observer wrote:Yes, EIM is a compilation of Gardner's long-running Hugard's series.
In general, yes, but in this case, no. The
HMM write-up of Berg's Knot is in
HMM Feb 1950. Gardner didn't start the "Encyclopedia of Impromptu Tricks" series until Mar 1951. The eventual book,
Encyclopedia of Impromptu Magic, published in 1978, compiled the
HMM Impromptu Tricks series (3/1951 [Apples - Arm] - 4/1958 [Watch - Zipper]) plus other tricks he had written up in
HMM and elsewhere, plus other impromptu tricks he had compiled over the years for eventual inclusion in the book he knew he would do. Berg's Knot does appear in the "Encyclopedia" series in
HMM (8/1953, p. 27), but only by reference -- he says to look it up in the Feb 1950 issue.
Descriptions of the knot are as follows:
Text:
Joe Berg,
Here's New Magic (1937) [ghosted by Gardner] p. 16
Martin Gardner,
HMM 2/1950 p. 630
Karl Fulves,
Pallbearer's Review Close Up Folio #7 (19770 p 993
Martin Gardner,
Encyclopedia of Impromptu Magic (1978) [reprint of
HMM 2/1950]
David Avadon, Joe Berg and Eric Lewis,
The Berg Book (1983) [I haven't seen this so I don't know if it is the 1937 description reprinted, or a new write up]
Mark Trimble,
The Encyclopedia of Silk Magic vol 4 (1993) p. 1697
David Ben,
Zarrow: A Lifetime of Magic (2008) p. 292
Bruce Cervon,
Castle Notebooks vol 3 (2008) p. 245 [note: the Table of Contents in the book is incorrect]
Video:
Dai Vernon,
Revelations vol 9
Dai Vernon, L&L
World's Greatest Magic Secrets of Silk Magic vol 1 [suspect this is the
Revelations footage]
Dai Vernon, Genii
The Lost Dai Vernon Lecture (2012) (33:10)