Hopkins, Albert A.: Magic Scientific Diversions and Stage Illusions Including Trick Photography ©1897 Munn & Co, Publishers, NY Hardcover, 556 pages Reissued 1967 by Benjamin Blom, Inc. Reissued 1977 by Arno Press, Inc. Magic Stage Illusions, Special Effects, and Trick Photography ©1976 Dover Publishers ISBN: 0486265617

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Comments: There have been several reprints since the original 1897 edition.

1 Introduction: The Mysteries of Modern Magic (Henry Ridgely Evans)
1 I Ancient Magic
3 II Cagliostro
6 III Eighteenth Century : Pinetti, Rollin, Comus II, Robertson, etc.
11 IV Nineteenth Century: Robert-Houdin, Jean Eugene Robert
19 V Carl Herrmann, Signor Blitz, Robert Heller, Alexander Herrmann
25 VI Modesty, and Lack Thereof

27 Book I Conjurers' Tricks And Stage Illusions

27 Chapter I Mysterious Disappearances
27 Vanity Fair
31 After the Flood
34 The Magic Palanquin
35 Cassadag Propaganda
39 The Appearing Lady
42 The Disappearing Lady
44 The Mysterious Trunk
46 The Indian Basket Trick
48 Decapitation
50 Spiritualistic Ties

55 Chapter II Optical Tricks
55 The Cabaret du Neant
60 The Three-Headed Woman
61 Amphitrite
63 The Mystery of Dr. Lynn
64 Black Art
69 The Talking Head
69 The Living Half-Woman
72 She
74 The Queen of Flowers
77 The Decapitated Princess
79 Stella
81 Houdin's Magic Cabinet
84 A Mystic Maze
86 Platinized Glass
88 Statue giving a Double Image

89 Chapter III Miscellaneous State Tricks
89 Trilby
91 The Haunted Swing
94 The Scurimobile
96 The Neoöccultism
100 The Mask of Balsamo
102 The Invisible Woman
103 Magic Harps

105 Chapter IV Conjuring Tricks
105 Trick with an Egg and a Handkerchief
106 The Cone of Flowers
108 The Magic Rosebush
109 Magic Flowers
112 The Birth of Flowers
113 - The Buttonhole Rose
113 - The Flowers In the Small Box
113 - The Bouquet In the Glass
114 - The Small Bouquets in the Hat
114 Tricks with a Hat
117 A Cake Baked in a Hat
119 The Egg and Hat Trick
120 Multiplication of Coins
121 Magic Coins
122 The Dissolving Coin
123 The Spirit Slates
125 Second Sight
127 Magic Cabinets
127 - The Magic Portfolio
128 - Magic Envelopes
128 - Magic Boxes
129 The Traveling Bottle and Glass
130 Disappearance of an Apple and a Ninepin
131 A Goblet of Ink Converted into an Aquarium
132 The Invisible Journey of a Glass of Wine
134 The Wine Changed to Water
135 The Animated Mouse
136 The Sand Frame Trick
137 Houdin's Magic Ball

139 Chapter V Jugglers And Acrobatic Performances
139 Jugglers
142 The Leamy Revolving Trapeze
144 Walking on the Ceiling Head Down
146 The Mysterious Ball

149 Chapter VI Fire Eaters And Sword Tricks
149 Fire Eaters - Tricks with Fire
152 A Stab through the Abdomen
153 The Human Target
156 Sword Swallowers
161 Sword Walkers
162 Dancers on Glass

183 Chapter VII Ventriloquism And Animated Puppets
170 Animated Puppets

172 Chapter VIII Shadowgraphy (Henry Ridgely Evans)
181 French Shadows

184 Chapter IX Mental Magic (Henry Ridgely Evans)
184 Robert Heller Second Sight Act
186 Codes: Alphabet, Numbers, Colors, etc.
192 Articles in Sets
193 Playing Cards
194 Money
194 Other Examples
197 Silent Thought Transference No. 1
199 Silent Thought Transference No. 2

203 Book II Ancient Magic

203 Chapter I Temple Tricks Of The Greeks
203 Puppet Shows among the Greeks
213 The Machinery of the Temples
217 Invention in 1889 A.D. vs. Invention B.C.
219 An Egyptian Lustral Water Vessel

221 Chapter II Miraculous Vessels Of The Greeks
221 The Dicaiometer
222 Miraculous Vessels
230 Ancient Organs

234 Chapter III The Origin Of The Steam Engine

240 Chapter IV Greek Lamps, Toys, Etc.
240 Perpetual Lamps
241 An Ancient Automaton
243 A Greek Toy
244 The Decapitated Drinking Horse
247 Odometers

252 Book III Science In The Theater

252 Chapter I Behind the Scenes of an Opera House

268 Chapter II Some Remarkable Stages, Ancient And Modern
268 An Electric Curtain
268 The Fan-Drop Curtain
271 An Elevator Theater Stage
273 Some Remarkable American Stage Inventions
276 A Revolving Stage
280 The Asphaleia Stage
283 A Theater with Two Auditoriums
287 Curio's Pivoted Theater
289 The Olympian Theater of Palladio at Vicenza

293 Chapter III Stage Effects
293 Scene Painting
295 Sunrise Effect
297 Sun Effect
297 Change from Day to Night
298 Stars
298 Moon Effects
299 Rain Effect
300 Rainbow Effect
300 Wind Effect
301 Thunder Effect
302 Lightning
304 Snow Effect
304 Wave Effect
304 Crash Effect
305 Fire and Smoke Effect
307 Gradual Transformations
308 Battle Scenes
309 Theatrical Firearms
310 The Imitation of Odors

311 Chapter IV Theater Secrets
311 Traps
312 The Swan in Loghengrin
314 The Floating Rhine Daughters in Rehingold
315 The Sun Robe
316 The Ship on the Stage
320 Miscellaneous Stage Effects
323 The Destruction of the Temple of Dagon
324 The Horse Race on the Stage
328 The Effects in Siegfreid
335 The Bed of Tulips and the Electric Firefly
337 The Electric Torch and Electric Jewels
342 An Electrical Duel
342 The Skirt Dance

345 Chapter V The Nautical Arena (Aquatic Theater)

348 Chapter VI A Trip To The Moon

354 Chapter VII Cycloramas
358 The Electric Cyclorama

362 Chapter VIII Fireworks With Dramatic Accessories

367 Book IV Automata And Curious Toys

367 Chapter I Automata
367 Automaton Chess Players
369 The Automation Chess Player
374 A Curious Automaton
376 The Toy Artist
377 A Steam Man

380 Chapter II Curious Toys
380 An Optical Illusion
381 The Money Maker
383 Experiments in Centrifugal Force and Gravity
384 The Magic Rose
385 Electrical Toys
388 The Electrical Race Course
391 Magnetic Oracle
392 The Dancers
393 An Ancient Counterpart of a Modern Toy
396 Novel Toys
397 Columbus's Egg
399 Jacob's Ladder
400 A Novel Toy
401 A Toy Cart
402 The Phonographic Doll

406 Chapter III Miscellaneous Tricks Of An Amusing Nature
406 Interesting Tricks in Elasticity
407 Novel Puzzle
408 Simple Match Trick
409 Crystallized Ornaments
410 Magical Apparition on White Paper
411 Magic Portraits
412 A Trick Opera Glass
413 A Toy Bird that Flies
414 the Planchette Table
416 Japanese Magic Mirrors
418 Magic Mirrors

423 Book V Photographic Diversions

423 Chapter I Trick Photography
423 Lavater's Apparatus for Taking Silhouettes
425 Photography upon a Black Ground
432 Spirit Photography
438 Artificial Image
438 Duplex Photography
441 Illusive Photography
444 Photographing a Human Head Upon a Table
445 Photographing a Head on a Platter
447 Photographing a Catastrophe
448 New Type of Photographic Portrait
450 A Multiple Portrait
451 Multiphotography
454 Pinhole Camera
455 A Photographic Necktie
456 Magic Photographs
457 An Electro-Photo Detective Thief Catcher
459 Composite Photography

462 Chapter II Chronophotography
485 An Amateur Chronophotographic Apparatus

488 Chapter III The Projection of Moving Pictures
488 The Edison Kinetograph
489 Reynaud's Optical Theater
489 Electric Tachyscope
492 The Demeny Chronophotographic Apparatus
495 The Kinetoscope Stereopticon
501 The Mutograph and Mutoscope
508 Cinematograph Camera
509 Camera for Ribbon Photography
514 The Micromotoscope

517 Appendix

519 Additional Tricks
519 The Magic Table (Alexander Herrmann)
520 Gone (W.E. Robinson)
523 The Spider and the Fly
526 The Trunk Trick
529 La Strobeika Persane
532 Metempsychosis

537 Bibliography of Natural Magic and Prestidigitation

551 Index

557 Advertisements