History of Encyclopedia of Card Tricks

[Marty Jacobs]

Hi All,

I'm trying to write a potted history of this infamous book to add to an online ebook edition I'm creating (with added notes and detailed credits).

I've got most of my information from old magazines available in Ask Alexander, so have most of the pertinent details. However, in his excellent blog post on the book, David Britland says the following:

The last secret that the Encyclopedia had to offer was only revealed to me recently on browsing through some old copies of Genii magazine. In the February 1969 issue Glenn Gravatt confessed that his co-author was entirely fictitious.

Now, I've read that entire issue and I cannot find the confession by Gravatt. Is it published elsewhere? If so, does anyone on here know where?

Thanks,

Marty

[Bob Farmer]

Marty:

Not an answer to your question, but I've got an analysis that Howard Lyons did of the book and its subsequent editions. Send me an email to trickmail@cogeco.ca and I'll send you a copy. It would make a valuable addition to the online version.

[Marty Jacobs]

Thanks Bob, just sent you an email.

[Joe Pecore]

Let me know when your online ebook edition is up and I'll add a link to http://geniimagazine.com/magicpedia/Enc ... ard_Tricks

[Denis Behr]

You can find the information in the February 1960, Vol. 24 No. 6, issue of Genii, on page 188. There Gravatt writes:

"... I thought so little of the prestige of my own name that I added, with tongue in cheek, a mythical collaborator, "Dr. Wilhelm Von Deusen," feeling that a distinguished sounding foreign name would lend glamor to the enterprise. ..."

[Joe Pecore]

Hi All,

I'm trying to write a potted history of this infamous book to add to an online ebook edition I'm creating (with added notes and detailed credits).

The last secret that the Encyclopedia had to offer was only revealed to me recently on browsing through some old copies of Genii magazine. In the February 1969 issue Glenn Gravatt confessed that his co-author was entirely fictitious.

Now, I've read that entire issue and I cannot find the confession by Gravatt. Is it published elsewhere? If so, does anyone on here know where?

Thanks,

Marty

Did you mean the February 1960 issue of Genii. It is there on page 188 (http://geniimagazine.com/magicpedia/Genii_1960_February)?

[Marty Jacobs]

Thanks Denis and Joe, I'll take a look for myself tonight.

You can access the web-based version of the book now, via the following link:

http://j.mp/sos-eoct

You will need to create a new user account on my site (don't worry it doesn't cost anything and I promise not to spam you). Hopefully, this additional step (extra effort) will stop the idly curious from accessing this wonderful book.

Marty

P.S. The book isn't quite finished yet, but it will be in the next few days.

[Marty Jacobs]

All the chapters of the book are now available. I'm now slowly going through each chapter and fixing any issues, adding images, updating credits, and so on. I'm also rating the tricks, and adding some brief notes on each effect.

I'll also be adding the cross index by Howard Lyons that Bob kindly sent to me.

Marty

[Jack Shalom]

Note to self: corner world's supply of diachylon.

[Leo Garet]

Note to self: corner world's supply of diachylon.

Ditto Melrose.

[Marty Jacobs]

Note to self: corner world's supply of diachylon.

LOL. Maybe not a great idea, unless you enjoy suffering from lead poisoning! Your comment has reminded me that I need to add a list of modern-day substitutes for Diachylon to that chapter.

[Joe Pecore]

Note to self: corner world's supply of diachylon.

LOL. Maybe not a great idea, unless you enjoy suffering from lead poisoning! Your comment has reminded me that I need to add a list of modern-day substitutes for Diachylon to that chapter.

Basically any roughing fluid?

[Marty Jacobs]

Yes, roughing fluid, or any kind of re-positionable glue or double-sided stick tape. In fact, I usually just use a small ball of Blue Tac because there's loads of it around me at work, and you can remove it easily.

You could also use Beeswax, Magician's Wax, or Chap Stick to perform most of the tricks in this section of the book.