellow Handkerchief Becomes Tied Between a Red & White
273 - Torn and Restored Paper: TT
274 - Climax Ribbons from Matchbox
275 Lesson Four
275 - Sleight of Hand Tricks
275 - Cards Up the Sleeve
279 Lesson Five
279 - Learning From Books
281 Lesson Six
281 - Illusion vs. Trick
281 - A Simple Vanish Illusion
282 - The Sphinx Illusion and Mirrors
283 - Sack Escape
284 - Inventing Illusions
284 Lesson Seven
284 - Money From Magic