Art of Modern Conjuring For Wizards of All Ages

The Author's Views and Intentions Having devoted much time to the study and practice of the art of Conjuring and Illusions, I have determined to write this treatise upon the "dark" art. Conjuring is an art that has been known for many ages; and people were foolish enough to believe in those days, that the performer, or magician, had dealings with a certain dark gentleman whom we will not name. However, people of the present day are getting more enlightened; and although they see something done beyond their ken, yet they know it is only a piece of deception or sleight of hand on the part of the performers. I have written this work not as an exposure of the art of Conjuring and Magic, but simply to act as a guide for amateurs and young beginners; therefore I shall enumerate many tricks and illusions that my young friends can perform at home amongst their numerous friends. In addition to this, I shall also enumerate those tricks and illusions which demand a larger amount of room, and also require specially constructed apparatus; such tricks the amateur would do well not to attempt, as they are only suitable for performance on a stage. I shall give a description of most of the numerous tricks and illusions as performed by most of the leading "wizards" of the past and present day. I shall also give a detailed account of many of the so-called spiritualistic illusions, manifestations, and seances, also a few hints and remarks upon the so-called latest novelty, thought-reading. My intention in these pages is to touch on sleight of hand generally, as well as other more particular and effective tricks and illusions. The reader, if he follows diligently the instructions that I will give him, will be able in a short time to astonish his numerous friends with his acquired knowledge. Of course, he cannot expect to be a Robert Houdin, a Professor Anderson, or a Robert Heller in a week, a month, or even a year, because a wizard is not to be made in a day. And the student will do well to commence the same as in learning the art of music or anything else, and begin at the beginning, with simple things first, and practice with diligence and perseverance until he attains the much coveted dexterity. Simple tricks, if performed neatly, have oftentimes a brilliant effect, and gain more applause from your audience than the performance of some more particular and costly trick. Rules to Be Remembered The first rule to be borne in mind is this: Never tell your audience beforehand what you are going to do. If you do so, the chances are that the spectators will then detect how you do such a trick, as their vigilance will be on the alert. It next follows as a second rule: Never perform the same trick twice before the same audience. The best trick loses half its effect by repetition; besides which, the audience would know precisely what was coming, and would be on the alert to find out at what point you cheated their eyes on the first occasion. If you get an encore, a little tact will always get you out of your difficulty; and when you have become thoroughly proficient in the art, you will then be able to find many ways of altering the working of a certain trick, in the variation and combination of ways and means of causing a given article to vanish and of reproducing a given article. The student must cultivate the art of talking, from the first commencement, and to be able to use his eyes and hands independently, because in working or doing any trick, the performer must be talking to his audience, looking at them steadfastly, never once casting his eyes down toward his hands. I might say that the most effective way for the student to practice is to stand in front of a looking glass, where he can form a better idea if a looker-on can detect what he is doing. This he will find most particularly useful in practicing card tricks. Before proceeding to the pGarenne, Henri is the author of 'Art of Modern Conjuring For Wizards of All Ages', published 2004 under ISBN 9780517223550 and ISBN 0517223554.