Houghton, Norman: Wit & Wizardry
The Magic of Norm Houghton
©1998 Norman Houghton, I Saw That!, Ontario, Canada
Hardcover, no dj, 178 pages
Houghton's Wit & Wizardry
Image from Magicref
Norman Houghton: Wit & Wizardry

Comments: Illustrations by Kemin Zhang, Edited by Tom Ransom.

Contents (From book):

ix Thanks
2 The Sleightly Secret World of Norman Houghton: biography

7 Card Technique
8 Lazy Man's Invisible Pass: from Apocalypse, June 1982
10 Card In Shirt Pocket: fr. Ibidem 12, Dec 1957. Allowing the palmed card to be seen in the shirt pocket first
11 Instant Double Lift: fr. The Linking Ring, Aug 1952.
12 Movable Marker: fr. Ibidem 7, Sep 1956. A card force
13 Small Packet Buckle: fr. Ibidem 14, Sep 1958. A useful packet move
14 Multi-Control: from Abra 1050, Mar 1966. A control for several selected cards
15 Shuffle for Colour-Changing Pack: Fr. Ibidem 30, Nov 1964.
16 Trinity: Fr. Apocalypse, Sep 1980. Show three different cards to be the same card
20 Swingaway Change: fr Precursor XXII, Nov 1988. Card change
21 The Slide and Its Uses: article
25 - Cull Demonstration
25 - Slow Motion

27 Card Tricks
28 Singleton: fr. Precursor XXVII, June 1990. A palming demo
29 Which is Which?: fr. Precursor XXII, Nov 1988. Two card transposition
30 Contrary Cards: fr. Precursor XXVII, June 1990. Magician tries to show 3 cards, but one is always face down, then they are all the same card
31 The Upwardly Mobile Magician: fr. Precursor XXVII, June 1990. Ties the previous three tricks together
32 Shifty: Fr. Ibidem 34-35, Aug 1969. an Elmsey trick
34 Alternating Current: fr. New Pentagram, May 78. Two packets arrange themselves in alternating pairs
35 Triple Colour Change (as Lorne DeBlois): from C. Eastman's Inspired Magical Effects
36 Mutus Mutated: fr. Ibidem 24, Dec 1961. Version of Scarne's Houdini's Double Talk Card Trick
39 A Fan Letter: a sarcastic letter from Norm to Howard Lyons of Ibidem
40 To the Last Card: fr. Ibidem 32, Jul 67. Magician deals 10 cards and named one is always the last dealt
42 Time Is a Blabbermouth: fr. New Pentagram, Nov 1977. A card clock prediction
45 Colour Cohesion: fr. Precursor XXII, Nov 1988. Six card oil and Water
46 Huh?: Fr Abra 847, Apr 21, 1962. A two card transposition with one card changing into a third
48 Two Ways for No Two Ways (with William P. Miesel): using duplicate pairs from contrasting decks
51 Hole Card: Fr. Pallbearers Review, Jan 1968. Poker demo with a real hole
52 Thirty-Two: Fro. Apocalypse, Jul 1979. Card speller trick
54 Colour Blind: fr. Ibidem 1, 1955. Packet of four blue backs and one red becomes four reds and one blue
57 Sensitive Soul: Fr. The Jinkx May 1938. A salt and card trick
58 A Study in Frusthration: fr. Hugard's Magic Monthly, Nov 1948. Magician repeatedly fails to find any of 51 cards
61 HiLo: fr. Ibidem 5, Apr 1956. simple two card transposition using double lift
62 One Card From the Other: fr. Abra 1082, Oct 22, 1966. Multi card transposition
64 Arise!: fr. Precursor XXI, Oct 1988. a rising card
66 Seeing Things: fr. Genii Feb 1955. Three spectator selections are not always what they seem
69 Stripper Trick: fr. Ibidem 12, Dec 1957. Trick with an adult card
70 Psychic Fingers: peeked at card is named and produced from behind back
72 Sense of Touch: fr. Trapdoor 55, 1995. Target card turns into the selection
74 The Hunting Cards: One selection is hunted and sandwiched between two hunter cards, and transposes with another selection

77 Close Up
78 Love Match: fr. A Forkfull of Appetizers. A comedy "lovers match" card trick
80 Two Faces of Eve: Fr. Ibidem 16, Mar 1959. Spectator selects beauty, while magician gets the homely card
82 How to Stretch a Rubber Band: Fr. Abra 1024, Sep 11, 1965. One rubber band is permanently stretched longer than the others
85 A Fan Letter: another letter to Howard Lyons
86 Clip Climax: fr. Ibidem 21, Jun 1960. Climax for the clipped paper clips
88 One to Ten: Fr. Hugard's Magic Monthly, Jan 1964. Fun match trick
90 Rainbow Pencil: fr. New Pentagram, Vol 2, No. 12, Feb 1971. Comedy pencil that writes in multiple colors
94 Betcha...: a quick bet you won't lose

95 Coins
96 Palms-Up Switch: fr. Abra 1041, 1966. Coin switch
97 A New Coin Fold: a coin changes in a paper fold
98 Slippery Money: coin penetrates the hand
100 Foreign Exchange: coin transposition
102 Transparent Fraud: from Abra 1060, May 21, 1966. Purse swindle using transparent coin purses
104 All Shot: From Abra 857, Jun 30, 1962. Coin fold trick
106 Family Attachment: From Abra 1056, Apr 23, 1966. Two coins become glued together
108 Betcha...: a word puzzle

109 Comedy
110 Chinese Mindreading: fr Ibidem 11, Sep 1957. A comedy non-mindreading effect
113 The Compleat Angler: Fr.Ibidem 10, Jun 1957. Card gag
114 Gag Assortment:
114 - Sensitive Fingers
114 - Three Card Outrage
114 - The Great Thimble Illusion
114 - The Squeaky Shoe
115 - Appluse Refund
115 - Monte Cristo
115 - Rocky
116 - Make Light of It
116 - Lunch Box
116 - Loss of Voice
117 - Income Tacks
118 Cruetly to Wolves: Ibidem 12, Dec 1957. Card trick with the adult-themed Wolf Pack, where the spectator never gets the girl
121 Other Magicians: The Bat, 1951. a comedic card trick
124 Betcha: about a circle

125 Etc...
126 Instant Egg: Abra 976, Oct 10, 1964. M.C. Bit with plastic to egg to fried egg
128 Perverse Monte: Abra 953, May 2, 1964. Spectator always finds the Queen, with a kicker ending
130 Soft Wood: Abra 852, May 26, 1962. A solid wooden dowel is cut by scissors
133 The Burning Question: Ruminations Vol 2, No. 5, Sep 1987. Rub two fires together to get a stick.
134 Nimble Thimble: a perverse magic trick with thimbles
136 Small Touches: New Pentagram Oct 1978. HInts on coin steal, dove pan, Spirit Knot, Elmsley count, Professors Nightmare
138 Invisible Scissors: Paper strip looks like you snip off pieces with invisible scissors

139 Mentalism
140 Pseudo-nim: Abra 897, April 6, 1963. Game of nim trick
142 A Dexter-ous Deception: Abra 980, Nov 7, 1964. Date of coin in packet matches selected coin
144 Optional Oracle: Abra 839, Feb 24, 1962. Prediction in gimmicked notebook matches spectator's choice

149 Ropes...And a Few Rings
150 Melt-Through Ring: Abra 1000, Mar 27, 1965. Ring and rope with 5" ring
152 How to Train a Rope: New Pentagram Oct 1978. Knots appear in a rope
155 Neweraljia: Hugard's Magic Monthly, Feb 1963. Ring and rope move
156 How to Ring a Rope: Hugard's Magic Monthly, Vol 21, no. 6. Long rope removed from small packet, and a metal ring appears
160 Looping the Loop: The Linking Ring, 1988. Knot appears in a rope

163 Silks
164 Hank the Hermit: The Jinx, Summer 1937 Extra. Silk to pocket
166 Matchless: The Sphinx, June 1932. Silk vanishes and is found in a matchbox - a fire trick
169 Vanish in Reverse: Abra 853, June 2, 1962. Silk Vanish
170 Facsimile Knot: Hugard's Magic Monthly, Jun 1963: knot in silk
173 Hollow Mockery: Ibidem 13, March 1958. A silk to egg quickie for magicians
174 A Snare for Silks: New Pentagram, Oct 1979. Production of a silk on a rope
176 Hypersilk: The Gen, Feb 1961. Silk penetrates rope
178 Betcha....: a final one


Previous