Hay, Henry (Ed): Cyclopedia of Magic ©1949 Henry Hay, David McKay Co; Phila, PA Harcover, w/dj ©1975 Dover Publishing Softcover, Perfect bound, 498 pages ISBN: 0-486-21808-2

Image courtesy Tom Interval

Dover 1975 edition Image from Magicref

David McKay 1949 edition Image courtesy e-Bay seller Mackiesattic

Comments: Cyclopedia of Magic was written to provide the magician with a wide and solid background of magical knowledge. It provides definitions, descriptions, biographies and some routines on hundreds of magic topics. The "articles" are contributed by magicians such as August Roterberg, Charles Bertram, Eddie Joseph, Ellis Stanyon, John Mulholland, and many others.

Contents: I have only listed the entries that actually have information under them. For example, under the entry for "Assistants", it says, "see Volunteers", so I have not bothered to list "Assistants" in the Table of Contents. Article types are: definition (short basic description); bio (biography); or an article with more details.

5 User's Guide: purpose of the book, and an index to the contributing authors

9 A
9 Acquitment: definition
9 Afghan Bands: short explanation
9 Amateur Magicians: definition and article
10 Anderson, John Henry: 1814-1874; bio
11 Angle-Proof: definition
12 Animals: Short article with comments on Rabbits, Pigeons, Dogs, etc.

14 B
14 Ball Manipulation: Long article, covers various Palms, Passes, and vanishes. Refers readers to Burling Hull's Expert Billiard Ball Manipulation
18 Ball of Wool: article, trick described
19 Bambergs, The: bio. Eliaser 1760-1833; David Leendert 1786-1869; Tobias 1812-1870; David Tobias (born 1843); Theo (Okito) born 1875; David (born 1904)
20 Bellachini (Sam Berlach): 1828-1885; bio
21 Billet And Message Reading: article with discussion of the One Ahead, Impressions, Transparency, etc.
22 Bird-Cage, Vanishing: definition
23 Black Art: defined, with an article on the Black Art Table and its construction
27 Blackstone, Harry: bio
27 Blindfolds: article with description of various forms
29 Blitz, Signor Antonio: 1810-1877; bio
29 Book Test: article with explanation and various approaches
32 Bosco, Bartolommeo: 1790-1863 bio
33 Bradawl or Ice Pick: defined
33 Breakaway Fan: defined
34 Breslaw: died 1783 bio
34 Bullet Catching: article
36 Business Methods: publicity article

38 C
38 Cake Baked In a Hat: article
39 Card Box: Defined
39 Card Frame: article
42 Card in Cigarette: defined
42 Card Index: defined
43 Cardini: bio
43 Card Manipulation: longer article covers Back Palm, Bottom Dealing, Break, Changes, Crimp, Double Lift, False Count, False Shuffle, Jogs, Flourishes, Forcing, Glide, Glimpse, Mexican Turnover, Palming, Second Deal, Shifts, Slips, and a card worker's bibliography
96 Card Marking: longer article covers principles, dot & puncture, manufacture, shading/tinting, line and scroll work, and marking while in play
101 Card Setups (The Rosary Deck): New packs, 8 Kings, Si Stebbins, explained along with several tricks
105 Cards, Flap: defined
106 Cards, Key: Article with several types described
109 Cards, One Way, Pointer, Divided: description of three card location approaches
111 Cards Up the Sleeve: routine described
113 Card Through Handkerchief: described
114 Card Vanisher: several types described
116 Carter, Charles J: 1874-1936 bio
116 Changeover Palm: defined
116 Changing Bag: defined
117 Children's Shows: article with recommendations
120 Chinese Magic: defined
121 Chinese Wands: described, multiple versions
123 Ching Ling Foo (Chee Ling Qua): 1854-1918 bio
123 Ching Ling Foo Water Can: defined
124 Chopper Effects: defined
124 Chung Ling Soo (William Ellisworth Campbell): 1861-1918 bio
125 Cigar Manipulation: Article covers multiple sleights
127 Cigarette Manipulation: for lighted or unlighted cigarettes, also covers holders
133 Clock Dial: Described
134 Coils: defined
134 Coin Box, Okito: defined
134 Coin In Handkerchief: defined
135 Coin Manipulation: article covers Palms, Changes, Handkerchief Folds, Palms, Passes, Sleeving, and a coin works bibliography
154 Coin Tray: described with a routine
156 Coins, Folding: described
156 Coins, Shell: described
157 Comedy: Article with advice
159 Comte, Louis Christian Emmanuel Appollinaire: 1788-1859 bio
160 Costume: article with advice
164 Costume Trunk Trick: described
164 Culpitt, Fred: died 1944, bio
164 Cups and Balls: Article covers palming, cup and wand moves, and East Indian cups

173 D
173 Dancing Handkerchief: described
174 De Kolta, Joseph Bautier: 1845-1903, bio
174 Devant, David (David Wighton): 1868-1941 bio
175 Dice: Article covers changing dots, Die Through Hat
177 Die Box, Sliding: described
178 Diminishing Cards: Described
180 Divinations: Class of effects in which performer discovers which of several similar objects has been concealed or what order they have been arranged in
184 Doebler, Ludwig Leopold: 1801-1864 bio
185 Dollar Bill Tricks: A torn and restored bill described, and the bill to lemon
189 Doll's House: Frederick Culpitt's illusion described
189 Dove Pan: described
190 Downs, Thomas Nelson: 1867-1938 bio
190 Drawer-Box: described
192 Droppers: defined
193 Drumhead Tube: described
194 Duck Vanish: described

195 E
195 East Indian Magic: Article
196 Egg and Handkerchief: effect detailed in a couple of approaches
201 Egg Bag: described, with some details of De Biere's egg bag. Includes a general approach to a routine, but no details.
202 Equivoques (Conjurer's Choice): described
203 Escapes and Releases: includes short discussions of The Jacoby Rope Tie, Handcuff Escape, Sack Escapes, The Mail Bag, Straitjacket Escape, Escape from Paper Cylinder, Packing Cases, and Siberian Chain Release
212 Exposures: short article on ethics

214 F
214 Fake: defined
214 Fawkes, Isaac: died 1731 bio
215 Fish-Catching: defined
215 Flagstaff: described
217 Flash Paper: defined
217 Flower in Buttonhole: defined
218 Flower Productions: Described in longer article
221 Forcing: defined
222 Four Ace Tricks: Covers Charles Bertram's Method, and seven other methods
232 Fox, Imro (Isidor Fuchs): 1852-1910 bio
232 Frikell, Wiljalba: 1818-1903 bio
232 Funnel: Described

234 G
234 Gambling Methods: longer article on cheating with cards and dice
242 General Card: defined
242 Gimmick: defined
242 Goldfish Bowls: described
244 Goldin, Horace (Hyman Goldstein): 1873-1939 bio
244 Grandmother's Necklace: described
246 Gyngell: died 1833, bio

247 H
247 Handkerchiefs Prepared as Vanishers: described, including the Die-Vanishing Handkerchief and more
251 Hands: how to treat
251 Hat Trick: detailed description of Joseph Michael Hartz' production of items from a hat
263 Heimburger, Alexander: 1818-1909 bio
263 Heller, Robert (William Henry Palmer): about 1826-1878 bio
263 Herrmann: family of magicians bio
264 Hertz Carl (Laib Morgenstern): 1869-1924 bio
264 History: article on the history of magic
266 Hoffmann, Professor Louis (Angelo John Lewis, MA): 1839-1920 bio
267 Hofzinser, Johann Nepomuk: 1806-1875 bio
267 Holders: several ball and egg holders described
268 Hoods: as used for coins, cards, etc.
269 Houdini, Harry (Ehrich Weisz): 1874-1926 bio

270 I
270 Illusions: defined
270 Impromptu Effects: pointer to books with impromptu effects
270 Indian Basket Trick: described
272 Indian Mango Trick: described
273 Indian Rope Trick: described
274 Inexhaustible Bottle: described, with various improvements
276 Invention: article, includes a chart with Magical Technics, info on patents, etc.

284 J
284 Jap Box: described in detail
286 Jumping Peg: described

288 K
288 Kellar, Harry (Harold Keller): 1849-1922 bio
288 Kellar Tie: rope release described

289 L
289 Lafayette (Siegmund Neuburger): 1872-1911 bio
289 Laurant, Eugene (Eugene Greenleaf): 1875-1944) bio
289 Leroy (Jean Henri) Servais: 1865-1953 bio
290 Levitations: several stage levitations described, the floating ball
294 Linking Rings: a full routine is described
301 Literature of Magic: article on historical writings
306 Load: defined
306 Lota: described

308 M
308 Magical Effects: general description of magical effect types
309 Makeup: described
309 Maskelynes, The: family bio
310 Mechanical Decks: Describes Strippers, Cornered, Forcing Decks, Svengali, Mene Tekel, etc.
313 Merry Widow: described
313 Mind-Reading: general high-level discussion, with an example two-person code
316 Mirror Principle: described
317 Miser's Dream: routine described
321 Mulholland, John: born 1898, bio
321 Multiplying Billiard Balls: briefly described
323 Muscle Reading: article on mind-reading
326 Music: article on choosing music

329 N
329 Needle Trick: threading needles in mouth described
330 Nest of Boxes: described
333 Nicola, the Great (William Mozart Nocol): 1880-1946 bio
333 Night Club Shows: article

335 O
335 Organizations: SAM, IBM, Magic Circle, etc.
335 Organ Pipes: described

339 P
339 Pantomime: article
343 Passe-Passe Bottle: described with routine
345 Patter: article
349 Phantom Tube: defined
349 Phillippe or Philippe (Phillippe Talon): 1802-1879 bio
350 Pinetti, Giuseppe, De Willedal: 1750-1800 bio
351 Pistol: gimmicked pistol described
351 Plant: defined
352 Powell, Frederick Eugene: 1857-1938 bio
352 Practice and Rehearsal: article
354 Presentation: article on the rules of presentation
359 Programs: article on building your program
362 Psychology: article on deception
367 Publicity: article on advertising
369 Pulls: several varieties described

377 R
377 Rattle Box: described with a routine
378 Rice Bowls: various methods described
382 Ring: defined
382 Ring On Stick: briefly described
383 Rising Cards: methods include threads, De Kolta method, with routine described along with various other approaches
395 Robert-Houdin: 1805-1871 bio
396 Robin, Henri (Dunkell): died 1874, bio
396 Rope Tricks: defined
397 Routine: short article

398 S
398 Salting: defined
398 Sawing a Woman in Two: briefly described
399 Selbit, P.T. (Percy Thomas Tibbles): died 1938, bio
399 Servante: described in good detail
403 Shell: defined
403 Shell Game: briefly described, reader is directed to Jack Chanin's Hello Sucker!
404 Shower of Sweets: children's effect described
405 Silent Acts: defined
405 Silk Tricks: Describes various tools such as False Fingers, Wands, Production from a Match Box, Multiplying Tube, Productions, Color Changing, Knots, Sympathetic Silks, etc.
421 Slate Tests: writing on blank slates described
422 Sleeve Up His: defined
423 Sleight of Hand: defined
423 Spelling Master: card effect described
424 Spider: defined
424 Spirit Effects: article
427 Sponge Balls: very briefly described
428 Stage Settings: Article on setting the stage for stage shows, with bibliography on Stage and Theater
438 Steal: defined
438 Stodare, Colonel Alfred (John English): 1831-1866 bio
438 String Tricks: Includes brief discussion of Perambulating String, Pricking the Garter, Snare, etc.
440 Sucker Gag: defined
440 Sun and Moon Trick: handkerchief trick described in detail
442 Switch: Defined
443 Sympathetic Coins: A Coin Matrix type effect described

445 T
445 Table Tricks: defined
445 Talk: defined
446 Tambourine: production utility described
447 Telephone Trick: briefly described
447 Thimble Tricks: Decent article describes production, multiplying thimbles, and thimble passes
454 Thirty Card Trick: Cards transfer from one pile to another
456 Thread, Black: defined
456 Three-Card Tricks: Three Card Monte describe in fair detail; Mexican Three Card Monte; Slow Motion Method
461 Thumb Tie: release described
462 Thumb Tip: defined
463 Thumb Writer: Defined
463 Thurston, Howard: 1869-1936 bio
463 Torn and Restored Paper: various methods described, including Torn Cigarette Paper
466 Torrini (Count Edmond De Grisy): bio of this fictional character
467 Tourniquet: defined
467 Transfixed Pack: two card effects described
470 Traps: defined
470 Trunk Trick, Substitution: stage effect briefly described
471 Tumblers: Bottomless, Mirror Glass, others described
475 Turban Cut and Restored: described

477 V
477 Van Hoven, Frank: 18??-19?? bio
477 Vanishing Performer: described
477 Vest-Pocket Magic: defined
478 Volunteers: Short Article

480 W
480 Walking Through a Brick Wall: described
481 Wands: Article with discussion of production, coin wand, auto-gravity wand, Cigar Wand, Swallowing Wand, and Vanishing Wand
486 Watch Tricks: Several tricks described including the Watch Mortar, The Watch Winder, and Watch It! Refers readers to Samuel Berland's Tricks with Watches.
496 Wax: defined
497 Williams, Oswald: 1881-1937 bio
497 Wine and Water: briefly described
497 Wyman, John: 1816-1881 bio

498 Y
498 You Do as I Do: Briefly described, with reference to Hilliard's Greater Magic and Hugard's Encyclopedia of Card Tricks