Sharpe, S.H.: Conjurers' Mechanical Secrets ©1992 Sam Sharpe & Tannen's Magic Manuscript, Ltd., NY Hardcover, w/dj, 137 pages ©2003 Mickey Hades Publications, Inc., Canada Hardcover, w/dj, 137 pages

Sharpe/Tannen Edition Image courtesy eBay seller KochMagic

Comments: Edited by William Broecker and Charles Reynolds. Illustrations by Greg Webb. From the introduction, ""...the book is part of a series of books, the Secret Science, on which Sam Sharpe started writing over sixty years ago..." Covers many of the mechanical principles behind magic tricks, and provides examples for each.

Other books in the series include:
Conjurors' Optical Secrets
Conjurors' Psychological Secrets
Conjurors Hydraulic and Pneumatic Secrets

Contents (from Hades edition book ToC):

i Introduction (Charles Reynolds):

1 Mechanical Process

5 Faking
5 Diverse Formation: examples Lota Bowl, etc.
8 Double Facing: objects appear the same either way around
9 Inside-Out Construction: example color changing handkerchief
9 Movable Section: slides, hinged sections, etc.; example Matter Through Matter
13 Secret Access
13 Detachable Section: example of Jean de Vignes detachable head doll
15 Secret Compartment: example glass handkerchief production cabinet, others
22 Shell or Sheath Construction: sawing, etc.
24 Altered Identity: object changed to look like something else
25 Indirect Route or By-Pass: a direct route is diverted, such as sword through body, and other examples
28 Compression/Expansion: multiple illusion examples
29 - Jarrett's Girls From a Picture Illusion
30 - Val Walker's Radium Girl Illusion
31 - Jarrett's Bangkok Bungalow Illusion
32 - Jarrett's Twenty One Person Cabinet Illusion
34 - Spring Canes and Candles
36 - De Kolta's Expanding Die
37 - Nixon's Expanding Die Illusion
38 - A Match for Anyone
40 - The Flying Box (A.S. Cubitt)
42 - The Gilded Cage
43 - The Reticule Fold
45 - Sectional Construction

46 Auxiliary Aid
46 Duplication or Doubling
46 Masks
47 - The Light and Heavy Metal Disc
47 - Maskelyne's Mystic Ascent
48 - The Decapitation Illusion
50 - The Recalcitrant Decapitee (Georges Melies)
58 Form Substitutes
61 - Stanley Collins's Penetrating Die
63 - Devant's The Curious Case
65 Secret Containers or Holders
66 - Devant's Mascot Moth Illusion
67 - Servais Le Roy's Asrah Levitation and Vanish
71 - Carl Hertz's Indian Rope Trick
72 - A Vanishing Cage
75 - The Topit Vanisher
75 - Illusion Steps
76 - The Rainbow Illusion
77 - Harness Containers
77 - Okito's Dove Vanishing Basket
78 - Fall-Apart Dove Vanish
80 - Multim in Parvo Production Boxes
81 - The Drawer Box for Transforming Articles
82 - The Chest of Drawer Boxes
83 - Dleisfen's ABC Boxes
83 - The Shuttle Caddy - The Sliding Die Box
85 - A Double Production Caddy
85 - The Three-Compartment Shuttle Caddy
86 - Okito's Checker Cabinet
88 - Smaller Shuttle Tricks
89 Summary of Mechanical Concealment Methods
89 - Bautier de Kolta's Appearing Lady
92 - The Lemon Trick - My Own Version (Theo. Bamberg)
94 - Stage Elevator Traps
95 - Devant's Indian Rope Trick
98 - The Large Load Droppers
101 Secret Connection or Passage
102 - Ball and Tube
102 - Mobile Tick-Line Control
103 - Trick-Line Transport
104 - The Return Tunnel
105 - Pigeon Pail and Basket
107 Secret Control
109 - The Brema Nut Trick
110 - The Chinese Prayer Vase
110 - Knife in Rice Suspension
110 Sealing Devices
111 Selector Systems of Devices
111 - Indexing System
112 - Any Card Called For
114 - The Magic Well
115 Pistons and Pedals
117 - Rotary or Carousel Selectors
118 - The Little Innkeeper
119 - A Rudimentary Relay
120 - Joseffy's Rising Card Relay
120 - Conradi's Any Card Rises
121 - Loaded Dice
121 - Hornmann's Animated Hand
122 - Imp Bottle
123 - The Temptation of Good St. Anthony
125 Gyroscopic Control
125 - A Mystery Clock Mobile
126 - Flash Handkerchief
127 - A Magic Clock With Watchwork Control
129 Thermal Devices
129 Timed Devices
129 - Prearranged Sequence Timing
129 - Joseffy's Magic Skull
131 - An Electrical Time Switch
131 - Clockwork-Controlled Pistons
131 - A Mechanical Time Signal
132 - Decremps' Devices
133 - Sand Column Control
134 - Thick Oil Timing
134 - Compressed Air Timing
134 - The Egg-timer Timer
135 Thermal Timers
135 - Thermometer Timers
136 - Thermostat Timers
136 - A Gravity Magnetic Timer
136 - Suction-Adhesion Timers
137 Chemical Timing