Hello! First of all I want the Forum to apologize me for my English… but, in my opinion, this will be a subtlety compared with the content of the next lines. I "m writing from Italy, precisely Milan. Just here, on March 15 I've been witness of a revolutionary lecture in the official seat of CLAM (Club Arte Magica) : the presentation of an extraordinary book, (almost) completely unkown to the magicians (not only collectors of library rarities!). The lecturer, the “mind” behind a new series about the “classics” of Italian conjury , is Vanni Bossi, President of the same CLAM.
Many years, a lot of efforts in searching with the firmness of purpose that is typical of a collector and, above all, of a lover of the history of Magic, of our magic roots, such as Vanni and…finally we may read
“Giochi di Carte Bellissimi di Regola e di Memoria…..” by HORATIO GALASSO , 1593 !!
That's to say “Beautiful card tricks by rule and memory…” , in modern words “.. using arithmetical principles and prearrangements”. Yes, you' ve heard very well!!
Thanks to Vanni now and only now we can arrive at the first prearrangement written in the history of Magic: so the famous Si Stebbins' System should be properly renamed Galasso System.
(for example on March 11 even Mr Giobbi during a lecture in Novara -Italy- started “renaming” the Si Stebbins as the Cardozo System, basing on the recrostruction made by Tamariz in his works about the “mnemonic deck” ) . Luckily investigation doesn't stop! And So Vanni Bossi introduced us in the Galasso's world, made by 25 astonishing effect with cards (not comparable in his variety with the 3 effects in the “Discovery of Witchcraft” ) : a complete routine which ends with a “Triumph”, the effect of the card found behind the window(!), cards kwown with the touch ( a braille, punch system), short corner, one way, second deal (!) , rough and smooth principle, key cards, the glide, the use of stooges, nail nicking (!), changing of 4 cards on others 4 with the “divided cards” (a little before of Hofzinser !!), a coin across with the use of an handkerchief…… and many other surprises using chemical, physical priciples! I am not crazy, believe me!
Thank you Vanni for this ribirth of italian magic publications. And this, it seems, is only the beginning of a long and excitng study …
From Italy,
Giorgio Orfino