Exclusive to Genii Forum: Librarium Magicum #7

Discuss the historical aspects of magic, including memories, or favorite stories.
Guest

Exclusive to Genii Forum: Librarium Magicum #7

Postby Guest » November 18th, 2007, 7:42 am

[Note: It is always deeply gratifying to a columnist when his readers write to ask what happened to his column and comment that they miss it terribly. Ill let you know when that happens to me! :D ]

Dear Genii Forum readers:

Below is (a very tardy posting of) the latest installment of Librarium Magicum. As with the others (see links below), I hope you enjoy it. If you are not a member of the Magic Collectors Association, then you cant get Magicol, in which case IMHO you are missing out on a bargain for the money. For your annual dues of $25 ($30 for overseas members), you get 4 nicely produced issues of Magicol. Thats about 140 pages per year of great magic history covering all fields of collecting and history, many of which are in full color. All issues are profusely illustrated and only MCA members can attend the annual MCA weekend, held in the early Spring. You can join by sending your annual dues to: Magic Collectors Association LLC, P.O. Box 511, Glenwood, IL 60425-0511.

Here are the Librarium Magicum columns previously posted on GF:

Column #1

Column #2

Column #3

Column #4

Column #5

Column #6

The hope in posting these articles is that folks will offer their thoughts on the subject matter. So, if the spirit moves you, interact!

Especially with this column, it is very easy for you (including all of our friends overseas!) to contribute information on catalogs that I have missed.


Librarium Magicum
by Clay H. Shevlin

In the field of conjuring, many genres of books and monographs help to form a good reference library for historians, collectors and bibliophiles. Exhibition and museum catalogs covering our beloved art is one group of publications that is often overlooked. This is a pity, because much valuable information may be gleaned from such works, and frequently, due to their idiosyncratic nature, they contain information which cannot be found anywhere else in print. For the collector, exhibition and museum catalogs are usually nicely designed and well illustrated and produced, making them an attractive subset of publications to collect. With a little patience, most catalogs can be obtained at relatively low cost, and since they are usually rather svelte, they present the added bonus of not hogging precious shelf space.

I am unaware of any previous attempts to document such catalogs, and given their value as reference sources, a checklist of these wonderful little gems seems worthwhile and overdue. What follows is an admittedly very incomplete list based on the catalogs in my library. Curiously, nearly all of the exhibition and museum catalogs Ive encountered have been published in the English and German languages, and this only reinforces the conviction that the following listing is just the tip of the iceberg. So with this list comes a plea, especially to our non-English and German speaking brethren, for information concerning catalogs which have yet to be documented. Incidentally, judging from what Ive seen, the Germans seem particularly adept at producing beautiful catalogs.

This list is arranged alphabetically by the name of the exhibition and/or catalog. The names in brackets indicate, to the best of my information, the authors of the catalogs and/or organizers of the exhibitions. In addition to noting titles that I have missed, I would be most grateful to hear from any of you with corrective or supplemental information for the entries below. Alas, some of the bibliographical information is rather skeletal; these catalogs are in storage and were unavailable for review in the course of preparing this list.

Abracadabra: The Magic of Medicine. London, The Wellcome Trust, 1996. 64 pp. Purple illustrated wraps. Exhibition handout laid in.

Abrakadabra. [Germany], 1971. 12 pp. Gold illustrated stapled wraps. [Alexander Adrion]

The Art and Craft of Magic. Washington, D.C., 1957. 16 pp, including covers. Stapled wraps. [Morris Young]

L'Art Secret des Illusionists. Paris, Bibliotheque Fourney, 1973. 204 pp. plus 8 pages plates. White illustrated wraps. [Jacques Voignier]

Behind the Magician's Curtain. New York, New York Public Library, 1928. 12 pp. Tan stapled wraps. [John Mulholland]

Behind the Magician's Curtain. York, PA, Magicana for Collectors, 1994. 12 pp. Pale blue stapled wraps. Reprint consisting of 100 numbered copies.

Brief Notes on an Exhibition of Magicana. Manchester, Order of the Magi, The Manchester Magical Society, 1959. 4 pp.

Con Art. Sheffield, England, Site Gallery, 2002. 68 pp. Black wraps. [Edwin A. Dawes]

Devices of Wonder: From the World in a Box to Images on a Screen. Los Angeles, Getty Research Institute, 2002. 405 pp. White illustrated wraps. [Barbara M. Stafford & Frances Terpak]

An Exhibition of Black and White Magic. Baltimore, MD, The Peabody, 1960. 32 pp. White illustrated stapled wraps. [Edgar Heyl]

An Exhibition of Books, Broadsides, Posters, and Ephemera from the Collection of Ricky Jay; together with a Display of Magical Apparatus from the Collection of John Gaughan: A Checklist. [Los Angeles], no date. 17 pp., typescript. [Ricky Jay, John Gaughan]

Exhibition of Rare Works from the Research Library of the University of London Council for Psychical Investigation from 1490 A.D. to the Present Day. London, University of London Council for Psychical Investigation, 1934. 48 pp. Tan stapled wraps. [Harry Price]

Gedanken zu seiner Kunst der Verzauberung. Cologne, 1973. 14 pp. Purple stapled wraps. [Alexander Adrion]

Gedanken zu seiner Kunst der Verzauberung. Cologne, 1973. 14 pp. Purple stapled wraps. Variant color ink titling on cover. [Alexander Adrion]

Hereinspaziert Hereinspaziert Jahrmarkts-Graphik aus Drei Jahrhunderten. Munich, Mnchner Stadtmuseum, 1975. 83 pp. Black illustrated wraps. [Gnter Bhmer, et al.]

Hokuspokus Fidibus 120 Jahre Wiener Zaubertheater. Vienna, sterreichisches Circus-und Clown-Museum, 1984. 95 pp. White illustrated wraps. [Berthold Lang, et al.]

Hokus-Pokus Fidibus Kulturgeschichte der Zauberei. [Germany], 1981. 73 pp. White wraps. [Peter Hackhofer]

Hokus Pokus Zauberei. Berlin, Theodor-Heuss-Volkshochschule Tempelhof, 1983. 32 pp. Black stapled wraps. [Wittus Witt, et al.]

Hokuspokus Zauberkunst. Eisenstadt, Museum sterreichischer Kultur, 1993. 116 pp plus 12 pages color plates. Black wraps.

Magic - An Exhibition. San Francisco, 1979. 20 pp plus addendum sheet. Yellow illustrated stapled wraps. [Robert Albo]

The Magic Apparatus Collection of Robert J. Albo, M.D. Los Angeles, Community Arts, Inc., 1989. Tri-fold brochure, aqua and orange illustrated covers with two double-sided leaves of photographs laid in. [Robert Albo]

Magic & Mysticism: An Exhibition of Magic. Long Beach, Jim Hamilton, 1965. 14 pp., typescript. [James Hamilton]

Many Mysteries Unraveled, or Conjuring Literature in America 1786-1874. Worcester, American Antiquarian Society, 1990. 48 pp. Blue/grey wraps. [Ricky Jay, et al.]

Masters of Magic Featuring the W.G. Alma Conjuring Collection. Melbourne, State Library of Victoria, 1993. 1 leaf folded twice to create 6 pages.

Museum of Automata. York, Museum of Automata, 1992. 80 pp. Color pictorial wraps. [Andrea Robertson]

Opening the Door of Mystery. Hull, University of Hull, 1979. 19 pp. Buff stapled wraps. [Edwin A. Dawes]

Ockultism. Kulterhuget, 1975. 25 pp. Stapled wraps. [Topper Martyn]

Sammlung Internationaler Plakatkunst: Zirkus-Variet-Schausteller. Stuttgart, Deutsches Plakat-Museum, 1972. 56 pp. White wraps in blue dj.

Science and Magic. 1981. 8 pp. Light green illustrated stapled wraps. [Robert Albo]

Witchcraft. London, The Times Bookshop, 1963. 60 pp. Cream stapled wraps, one of 200 numbered copies. A borderline entry, produced in connection with an exhibition for sale of the books listed therein.

Zauberei Magieplakate 1900-1930. Munich, Puppentheatermuseum, 1979. 62 pp. Red/black wraps. [Alexander Adrion]

Zauberei und Gaukelkunst. [Germany], 1971. 14 pp. Blue/gray illustrated stapled wraps. [Alexander Adrion]

Zauberwelt der Taschenspieler. [Germany], 1982. 11 pp. Color illustrated stapled wraps. [Wittus Witt]

Zauberwelt der Taschenspieler. Krefeld, Wittus Witt, 1984. 18 pp. Beige illustrated stapled wraps. [Wittus Witt]

Zauberwelt der Taschenspieler. Krefeld, Wittus Witt, 1997. 26 pp, including covers. Purple illustrated stapled wraps. [Wittus Witt]

Guest

Re: Exclusive to Genii Forum: Librarium Magicum #7

Postby Guest » November 26th, 2007, 9:53 pm

Among the 10,000 members of GF, not even one addition to this modest list? C'mon guys and gals! :help:

User avatar
Dustin Stinett
Posts: 7259
Joined: July 22nd, 2001, 12:00 pm
Favorite Magician: Sometimes
Location: Southern California
Contact:

Re: Exclusive to Genii Forum: Librarium Magicum #7

Postby Dustin Stinett » November 27th, 2007, 12:06 am

Berton Sperber's A Checklist of Conjuring Catalogs (2007). 286 pp. illustrated cover (hardbound and softbound). Limited Edition (300 I believe).

Guest

Re: Exclusive to Genii Forum: Librarium Magicum #7

Postby Guest » November 27th, 2007, 1:18 am

Now you've really hurt my feelings, Dustin, and I understand why nobody misses my column -- they don't read it! :sleep: Oh well ...

[added by edit]

Although I am thankful for your effort to pacify.

Guest

Re: Exclusive to Genii Forum: Librarium Magicum #7

Postby Guest » November 27th, 2007, 9:06 am

Doesn't Ricky Jay's Extraordinary Exhibitions fit your category, Clay?

User avatar
Dustin Stinett
Posts: 7259
Joined: July 22nd, 2001, 12:00 pm
Favorite Magician: Sometimes
Location: Southern California
Contact:

Re: Exclusive to Genii Forum: Librarium Magicum #7

Postby Dustin Stinett » November 27th, 2007, 10:08 am

I did, but, well...Hmmm....if Burt's collection of catalogs was on display somewhere, even for a week, this check list would count, yes?

Dustin
(Looking for hairs to split...)

Guest

Re: Exclusive to Genii Forum: Librarium Magicum #7

Postby Guest » November 27th, 2007, 10:10 am

What about auction catalogs? Should they be included in this category or are they seperate? I have a few somewhere at home. Thinking about it, they may be more gambling related but probably have some items that would be of interest to magic collectors.

Guest

Re: Exclusive to Genii Forum: Librarium Magicum #7

Postby Guest » November 27th, 2007, 1:16 pm

Karten zum Zaubern, Leinfelden: Deutsches Spielkartenmuseum 1979; Paperback; and Mnchen: Heimeran 1979; Hardcover; pp. 212 [Detlev Hoffmann; Margot Dietrich]

Simsalabim - Die Welt der Magie, Kln: Rheinland-Verlag GmbH, Fhrer und Schriften fes Rheinischen Freilichtmuseums und Landesmuseums fr Volkskunde in Kommern Nr. 54, 1996, 93 pp., paperback [Sabine Thomas-Ziegler]

Guest

Re: Exclusive to Genii Forum: Librarium Magicum #7

Postby Guest » November 27th, 2007, 1:57 pm

JAY, RICKY. The Magic Magic Book. Profusion of plates and illustrations, the plates in a separate folder in the form of a large blow book. 4to, original wrappers; publisher's cloth folding case. With 2 copies of the prospectus.
New York, 1994 [1,500/2,500]
ONE OF 300 NUMBERED COPIES SIGNED BY THE CONTRIBUTORS. This elaborate production was issued to accompany an exhibition at New York's Whitney Museum celebrating the history of blow books.
Would you consider exhibitions of Automata?


Journal of Magic History Vol. 02, p. 62
A major exhibition of clockwork and automata (Die Welt als Uhr: 1550-1650) opens this month at the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum in Munchen, where it will remain on display till September 30, 1980. It will then be transported to The National Museum of History and Technology of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC, where it will be on display from November 15, 1980 to February 15, 1981. There will be a large
exhibition catalog.
Perennial Mystics Vol 12 1997 p. 13
The Robert-Houdin and conjuring exhibition at the Musee d'Orsay in Paris in the fall of 1995 was a unique event. Drawing from both institutional and private collections, the history of magic and, in particular, artifacts of the "father of modern magic" were lavishly displayed. There were related feature articles in the September, 1995 issue of La revue du Musee d'Orsay, including full-color reproductions of items from the exhibition. . . .A parallel exhibition at the Musee d'Orsay involved magic lanterns, and was accompanied by an extremely
handsome museum publication.
Automata. A loan exhibition of antique automatons for the benefit of the Pestalozzi Foundation of America [Catalogue], coloured plates and other illustrations, New York, 1950
(all of the above were found via Ask Alexander).

Duane Price
Posts: 2
Joined: January 20th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Alabama

Re: Exclusive to Genii Forum: Librarium Magicum #7

Postby Duane Price » February 19th, 2008, 2:50 pm

Would you consider all the exhibitions that Dr. Albo has presented (plus a couple of others)?

Jones, Frank N
Magic Black and White: An Exhibition of Black and White Magic
The Peabody InstituteLibrary, Baltimore, February 1960, unnumbered pages, soft cover, 11 x 8 inches

Albo, Robert James
Art of the Magician
May 1988, Pine Street Lobby Gallery, San Francisoft covero, California, 8 pages, 8x9 inches, soft cover.

Albo, Robert James
F.G. Thayer
1988 IBM Long Beach, California, 8 pages, 8x9 inches, soft cover.

Albo, Robert James
International Festival of Magical Arts, January 1984.
Center of the Arts, Soft coverottsdale, Arizona. 14 pages, 6x8 inches, soft cover.

Albo, Robert James
Magic Apparatus February 1989.
Polk Street Lobby Gallery, Los Angeles, California, 5 pages, 8x9 inches, soft cover.

Albo, Robert James
Magic Apparatus October 1981.
Lawrence Hall of Soft coverience, Berkeley, California. 10 pages, 8x9 inch soft cover

Albo, Robert James
Magic, December 1979.
The Fine Arts Museum of San Francisoft covero, San Francisoft covero, California. 10 pages, one addendum, 8x9 inches, soft cover

Albo, Robert James
Magic of Soft coverience 2003.
Lawrence Hall of Soft coverience 35th Reunion; Berkely, California. 6 pages, 6x8 inches, soft cover

Albo, Robert James
Magic of the World, 1992.
San Francisoft covero International Airport Exhibition, South San Francisoft covero, California. 4 pages, 8x9 inches

Albo, Robert James
Magic Show, June 1985.
Transamerica Lobby, San Francisoft covero, California. 2 pages

Albo, Robert James
Magic. United Airport display 1985.
San Francisoft covero International Airport, South San Francisoft covero, California. 9 pages, 8x9 inches, soft cover

Albo, Robert James
Theo Bamberg
FISM Display, no date, 12 pages, soft cover, 11 x 8 inches

Albo, Robert James and Voingnier, Jacques
Theo Bamberg, a Magician for All Seasons, 1996.
NEMCA, 1994, Magic Collectors Chicago, 8 pages, 8x9 inches, soft cover.

Albo, Robert James
Zauber Klingl: Magic Craftsmen in Austria
Desert Seminar Exhibit plus insert, no date, 12 pages, 11 x 8 inches


Bruce Museum: Play your Cards: The Stuart and Marilyn R. Kaplan Playing Card Collection
Bruce Museum, 1 Museum Drive, Greenwich, Connecticut 06830, 1995, 96, soft cover, 11 x 8 inches

Duane Price
Posts: 2
Joined: January 20th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Alabama

Re: Exclusive to Genii Forum: Librarium Magicum #7

Postby Duane Price » February 19th, 2008, 3:07 pm

How about a corrected version. Search and replace without a reread and check is not a good practice.

Jones, Frank N
Magic Black and White: An Exhibition of Black and White Magic
The Peabody Institute Library, Baltimore, February 1960, unnumbered pages, soft cover, 11 x 8 inches

Albo, Robert James
Art of the Magician
May 1988, Pine Street Lobby Gallery, San Francisco, California, 8 pages, 8x9 inches, soft cover.

Albo, Robert James
F.G. Thayer
1988 IBM Long Beach, California, 8 pages, 8x9 inches, soft cover.

Albo, Robert James
International Festival of Magical Arts, January 1984.
Center of the Arts, Scottsdale, Arizona. 14 pages, 6x8 inches, soft cover.

Albo, Robert James
Magic Apparatus February 1989.
Polk Street Lobby Gallery, Los Angeles, California, 5 pages, 8x9 inches, soft cover.

Albo, Robert James
Magic Apparatus October 1981.
Lawrence Hall of Science, Berkeley, California. 10 pages, 8x9 inch soft cover

Albo, Robert James
Magic, December 1979.
The Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco, San Francisco, California. 10 pages, one addendum, 8x9 inches, soft cover

Albo, Robert James
Magic of Soft coverience 2003.
Lawrence Hall of Science 35th Reunion; Berkely, California. 6 pages, 6x8 inches, soft cover

Albo, Robert James
Magic of the World, 1992.
San Francisco International Airport Exhibition, South San Francisco, California. 4 pages, 8x9 inches

Albo, Robert James
Magic Show, June 1985.
Transamerica Lobby, San Francisco, California. 2 pages

Albo, Robert James
Magic. United Airport display 1985.
San Francisco International Airport, South San Francisco, California. 9 pages, 8x9 inches, soft cover

Albo, Robert James
Theo Bamberg
FISM Display, no date, 12 pages, soft cover, 11 x 8 inches

Albo, Robert James and Voingnier, Jacques
Theo Bamberg, a Magician for All Seasons, 1996.
NEMCA, 1994, Magic Collectors Chicago, 8 pages, 8x9 inches, soft cover.

Albo, Robert James
Zauber Klingl: Magic Craftsmen in Austria
Desert Seminar Exhibit plus insert, no date, 12 pages, 11 x 8 inches


Bruce Museum: Play your Cards: The Stuart and Marilyn R. Kaplan Playing Card Collection
Bruce Museum, 1 Museum Drive, Greenwich, Connecticut 06830, 1995, 96, soft cover, 11 x 8 inches


Return to “Magic History and Anecdotes”