The Art of Magic

2nd edition from 1921 used
1909
Written by T. Nelson Downs, John Northern Hilliard
Work of Various
354 pages (Hardcover), published by Arthur P. Felsman
Illustrated with drawings
Language: English
206 entries
Cover photograph
Creators Title Comments & References Page AA Categories
T. Nelson Downs, John Northern Hilliard Introductory three branches of magic, on the state of magic
 		11
T. Nelson Downs Flourishes and Fancy Sleights with Cards comments and what cards to use
  • The Cards
 		17
The Card Fan one-handed
 		19
Vanish and Recovery false transfer with pack, brief
 		19
Deck Vanish false transfer with riffle sound
 		20
Small Packet Vanish with Excelsior Clip spring clip
 		22
Card Balancing single card (gaffed) or deck (ungaffed) stand upright
 		23
To Tear a Pack of Cards
24
Alexander Herrmann Czar Nicholas II. Anecdote anecdote about tearing deck in half
 		25
The Fan and Ruffle Fan Shuffle (false)
 		26
T. Nelson Downs The Downs Fan fan done in one hand, other hand shown empty, then second fan produced in this hand
 		27
Springing the Cards normal method briefly explained, then waterfall cascade:
  • First Method
  • Second Method
  • Third Method
 		28
The One Hand Drop card cascade to floor is caught before it reaches floor, two methods
 		32
The Cards on the Arm
34
T. Nelson Downs A Series of Fancy Flourishes Arm Spread & Throw combination
 		35
B. Girindrashekhar TheFlower of Cards every other card bent in opposite direction
 		36
Throwing Cards including:
  • catching it in deck
  • cutting it in half with scissors ("cut the whirling card in twain")
  • throwing a double that splits in the air
 		37
Cards from the Mouth
38
Novel Card Discovery - First Method cards counted during spreading during selection, replaced at known position, controlled via jog shuffle
 		40
Jog Shuffle brief
 		41
Second Method crimping card underneath fan when card is returned
 		41
Third Method bottom card placed next to selection via reverse spread cull (perhaps, unclear)
 		42
Fourth Method - To discover a card mentally selected one of four, by following gaze
 		42
New Methods of Concluding Card Tricks - First Method chewing gum
 		43
Second Method - The Test of Nerve knocking cards except selection out of spectator's grip, "staring him in the face", showing it's not on top or bottom
 		43
Third Method four cards laid out on table, spectator throws die and counts to card which is selection
 		44
The Reversed Card
46
Slip Reverse top card slipped reversed to bottom and deck turned over, brief
 		46
Top to Center Reverse top card reversed into center, brief
 		47
The Piano Trick
Related to 47
False Count seven as eight, using snap sound
 		49
Ziska The Transposed Cards done with full deck, performer divines the number of cards put form one half to another
Related toVariations 49
John Northern Hilliard Card Tricks involving Sleight of Hand
52
John Northern Hilliard The Transfixed Pack deck wrapped in paper, knife thrust between selections, two methods, for credit information see Parrish reference
Variations 52
Full Deck Bridge
53
Johann Nepomuk Hofzinser Everywhere and Nowhere two duplicates, including Hofzinser's patter
 		55
Center Double Lift no details
 		58
Palm Change no details
 		59
T. Nelson Downs Everywhere and Nowhere - New Method
63
CHaSeD Mnemonic
63
Cards with Cloth Surface black art
 		63
Everywhere and Nowhere with Assistant coding free selection to assistant who provides duplicates
 		69
Deck Switch with Handkerchief
69
"How Many Aces Would You Like?" deck changes into all Aces
 		70
T. Nelson Downs The General Card several spectators choose a card, they are all the same, whole deck is shown the same, then different again
 		71
T. Nelson Downs Downs Change
VariationsAlso published here 73
L'Homme Masqué The Flying Card "The Kinetoscope Card", thought-of card and two more of the same suit travel into spectator's pocket
Related toAlso published here 77
L'Homme Masqué Kinetoscopic Force cards riffled in front of spectator and King of Spades among Club cards is mistaken for King of Clubs
Related toVariationsAlso published here 77
Henry Hardin The Princess Card Trick (First Method), one of four thought of, performer places one in his pocket and it's the though-of card
 		80
The Princess Card Trick (Second Method) double-ended cards
 		82
The Princess Card Trick "The Prince's Card Trick" in index
 		82
The Twenty Card Trick three cards
 		85
Long Card
87
A Comedy of Errors Three of Hearts and Three of Diamonds change into Aces and back, center pip of Three as Ace sucker gag
 		87
The Siamese Aces two Aces separated in deck come up next to each other when dealt through deck, sucker element
Related toVariations 89
The Card in the Pocket card and its position thought-of, divined and placed in pocket, Lazy Man's Card to Pocket, two handlings
Related to 92
Harry Houdini Houdini's Torn Card Trick card with torn-off corner changes into other card
 		94
Frederick Barrington Barrington's Torn Card Trick card torn in four pieces, one freely selected, rest burned and fired with piston onto nest of envelope in which restored card with missing piece is found
Variations 96
Card Discovered by Sense of Touch touched card appears face-up on deck after shuffle
 		98
Corner Crimp in Spread
98
Charlier Cut Thumb Drag Production
99
The Flying Card (First Method), from one spectator's pocket to another, freely named number with outs
 		99
T. Nelson Downs The Flying Cards (Second Method)
107
The Cards up the Sleeve (First Method), with commentary on the effect, twelve cards
 		111
Cards up the Sleeve (Second Method) twelve cards, then whole pack
 		114
The Dissolved Card card held under handkerchief is pushed in glass of water by spectator and vanishes, celluloid card
 		124
T. Nelson Downs The Mysterious Card "one of Mr. Downs' specialties", card thought of in spread of one fifth
 		126
Henry Hardin The Card and Hat spectator notes top card of deck, it's covered with hat, then top card changed
 		127
The Stabbed Card using sticky card to control selection
Variations 127
Adrian Plate The Great Poker Trick "a particular favorite of Mr. Adrian Plate", new deck opened and shuffled, seven hands dealt and performer wins
Related toVariationsAlso published here 128
Another Poker Trick three Aces are controlled then riffle stacked for four players
Related to 130
Overhand "Haymow" Control with break
 		130
Tabled Slip Cut
131
Adrian Plate The Disappearing Queen picture card removed, various spectators remember a picture card and place it between their hands, they all got the QH, QH appears elsewhere and indifferent cards in spectator's hands
 		133
The Card Through the Handkerchief "one of the specialties of the ingenious Mr. Leipzig", credited to German St. Roman
Variations 136
Yank Hoe The Card in the Watch borrowed watch wrapped in handkerchief, miniature of it appears in box of watch, two methods
 		140
T. Nelson Downs Chosen Card Appears in Any Part of the Deck "Card Tricks based on a New and Original System of Locating a Chosen Card"
selection to any small number, with outs and alternative strategies
 		142
T. Nelson Downs Spectator's Peek as done by Downs
Variations 143
T. Nelson Downs Side Steal directly to top
 		144
T. Nelson Downs Bottom Count riffled off thumb
 		145
Three Object Equivoque
148
T. Nelson Downs Second Method deck crimp/bridge at peeked at card
 		150
T. Nelson Downs Third Method spectator peeks in his own hands, risky bridge, also with rubber banded deck
Related to 150
Out for Lost Card
151
T. Nelson Downs Fourth Method spectator peeks at a card in his own hands and it is found, estimation and stack (for practice only), "the bungling and unobserving performer will meet his Waterloo in this experiment"
Variations 152
T. Nelson Downs Fifth Method card to any number, with placement strategy to twenty-sixth
 		154
T. Nelson Downs Sixth Method featuring a new locator card, alternative for long card with portion sticking out in middle of one end
 		155
Nate Leipzig The Ubiquitous Cards three peeked-at cards, three times stop trick performed, last time with spectator dealing, with variation with numbers instead of "stop"
Related toVariations 157
Re-Count Force for card at any number
 		161
T. Nelson Downs The Ubiquitous Cards (Second Method) two peeked-at cards appear when spectator calls stop
 		162
T. Nelson Downs One-Handed Second Deal
Related to 163
Clairvoyance with Cards - First Method spectator touches card in fanned-out deck, performer instantly names it
 		165
Fan Glimpse from behind by bending corner
Related to 165
Second Method cards named without seeing them
 		165
Theodore DeLand Third Method deck shuffled by spectators and several remove a card, they're replaced and divined, index with hole throughout deck (x-ray deck)
 		166
A Series of Card Tricks Based on a New and Original System on natural one-way back designs, "The Irregularities of Scroll Designed Cards"
Related to 169
Mind Reading with Cards spectator transfers number of cards in ten-card-packet, then card with this number is found in face-down spread, repeat with shuffled cards
 		171
Divination Extraordinaire ten cards chosen and returned, performer deals deck into four piles, one contains all selections
 		173
The Transfixed Cards
174
David Devant, T. Nelson Downs The Magician's Will Power with one-way deck improvement by Downs
 		176
Prophecy Down-to-Date dealing and equivoque
 		178
Resealing Deck
179
John Northern Hilliard The Rising Cards
183
T. Nelson Downs The Tattling of Toto six selections, penny in glass jumps up and down to communicate with performer
Inspired by
  • French magazine "The Illusioniste"
 184
Buatier de Kolta De Kolta's Rising Cards three selections
Related to 191
Buatier de Kolta De Kolta's New Rising Cards three selections, card fountain finale
Related toVariations 194
Harry Stork Another Method as performed by Kellar
 		197
Prof. Duprez, Harry Stork The Rising Cards in the Swinging Houlette
198
Howard Thurston, J. N. Thornton The Thurston Rising Cards
202
John Northern Hilliard Anywhere Rising Cards
204
Resurrection of the Cards four selection burnt, ashes in glass, restored cards "walk" out of glass
 		207
Martin Chapender Chapender's Rising Cards
208
Hugh Mulloy Mulloy Rising Cards
210
Morgan H. Winans Winans' Rising Cards
210
Further Rising Card Methods without Assistant
210
Obliging Bouquet "one of Alexander Herrmann's masterpieces", selections rises out of real flower bouquet held by spectator
 		211
William G. Edwards Named Card Rise mentioned without method
 		211
The Four Ace Trick First Method, three extra Aces
Inspired by 213
Felt Strip Holdout to slide cards secretly underneath
 		215
Second Method
215
Third Method using cards with cloth-colored backs, black art
 		216
Fourth Method three double facers
 		217
Nate Leipzig Fifth Method Aces signed
 		218
Nate Leipzig Sixth Method Aces vanish from deck, reappear via Slap Aces
Variations 219
Nate Leipzig Side Palm
221
Nate Leipzig Slap Change
221
Seventh Method Aces put in one envelope, Kings in another, they transpose, using two cards with cloth on back
 		221
John Northern Hilliard Card Tricks with Apparatus and in Combination with Other Objects on apparatus
 		224
John Northern Hilliard Card, Orange and Candle torn and burnt card discovered inside orange with corner proof, wet card is shot on candle with pistol an appears in flame dry and restored
 		225
The Card in the Frame card appears in frame, with information on trick frames
Variations 229
The Valladon Cards on Glass cards adhere to sheet of glass, spectator shoots on glass but candle goes out, performer shoots and all cards drop except selections
 		235
T.J. Crawford, Harry Stork An Illusive Coin Pass
243
T.J. Crawford Multiple Coin Vanish one by one
 		245
John Northern Hilliard The Hilliard Pass coin ends up in back clip
 		245
T. Nelson Downs The Wrist Palm coin pressed in palm-down hand, spectator cannot feel it
 		245
The Coin Roll
246
The Coin Through the Knee into knee, produced from bottom of trousers
 		248
The Traveling Coin
249
T. Nelson Downs Latest Method for the "Miser's Dream" Downs Palm Production
 		249
T. Nelson Downs Downs Palm
250
Yank Hoe The Sympathetic Coins on corners of handkerchief
Variations 251
Yank Hoe Laydown Steal
252
T. Nelson Downs Second Method of "The Sympathetic Coins", extra coin
 		254
The Coin through the Hat coin placed on knee, covered with upside-down hat, coin know inside
 		255
L'Homme Masqué The Expansion of Texture two coins, one in handkerchief and one in pocket, the one from pocket travels to the one in handkerchief
Related to 256
Multiple Coin Vanish in Handkerchief
260
The Bewitched Nickel nickel changes to penny in spectator's hand
Variations 260
The Disappearing Dollars dollar coins dropped into vase disappear, small bag on pull inserted into vase
 		261
T. Nelson Downs The Free and Unlimited Coinage of Silver coin travels under named object on table, then under all objects coin is found
Related to 262
Coin, Glass and Cone glass through table under paper cover, coin in paper for sound effect
Related to 263
The Trained Half Dollar "Animated Coin", borrowed coin dropped in glass jumps up and down, thread & assistant
 		266
The New Flying Coin handkerchief balled up in glass and held by spectator, coin travels inside
 		267
The Coin Through the Hat using black-backed coin, black art
 		267
The Transmutation of Metal copper coin stack under cone changes to dimes
 		268
Subtraction of Money coin vanishes from spectator's hand among many coins, back clip
 		270
Every Man his own Mint endless coin production, initial back clip
 		270
New Coin Catching coin on thread, attached to body, for endless coin production where coin can be thrown in tumbler
 		271
B. Girindrashekhar A New Coin Combination fifteen to twenty coins borrowed and placed in hat, one coin is marked and mixed back, unmarked coin is placed in handkerchief, marked one taken out on hand, they change place
 		271
B. Girindrashekhar Coin Substitution switch as hand is passed over coin in other hand
 		272
T. Nelson Downs The Downs Coin Wand
273
The New Coin Wand
275
A New Coin Spider gimmick so both sides of hand can be shown empty and fingers spread before coin production
 		276
Carl Anderson A Coin Act and a Coin Ladder coins produced with borrowed hat, then they penetrate hat and drop down coin ladder
 		278
The Coin Dropper
280
Carl Anderson Improved Coin Dropper
281
Carl Anderson The Coin Easel coin ladder
 		282
Carl Anderson The Table
282
Carl Anderson, William G. Edwards Tricks of the Trade compilation of tips on:
  • 1. painting metal
  • 2. glueing cloth
  • 3. table tops
  • 4. painting tables
  • 5. table tops
  • 6. "Anderson Inlaid Top"
  • 7. silk handkerchief quality
  • 8. sheet brass
  • 9. soft & hard brass
  • 10. velvet
  • 11. brass tubing
  • 12. "lighted candle from pocket"
  • 13. candle oil
  • 14. servante for glass of water
  • 15. thread
  • 16. wax
 		289
To Balance an Egg on the Table several methods
 		294
Balancing Glass of Water on Edge
295
Egg Changed Into Confetti
295
Max Holden A New Idea in the Vanishing of an Egg from thin paper bag
 		296
The Eggs from the Mouth rubber eggs
 		296
The Conjurer as Chicken Fancier six eggs produced from borrowed hat, then a chicken
 		297
Japanese Egg Trick
298
T. Nelson Downs The Latest Egg, Handkerchief and Glass Trick egg in tumbler changes place with silk in hand, gaffed table
Also published here 300
William G. Edwards "Eggsample" card changes into egg
 		304
T. Nelson Downs The Four-Ball Trick, with Novel Passes four solid balls
 		305
One-Hand Roll Production ball rolls down along thumb to between thumb and first finger
 		307
Passing Four Solid Balls from Hand to Hand with shell
 		310
Color Change with Four Solid Balls four red balls to four white balls
 		313
The Traveling Balls red and black ball each wrapped in paper transpose
 		314
The Four Paper Balls and Plates sympathetic paper balls
 		319
The Flying Salt sleeving salt, ungimmicked
 		320
The Cigarette Paper Trick clean-up in mouth, with sucker explanation
 		321
T. Nelson Downs Ring Holdout torn & restored cigarette paper idea
 		324
John Northern Hilliard Torn & Restored Cigarette Paper Ideas
324
The Torn Bank Note with repeat
Related toVariations 325
The Bill and Lemon Trick
329
Elbert Adams The Ring on the Wand
Related toAlso published here 331
The Mysterious Match match blown out through sleeve
 		332
L'Homme Masqué Magically Lighting a Candle or Cigarette gimmick on ring
 		333
Howard Thurston The Inexhaustible Hat producing several inflated balloons from hat, gas tube system
 		333
Harry Stork Hot Oysters from Hat
334
The Mysterious Knot
335
Harry Houdini The Vanishing Knot
336
The Mystic Tie two pieces of cord tied around performer's neck, gets free
 		337
Prof. Jacoby The Jacoby Rope Tie
Also published here 338
William G. Edwards The Rope Tie Par Excellence
341
W. Russell Escape from a Paper Cylinder
342
The Giant Memory ten to fifteen people roll a die, performer remembers all the numbers
 		343
Henry Hardin The Trance Vision First Method, Q&A
 		344
Yank Hoe The Trance Vision (Second Method) Q&A
 		345
The Quick or the Dead
346
John Northern Hilliard, T. Nelson Downs Don'ts tips
 		347
John Northern Hilliard L'Envoi
348
Data entered by Denis Behr, October 2015.