Olson, Robert E.: The Complete Life of Howard Franklin Thurston, Volume 1 ©1993 Robert E. Olson, Hades Publicaions, Inc., Canada Hardcover, w/dj, 212 pages

Image courtesy QuickerThanTheEye.com

Comments: First in a two-volume set. Note book covers for both volumes look the same from the front.

Contents (courtesy Evan Shuster, magicbooks.be):

1 Thurston Lithograph featuring the Princess Karnac Levitation
3 A Note from the Publisher
4 Dedication (to Vince Carmen)
5 Table of Contents
7 A Note frrom the Editors
9 The Complete Life of Howard Franklin Thurston - Volume 1
11 Foreword
12 Acknowledgements

15 Chapter One
- Birth-date. Parents. Education. Gift show. Race tracks. Old Aunt Jenny. On the run. W.M.F. Round. Mount Hermon school. Billy Sunday and the other personal friends. Burnham Industrial Farm.

19 Chapter Two
- Alexander Herrmann's Show. An educated man. Father's help(?). Carnivals. The Tent Show with harry Thurston. Grace Butterworth. The letter to Lida. 1897. The wedding. Closing the show.

25 Chapter Three
- The premier card manipulator of the world. Rustic audiences. The Card Act and Duck Production. Two-faced doll. "Rustling." Trouble in Deluth. The "Zenda Waltz." Rising Card Trick. Fooling Leon Herrmann. William Robinson.

31 Chapter Four
- The Handbill with Howard and Grace. The hidden letter. Grace's dancing. To Chicago and Brother Harry. Detroit with father, new step-mother, and sister Myrtle. Heck and Avery's Dime Museum, New York. Agent Plimmer. Tony Pastor. George White. The Big Time. Thurston's Card Act. The Duck.

37 Chapter Five
- George Stillwell. London. Charles Morton. The Palace Program. "Throw Cards." Theatrical boarding house (W.C. Fields, T. Nelson Downs and the Houdinis). Jane on Fred and Dorothy Stone. "Thurston's Card Tricks." The Prince of Wales. Winter Garden in Berlin. Grace's German Passport. Four Kings. Paris, London, Italy and France.

45 Chapter Six
- Illusion Ideas. Forty-five minute act. Building the show. Talk of the town. The Oriental Show. Chicken from Chest. Grace walks out. Jane on Grace.

51 Chapter Seven
- The Matinee Girl. Amusing methods. Matinee idol. Other women. Willow Grove Park. Imogene Coco's Mother.

57 Chapter Eight
- Kieth's in Boston. Manager and Magician. Balloons from Hat. Floating Ball. Revolving Aga. Cocoanut. One, Two, Three Creation (Dida). Ione.

63 Chapter Nine
- Thirteen Tons of Magic. Sydney, Australia, 1905. Full Evening Show. Edwin Geach. George Stillwell. Pigeon Pie. Flight of Time. The Appointment. Die Box. A Bit of Fun. Princess Kiyo/Triple Mystery. Duck Tub and Tabouret. Eggs Extraordinary. Chinese Magic.

73 Chapter Ten
- Allen Shaw. Winfield Blake and Maude Amber. October 1905, Rockhampton, Queensland. Hong Kong and Kissing. 1906, Manilla, Phillipines. Kobe, Japan. The Dramatic Mirror, N.Y.

89 Chapter Eleven
- Burma to Calcutta. The Diamond Harbor District. The Indian Rope Trick. 2800 India Magicians in Calcutta. Children in the show. Buddha's Temple. Abdul. Thurston's Tent. Indian temples at Benares. Producing children from a rug. Posters for sale. Purchasing the Kellar show. Good byes in Bombay.

95 Chapter Twelve
- London. Maskelyne and Devant. Egyptian Hall, Englands Home of Mystery. The Princess Karnac Levitation. Kellar. Paul Valadon. New Illusions. Draft Agreement. Proper Credit.

105 Chapter Thirteen
- New Page. David Devant. The Thurston version. Technical Department, St. George's Hall. David Bamberg. Spirit Cabinet. Diogenes. Oriental Lanters. Mascot Moth.

111 Chapter Fourteen
- $6,000 down payment. Kellar's fight for success. Bitter rival Alexander Herrmann. Will, the Witch and the Watch. Kellar's successor.

117 Chapter Fifteen
- Quentin Roosevelt. Kellar's final appearance. Thirteen theaters. David Devant on the Enchanted Chest and the Egg Trick. Hoops of Fashion. Dudley McAdow. Thurston on his own. Giant Picture Book. Lady and Boy illusion. Paul Kleist. The Magician's Assistant. Triple Mystery revised. The Double Boxes. Mummy Case.

127 Chapter Sixteen
- Working the Cocoanut Trick. Baylor Hassan. Gus Fasola. Pigeon Cage. Pigeon Vanish. Duck Boxes. Thayer's Sedan Chair "Obtuse" taken out. Hilliard's Revenge. The Crystal Cage.

135 Chapter Seventeen
- Lady to Lion. Lion to Pigeons. Ducks and Flowers. Posters in Program Book. Thurston's shop in New York. The Indian Rope Trick. The Witches Caldron. The Magic World: Frederick Schwartz. Winning Women by Magic. Queen Alexandria.

147 Chapter Eighteen
- Wm. H. Swanson. Thurston's Waltz Ride. Charles C. Gill, attorney. Patents. The Floating Lady, Beatrice Foster, Fernanda Myro. The Spirit Cabinet. The Floating Ball. The Bambergs. The Abbot-Detroit '30' Mystery. The Lady's Hat. The Piercing Arrow. Program books. The Thurston March by A.J. Stasny.

163 Chapter Nineteen
- The Spirit Paintings. David P. Abbot. R.S. Sugden. Patter for the routine.

167 Chapter Twenty
- A Life Saving Device for Ships. President William Taft. "Run them in, run them out" Magic Club meetings in New York. Europe. Filling Ethnic Theaters. The Vanishing Dervishes. The Haunted Window. The Chair Of Asia. The Gentleman's Hat. The Siamese Cabinet. The Bankok Bungalow, The Jarrett Pedestal, The Little House.

177 Chapter Twenty-One
- Divorce from Beatrice Fleming Foster. Third marriage to unknown assistant. Fourth marriage to Nina Leotha Fielding. School after the show. The show's new look. Comedy. The Monty Myro Troupe. Shadow People. Balaam and His Donkey. The Phantom Piano. French cartoon, Flags to Old Glory. Inventor of Props.

185 Chapter Twenty-Two
- Dream Books and Trick Books. Otis and Strobridge. Horoscopes for women. Easy-Pocket-Tricks. 100 Tricks You Can Do. Hand Shadow Plays by Bamberg. The Rooster's Head. Vampire. The Haunted Screen. The "OH" Chair. The Artist's Dream. Pigeon Vanish. Thomas Chew Worthington III, Banquet. Eugene Polly, Harry Kellar.

195 Chapter Twenty-Three
- Billy Sunday. Fulton Oursler. Boy's World. "Abtuse." A witness onstage for the Princess Karnac Illusion. Jack jones exits. Richard R. Fisher. Multum in Parvo. The Girl in the Ribbons. Miss Maude Adams, Louise Boyton. Billy Russell on the show. 1917. Easy Pocket Tricks. War time . Silent Mora.

203 Chapter Twenty-Four
- Managers should carry their part. Aerial Fishing. Fred Keating. Asrah. Dida. Flags of all nations. Spirit Cabinet. Poncho Villa, Magic is Howard Thurston. Jane's childhood. Sending Jane to Mount St. Agnes' College, Baltimore. Building a new home in long Island.Hocuspokus and a pony. Jane on Beechhurst