CONJURORS, CARDSHARPS AND CONMEN by Bernard Reid is a new 549 page book on the history of internationally famous magicians performing in New Zealand from the phantasmagoria in 1843 and the first magician in 1855. Heller, Kellar, Jacobs, Baldwin, Hertz, Cumberland, Dr Lynn, Davenport Brothers and dozens more, Foreword is by Eddie Dawes, 180 illustrations, most previously unpublished. Limited to only 200 HARDBOUND numbered copies signed by the author. Distribution in the U.S. and Canada only by Byron Walker. $125 postpaid. Go to byronwalkermagicbooks.com for all details.
Byron Walker
POB 3186
San Leandro, CA 94578
510-276-1854
byron.walker@comcast.net
Important New Book on Magic History
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byron walker
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Important New Book on Magic History
www.byronwalkermagicbooks.com for all your magic book needs!
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Ted M
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Re: Important New Book on Magic History
Is there more information available? Maybe a sample/excerpt? An early review?
I'm not familiar with Bernard Reid's writing...
I'm not familiar with Bernard Reid's writing...
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Ted M
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Re: Important New Book on Magic History
Here's a page for reviews, though most of the entries are quick promotional puff quotes from other authors.
http://www.nzmagichistory.com/reviews.html
The "review" from Vanish magazine is pretty naive, mostly about the author as a person and the reviewer's own emotional state, with little about the written work itself. But one bit does provide a tiny excerpt from the book's text. Here I've kept the reviewer's words in italics, with the book excerpt in bold:
This book is filled not just with rich history but stories that will make you gasp and laugh. This one tickled me in particular.
“Very famous internationally at that time also was Carl Hertz who, ironically, came to New Zealand a year later and I am sure would have been bemused to find he had been preceded by Carl Hartz! As the result of a court case that came up later in 1881, Professor Hartz’s legal name had to be used in the deposition where it was revealed that his birth name was William Charles Hazel and that he was from Wellington.”
Who would have thought magicians would be doing something like this even back then?
I'd still like to read an evaluation by a more sophisticated reviewer, and/or a longer excerpt, but this page did help me form a semi-reasoned guess at this book's strengths and weaknesses, and how those may match up with my own preferences.
http://www.nzmagichistory.com/reviews.html
The "review" from Vanish magazine is pretty naive, mostly about the author as a person and the reviewer's own emotional state, with little about the written work itself. But one bit does provide a tiny excerpt from the book's text. Here I've kept the reviewer's words in italics, with the book excerpt in bold:
This book is filled not just with rich history but stories that will make you gasp and laugh. This one tickled me in particular.
“Very famous internationally at that time also was Carl Hertz who, ironically, came to New Zealand a year later and I am sure would have been bemused to find he had been preceded by Carl Hartz! As the result of a court case that came up later in 1881, Professor Hartz’s legal name had to be used in the deposition where it was revealed that his birth name was William Charles Hazel and that he was from Wellington.”
Who would have thought magicians would be doing something like this even back then?
I'd still like to read an evaluation by a more sophisticated reviewer, and/or a longer excerpt, but this page did help me form a semi-reasoned guess at this book's strengths and weaknesses, and how those may match up with my own preferences.
Last edited by Ted M on March 31st, 2015, 11:10 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Bill Mullins
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Re: Important New Book on Magic History
This is the sort of book that I find interesting; to be sure, I spend way too much time of my own looking for mentions of magicians in American papers. If it were priced a little less, I'd have already placed an order. But at $125, I'm not quite there yet.
However.
It is always dangerous to say that someone or something is the "first", and apparently (from the linked reviews and ads above), the book makes the claim that the first magical performances in New Zealand were from Herr Rosseter, in 1855.
It didn't take very long to dantedate Rosseter. In 1849, at a fair a Wellington, an unnamed magician, "equal to the celebrated Ramee Samee," performed "feats of conjuring and juggling" as part of a theatrical troupe (Grey's Nominee Theatre).
And in Jan 1850, "Mr. Anderson, the celebrated Wizard and Ventriloquist" was billed, with "a variety of TRICKS and performances of VENTRILOQUISM" at the Britannia Saloon in Wellington.
However.
It is always dangerous to say that someone or something is the "first", and apparently (from the linked reviews and ads above), the book makes the claim that the first magical performances in New Zealand were from Herr Rosseter, in 1855.
It didn't take very long to dantedate Rosseter. In 1849, at a fair a Wellington, an unnamed magician, "equal to the celebrated Ramee Samee," performed "feats of conjuring and juggling" as part of a theatrical troupe (Grey's Nominee Theatre).
And in Jan 1850, "Mr. Anderson, the celebrated Wizard and Ventriloquist" was billed, with "a variety of TRICKS and performances of VENTRILOQUISM" at the Britannia Saloon in Wellington.