Jerry Andrus - Harvard Lecture Notes - Wanted

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Joe Mckay
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Jerry Andrus - Harvard Lecture Notes - Wanted

Postby Joe Mckay » July 22nd, 2014, 11:29 am

I am interesting in buying the lecture notes for Jerry Andrus's lecture at Harvard university.

I will pay 60 dollars for them.

Here is the only description of them I can find:

Ghost Grates & Other Negative Realities For Harvard Seminar April 1986 GBC bound 7 pages of illustrations

It looks like they will be hard to find - so if you can help me out, I would really appreciate it.

Please PM me or email me at joe_mckay@hotmail.com

Cheers!

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Re: Jerry Andrus - Harvard Lecture Notes - Wanted

Postby Joe Mckay » July 22nd, 2014, 1:06 pm

Also - can anyone recommend any magic dealers who might be good at finding an obscure item like this?

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Re: Jerry Andrus - Harvard Lecture Notes - Wanted

Postby Bill Mullins » July 22nd, 2014, 1:56 pm

I found a newspaper article about Jerry that said he was invited to Harvard by the Psychology Dept, and it quoted "Persi Diaconis, a Harvard professor". So I would bet it was Diaconis who set up the lecture.

Harvard's student newspaper, The Crimson, has digitized its archives and they are online, but I couldn't find any reference to Andrus there.

Are you aware of the documentary about Jerry, called "A Thing of Wonder"?

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Re: Jerry Andrus - Harvard Lecture Notes - Wanted

Postby Joe Mckay » July 22nd, 2014, 2:32 pm

Yeah - that documentary is great.

We are lucky that there are a lot of Jerry Andrus performances, videos and lectures on YouTube.

Since the lecture was organised by Harvard - I wonder if they have an academic library which might store a copy?

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Re: Jerry Andrus - Harvard Lecture Notes - Wanted

Postby Bill Mullins » July 22nd, 2014, 6:14 pm

Joe Mckay wrote:Since the lecture was organised by Harvard - I wonder if they have an academic library which might store a copy?


They do have a library, but the catalog doesn't show anything from Jerry Andrus.

If I wanted a copy of this as badly as you seem to, I would start doing the following:

1. Write a letter to Persi Diaconis at Stanford.
2. Contact Ray Hyman. He's retired now, I believe, but still active.
3. Check with the Psych dept at Harvard. Chair is Ken Nakayama. He's only been at Harvard since 1990, but his research interests match what Andrus was talking about. Also, figure out who was in the department at the time Andrus was there, and work the phones for those names.

You might also contact Al Seckel -- he's a prominent scholar on optical illusions.

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Re: Jerry Andrus - Harvard Lecture Notes - Wanted

Postby Joe Mckay » July 22nd, 2014, 6:19 pm

Richard Kaufman has a copy but he won't copy it for me.

Does copyright apply to dead people with no children?

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Re: Jerry Andrus - Harvard Lecture Notes - Wanted

Postby lybrary » July 22nd, 2014, 6:34 pm

Joe, I live 10 minutes from Harvard. I will call the Psych Dep. tomorrow and find out if they have this manuscript in their library. Many departments have smaller department libraries where such things may be found. I am pretty sure if they have it they will allow me to copy it for research purposes. I would then go there and make a copy or at the least take photos of each page and hope they are readable.

Copyright always applies. But since this was a lecture at an academic institute it is generally accepted to make copies for research purposes. Every academic library I have been to has copy machines and they are there to make copies, not to collect dust.
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Re: Jerry Andrus - Harvard Lecture Notes - Wanted

Postby Richard Kaufman » July 22nd, 2014, 7:45 pm

Just because you're dead and didn't have children does not mean you don't have heirs to whom the copyright would pass.
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Re: Jerry Andrus - Harvard Lecture Notes - Wanted

Postby Bill Mullins » July 22nd, 2014, 9:36 pm

Joe Mckay wrote:Does copyright apply to dead people with no children?


Yes. As Chris said, "Copyright always applies."

When Jerry died, he was survived by his brother George, whom I'd imagine was his heir (the tax assessor lists him as the current owner of Jerry's old house). (George would be in his late 90's, assuming these records are current and he's still alive.)

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Re: Jerry Andrus - Harvard Lecture Notes - Wanted

Postby Richard Kaufman » July 22nd, 2014, 9:38 pm

An heir does not have to be a relative, of course, merely the person designated by the original copyright holder.
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Re: Jerry Andrus - Harvard Lecture Notes - Wanted

Postby fredreisz » July 23rd, 2014, 3:10 am

Another possible contact through Harvard for information on Andrus lecturing there, may be Dr. Richard Hunt, an IBM member, Professor in the History Department at Harvard (although retired now I think) and former University Marshall at Harvard University. His office dealt with many if not most of the distinguished visitors to Harvard.

Rick is a great fellow, and might be able to point you in the right direction. Just call the Marshall's Office at Harvard University and they probably can give you his current number. I was "around" Harvard for 14 years, am a magician, and was privileged to know Rick Hunt, who is also devoted to the art of magic. Peace...Fred (Reisz)
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Re: Jerry Andrus - Harvard Lecture Notes - Wanted

Postby Joe Mckay » July 23rd, 2014, 3:45 am

wow - there is a lot of leads here.

I am very grateful for all the help offered.

And touched.

I can see why the slogan for this forum is "Magicians helping magicians".

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Re: Jerry Andrus - Harvard Lecture Notes - Wanted

Postby Joe Mckay » July 23rd, 2014, 3:46 am

Whoops - that slogan is for a different forum! :-)

Thanks anyway!

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Re: Jerry Andrus - Harvard Lecture Notes - Wanted

Postby lybrary » July 23rd, 2014, 11:14 am

Interim report: I have just spoken to a nice lady at the Harvard Psych Dep. I gave her all the info I had about the lecture and she said she will do an investigation in her department to see if she can find a copy. I shall receive an email later today or tomorrow.

Unfortunately she told me that they closed their own library down in 2008. All the Harvard institute libraries were consolidated. But she will search around in various places at Harvard and get back to me.
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Re: Jerry Andrus - Harvard Lecture Notes - Wanted

Postby Joe Mckay » July 23rd, 2014, 11:47 am

Thanks Chris! I owe you one!

And thanks to everyone else as well.

I am going to phone Andy Greget later on and see if he has any leads as well.

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Re: Jerry Andrus - Harvard Lecture Notes - Wanted

Postby Joe Mckay » July 23rd, 2014, 3:06 pm

I had a fun chat with Andy Greget.

I got a chance to congratulate him on his lovely handling for the Sakkaku Scale trick from Tenyo.

But alas - no Jerry Andrus lecture notes...

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Re: Jerry Andrus - Harvard Lecture Notes - Wanted

Postby Richard Kaufman » July 23rd, 2014, 3:59 pm

You'll have a hard time finding it, I'm afraid. I only got a set because Jerry had just come from Harvard when I saw him in New York--he was on his way home and had a few extra sets of the notes.
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Re: Jerry Andrus - Harvard Lecture Notes - Wanted

Postby lybrary » July 23rd, 2014, 10:34 pm

Joe, I have tapped another source and I think I will be able to get a copy for you even if the Harvard folks can't find a copy. Things are looking good, but give me a few days to confirm.
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Re: Jerry Andrus - Harvard Lecture Notes - Wanted

Postby Joe Mckay » July 24th, 2014, 2:41 am

That sounds exciting.

I really cannot thank you enough!

Joe

PS Chris - sounds like you would make a great Private Investigator!

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Re: Jerry Andrus - Harvard Lecture Notes - Wanted

Postby Joe Mckay » July 27th, 2014, 1:25 pm

The reason I want these notes is because I am captivated by this particular optical illusion.

It is the best I have ever seen.

You can see a demonstration of it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tdHllPQr8o&feature=youtu.be&t=4m50s

And an explanation of the weird secret here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tdHllPQr8o&feature=youtu.be&t=33m29s

And here is Richard Dawkins being shown the same illusion. He also says it is the best he has ever seen:

http://vimeo.com/70955249

My sense with this illusion is that it is similar to 'Blue Crystal' by Lubor Fiedler.

They are totally different methods of course. But the unusual effect of having a seemingly solid surface become permeable is the same.

I would love to experience putting the metal rod into the grates. After doing so - Andrus tells the participant to move it around in a large circle.

Anyone have any theories on what effect this might produce in the mind of the person holding the rod?

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Re: Jerry Andrus - Harvard Lecture Notes - Wanted

Postby Jonathan Townsend » July 27th, 2014, 2:10 pm

Joe Mckay wrote:... the weird secret ...


I don't know that Andrus was so much about weird or secrets. He did seem very much about what/how we perceive and how that relates to what is materially present. I hope you find that his notes offer some thinking not shared in his more readily available material.
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Re: Jerry Andrus - Harvard Lecture Notes - Wanted

Postby lybrary » July 28th, 2014, 9:35 am

The news from Harvard is in. They have searched high and low but no Jerry Andrus lecture notes turned up. Strangely they not only have no lecture notes, they don't even have any record that Jerry Andrus gave the lecture. This shows you what 30 years can do.

I am now waiting for my second and much hotter lead.
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Re: Jerry Andrus - Harvard Lecture Notes - Wanted

Postby lybrary » July 28th, 2014, 9:33 pm

Joe, I have the Jerry Andrus Harvard Seminar lecture notes from April 1986. I am happy to send them to you, but I am pretty sure you will be badly disappointed, because all it is are seven pages of lines, some straight, some wiggly, some like the grate pattern seen in the video demonstration. No further text or explanations.

If anybody would have sold them to you for $60 you would probably consider it a rip-off. I am happy to send them to you for free if you really want those seven pages of line patterns.
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Re: Jerry Andrus - Harvard Lecture Notes - Wanted

Postby Joe Mckay » July 28th, 2014, 9:38 pm

wow - that is a shame. But it is what it is. I am not a DVD guy - and it would be good to have some paper notes for it.

Still - if you don't mind sending them - I would really appreciate it.

The PMs here are bit dodgy - so I will drop you an email.

Joe

PS As always - I can't thank you enough!

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Re: Jerry Andrus - Harvard Lecture Notes - Wanted

Postby Rick Ruhl » July 28th, 2014, 10:28 pm

lybrary wrote:Joe, I have the Jerry Andrus Harvard Seminar lecture notes from April 1986. I am happy to send them to you, but I am pretty sure you will be badly disappointed, because all it is are seven pages of lines, some straight, some wiggly, some like the grate pattern seen in the video demonstration. No further text or explanations.

If anybody would have sold them to you for $60 you would probably consider it a rip-off. I am happy to send them to you for free if you really want those seven pages of line patterns.


Chris,

Are you going to clean them up and put them into a PDF?

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Re: Jerry Andrus - Harvard Lecture Notes - Wanted

Postby lybrary » July 29th, 2014, 9:24 am

Rick Ruhl wrote:Are you going to clean them up and put them into a PDF?


No, I will not.
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Re: Jerry Andrus - Harvard Lecture Notes - Wanted

Postby Rick Ruhl » July 29th, 2014, 11:14 am

I bet the lines are an illusion and if you knew the key, they would become text.

is that right , Richard?

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Re: Jerry Andrus - Harvard Lecture Notes - Wanted

Postby Richard Kaufman » July 29th, 2014, 11:20 am

No, not at all. I only saw Jerry do Ghost Grate once, when he gave me the notes, and don't really remember much about it other than it was weird. However the diagrams are just diagrams that, when used a certain way, do strange things to your senses.
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Re: Jerry Andrus - Harvard Lecture Notes - Wanted

Postby Bill Mullins » August 20th, 2014, 3:20 pm

Joe -- see about 1:38 to 1:49 of this OK Go video, where they use a principle that Andrus often used. The whole video is full of illusions.

And here is some background.

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Re: Jerry Andrus - Harvard Lecture Notes - Wanted

Postby Joe Mckay » August 20th, 2014, 4:28 pm

Cheers, Bill!

It seems that band has made a career out of mediocre music and amazing videos.

Good strategy since there is less randomness in predicting which videos will be popular versus trying to predict the same for music.

An amazing video has a good chance of going viral. Whereas I know hundreds of great songs which will never be popular.

Something about visual media makes it easier to share. I guess novelty and creativity is easier to judge when it is staring you in the face.

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Re: Jerry Andrus - Harvard Lecture Notes - Wanted

Postby Joe Mckay » August 20th, 2014, 4:37 pm

That video has some moments that bought to mind a recurring idea of mine.

I am sure I am not the only one to have this thought.

Has anyone used optical illusion type principles (as in the video above) to create an impossibly clean self levitation effect?

It is an approach I would like to see somebody attempt. Even if it means having to position the spectator in a spot they cannot move from (which to be fair is what happens with the Balducci levitation in any case).

Just wondering what others think?
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Re: Jerry Andrus - Harvard Lecture Notes - Wanted

Postby Jonathan Townsend » August 20th, 2014, 5:46 pm

Does the recent Tenyo Flying Carpet trick qualify?
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Re: Jerry Andrus - Harvard Lecture Notes - Wanted

Postby Joe Mckay » August 20th, 2014, 6:06 pm

Good point! Can't believe I overlooked that one.

My deep dark secret is that whilst I own this trick - I have yet to play with it.

I am a huge fan of Lubor Fiedler - but somehow the time is never quite right to play with it.

When your hero only releases one new trick a year - you learn to savour them for as long as possible. I guess I will use the upcoming Lubor Fiedler book as an excuse to finally sample the 3D special FX used in that Tenyo trick!

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Re: Jerry Andrus - Harvard Lecture Notes - Wanted

Postby lybrary » August 30th, 2015, 2:06 pm

Rick Ruhl wrote:Chris, Are you going to clean them up and put them into a PDF?

I have now signed a deal with George Andrus, the brother of Jerry, who inherited all of Jerry's rights. I will be able to offer all of Jerry's publications as PDFs soon. Two are already available from Lybrary.com, the Ghost Grates and the Zone Zero manuscript: http://www.lybrary.com/jerry-andrus-m-20214.html
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