{"title":"Best for History Buffs","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"the-great-lyle","title":"The Great Lyle","description":"If any one man can be credited with extending the Golden Age of Magic in Britain, that man is Cecil Lyle. After achieving fame as a music hall performer, he set his sights on the creation of a full-evening show in the tradition of the great magicians of his youth. Even the outbreak of World War II did not deter him from persuing this goal. Through relentless hard work, Lyle eventually realized this dream with the creation of the \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eCavalcade of Mysteries\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e and later his \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMystery Box Revue\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e. Audiences in Britain, Australia, Europe and South Africa were treated to some of the greatest illusions ever created by Horace Goldin, David Devant, Arnold deBiere, Lafayette, Amac and others. Here, for the first time, is the inspiring story of the struggles, triumphs and failures endured by Cecil Lyle during his reign as the last of the great touring illusionists.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr:\u003e\u003ci\u003ePages\u003c\/i\u003e: 300 - 8\" x 10\" - Hardcover with dust jacket - Lavishly illustrated with 100 photographs, programs, advertisements including 12 pages of full color. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA peek inside The Great Lyle \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eChapter 11 - Enter Bobbie Dixon, Stage Manager and Director The Lyles habitually arrived early at the theatre for the evening performances and at the close of every evening's second house each member of the company had to go first to Lyle's dressing room, and then to Lucille's, to say \"Goodnight.\" This gave them the opportunity to have a word with individuals about any aspects of the evening's shows that needed attention, although for serious matters that concerned the company as a whole they would be asked to remain on stage at the conclusion of the performance. Lyle was always very happy to listen to any suggestions his staff might have for improving the presentation of the show. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLyle applied his own make-up and he was not strict about the make-up used by his assistants. Bobbie as Stage Manager had always to wear full stage make-up and be ready to step on stage should any problem arise during the performance. Additionally, she went on stage for the finale of every show.Lyle never gave interviews to the Press but local newspapers in the cities where they were appearing received excellent advance publicity and printing blocks to be used for the show. A brochure which gave details of all the different posters and billing, press releases and photographic blocks that were available to theatre managers and newpaper editors was widely distributed. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDuring her early days with the company the Lyles invited Bobbie to join them for dinner at a very smart West End hotel. The young lady was very nervous in such grand surroundings although she was fully acquainted with table settings as her mother had been in service and had brought up her own family in the best traditions. Lyle asked if she would pour him a glass of water. The jug had no lip and as she poured a large chunk of ice dropped out, knocked the glass over and flooded the table. Although the Lyles told her it was not her fault and the jug should have had a lip, the incident spoiled her evening and her nervousness was increased by it. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs she got to know Lyle, Bobbie realised that although he was undoubtedly eccentric, he had a dry sense of humour that was only revealed outside the theatre, but he could and did see the funny side of some of the contretemps that inevitably occurred on stage from time to time. An incident off stage which probably did not amuse him, though Lucille thought it hilarious, arose through a physical characteristic that amazed all those privileged to observe it. Lyle possessed an enormous quantity of body hair. Indeed, one witness likened him to a gorilla. One day Lucille came into the theatre and delighted in telling everyone about a mishap that had befallen her husband. After his bath or shower Lyle was in the habit of spraying himself with a body lotion. On this occasion, in error, he had picked up Lucille's new hair spray and liberally doused himself with it, suddenly to discover that he was now as bristly as a hedgehog! \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYet life was not always rosy for Bobbie. During their June engagement at the Palace Theatre, Chelsea, she had the unusual experience of being sacked by Lucille and then reinstated later on the same day! It came about as the result of a flood. After the second house each night the girls in the company would take off their make-up (Leichner's No. 5 and No. 9) and then wash their towels, leaving them to soak in the sink overnight. On this particular evening one of the girls left a tap running, with disastrous consequences. The next morning the stage was in a terrible state and the orchestra pit flooded to the depth of some twelve inches of water. When Lyle was told about the mess he instructed that Bobbie be dismissed instantly as it was deemed to be her responsibility. However, when the rest of the company learned of Lyle's action they rallied to Bobbie's cause and threatened to strike if she were not re-instated. Further, the logistics of the show were such that it could not possibly have run that evening without Bobbie's presence. As this realisation dawned upon Lyle later in the afternoon, he countermanded his order and Lucille conveyed the decision to Bobbie, adding \"Let that be a warning to you!\" Subsequently it transpired that the theatre's night watchman, who should have detected the running tap on his rounds, had fallen asleep and not fulfilled his duties. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBesides being superstitious, Lyle was also a hypochondriac and if anyone sneezed near him he would immediately hasten away to his dressing room. On one occasion in 1948 Bobbie put this habit to good use. She had been working in the theatre all the morning and had a luncheon engagement with Frank Davis, her future husband, at 12 noon. Lyle usually came in to the theatre about 11 o' clock to see to any matters that needed attention but this morning, as luck would have it, he arrived late at 10 minutes to 12 and reeled off a list of things he wanted Bobbie to do. She realised that if she had to start on these immediately she would be very late for her appointment so, with great presence of mind, she feigned a sneeze and said \"I think I'm going down with a cold.\" Lyle immediately told her to take herself off out of the theatre, which she very happily did! \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLyle's reaction to colds and illness is perhaps understandable for the whole show and the company depended for its income upon him being able to perform twice nightly. No doubt the laryngitis that had struck him down in 1940 very soon after he first took the Cavalcade of Mystery out on the road, necessitating a lay-off, still weighed heavily in his thoughts. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBefore this 1948 tour was completed Amac sustained an accident and was hospitalised, leaving Bobbie in charge until he was able to return. She was thus thrust immediately into the important role of Stage Director with all its responsibilities. One of these was to meet with Lyle every Friday to discuss the following week's show. The facilities available at the particular theatre they would be playing determined the precise composition of the programme and some effects might have to be omitted and others included. The show carried three sets of tabs which were used according to the theatre being played. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs Stage Director it became Bobbie's responsibility to ensure that the \"pull down\" of the show and the \"get out\" of the theatre every Saturday night was achieved according to plan and that nothing was left behind. As the second house show on Saturday night progressed, the male assistants not required on stage for the illusion currently being presented would start to dismantle and pack the item which had just been completed, working as quietly as they could. In this way valuable time was saved but, even so, it would frequently be 3 a.m. on Sunday before a weary Bobbie crawled back to her digs.There were amusing incidents too. The show normally opened with a front cloth act and the assistants were behind the front runner with a rolled carpet ready to be unrolled as the curtain opened for the Cavalcade. The girls wore a red tunic top and black briefs, the latter in a pile from which they would grab a pair to put on. On one occasion when Bobbie was standing in on stage, the briefs she grabbed turned out to be extremely tight but there was no time to rectify matters. With backs to the audience they rolled the carpet upstage only to be greeted by hilarious laughter, which included Jack Phillips in the orchestra pit. Bobbie had been conscious of a ripping sound as her briefs split from top to crotch revealing her knickers beneath. She was horrified by what had happened but Lyle and everyone else in the company treated it as a great joke and the reprimand that she feared was not forthcoming.\u003c\/br:\u003e","brand":"MIKE CAVENEY'S MAGIC WORDS","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":37172516225184,"sku":"48722","price":65.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0457\/7129\/2832\/products\/ofTsNQ2Q.jpg?v=1618509129"},{"product_id":"willard-a-life-under-canvas_","title":"Willard - A Life Under Canvas","description":"The story of the four men who performed under the name Willard the Wizard reads like a roller coaster ride made up of triumphant highs and tragic lows. Working closely with author David Charvet were Harry Willard's grown children, Eugene, Madeline and Frances, who spent many years during their youth traveling with and performing in their father's show. David had access to not only what the audience saw on stage at the Harry Willard show, but also what was happening backstage. This is the ultimate behind the scenes story of a traveling tent show as told by those who lived it. Combining these firsthand accounts with David relentless research has produced a unique slice of magic history. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWillard - A Life Under Canvas is number 14 in our series of Magical Pro-Files. It contains 370 pages with 276 photographs and because the entire book has been printed in two colors, we were able to print many of the photos in duotone, giving them the feel of a hot, dusty tent show. Eight pages of full color show Willard in action along with some beautiful portraits of his well-worn apparatus. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe tent-show feel continues with the printed endsheets and onto the binding with a canvas cloth on the front and back covers and Skivertex simulated leather on the spine. This edition is limited to 1,000 hand-numbered copies.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ePages\u003c\/i\u003e: 300 - 11\" x 8.5\" - Hardcover - Lavishly illustrated with 276 photographs, and 8 pages in full color.","brand":"MIKE CAVENEY'S MAGIC WORDS","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":37172526710944,"sku":"48728","price":85.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0457\/7129\/2832\/products\/AiOEa8tA.jpg?v=1705963592"},{"product_id":"the-last-greatest-magician-in","title":"The Last Greatest Magician inthe World","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNow in paperback, the acclaimed biography of the magician’s magician, Howard Thurston. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“There is no greater expert on the history of stage magicians than Jim Steinmeyer. His deep knowledge of the subject, combined with a remarkable mastery of magical know-how, makes this book a smart, fantastic read. I can’t recommend it enough!”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e—Neil Patrick Harris\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e “Steinmeyer produces an engaging full-length biography of the man Orson Welles called ‘the master’…Steinmeyer recovers, from the shadows of his greatest rival, a figure whose grandiose productions were an American institution for almost 30 years.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e—Publishers Weekly\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Magician and author Jim Steinmeyer rescues a forgotten American icon from Houdini’s shadow.”\u003cbr\u003e—AARP: The Magazine\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Thurston may have been forgotten, but \u003cstrong\u003eThe Last Greatest Magician In The World \u003c\/strong\u003eably resurrects his legend and his awe-inspiring magic.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e—The Onion A.V. Club\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“An erudite, challenging text full of difficult questions”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e—Kirkus Reviews\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHere is the seminal biography of the magician’s magician, Howard Thurston, a man who surpassed Houdini in the eyes of showmen and fans and set the standard fro how stage magic is performed today.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEveryone knows Houdini-but who was Thurston? In this rich, vivid biography of the “greatest magician in the world,” celebrated historian of stage magic Jim Steinmeyer captures the career and controversies of the wonder-worker extraordinaire, Howard Thurston.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe public’s fickleness over magicians has left Thurston all but forgotten today. Yet Steinmeyer shows how his story is one of the most remarkable in show business. During his life, from 1869 to 1936, Thurston successfully navigated the most dramatic changes in entertainment-from street performances to sideshows to wagon tours through America’s still-Wild West to stage magic amid the glitter of grand theaters. Thurston became one of America’s most renowned vaudeville stars, boldly performing an act with just a handful of playing cards, and then had the foresight to leave vaudeville, expanding his show into an extravaganza with more than forty tons of apparatus and costumes. His touring production was an American institution for nearly thirty years, and Thurston earned a brand name equal to Ziegfeld or Ringling Brothers.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSteinmeyer explores the stage and psychological rivalry between Thurston and Houdini during the first decades of the twentieth century-a contest that Thurston won. He won with a bigger show, a more successful reputation, and the title of America’s greatest magician. In \u003cstrong\u003eThe Last Greatest Magician in the World\u003c\/strong\u003e, Thurston’s magic show is revealed as the one that animates our collective memories.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"RANDOM HOUSE INC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":37185247281312,"sku":"T-5485","price":24.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0457\/7129\/2832\/products\/DSC01024.jpg?v=1629401679"},{"product_id":"the-magic-book-1","title":"The Magic Book (Small)","description":"\u003cp class=\"read-more__title\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eTake a truly magical mystery tour with this \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003esparkling compendium of magic and trickery\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e from medieval thaumaturgies to 20th-century showmen. Featuring \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ehundreds of rarely seen vintage posters, photographs, handbills, and engravings\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe Magic Book \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003efollows this special performing art from the 1400s to the 1950s.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"read-more__description\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"read-more__description--content\"\u003eMagic has enchanted humankind for millennia, evoking terror, laughter, shock, and amazement. Once persecuted as heretics and sorcerers, \u003cstrong\u003emagicians have always been conduits to a parallel universe of limitless possibility\u003c\/strong\u003e—whether invoking spirits, reading minds, or inverting the laws of nature by sleight of hand. Long before science fiction, virtual realities, video games, and the Internet, the craft of magic was \u003cstrong\u003ethe most powerful fantasy world man had ever known\u003c\/strong\u003e. As \u003cstrong\u003ethe pioneers of special effects\u003c\/strong\u003e throughout history, magicians have never ceased to mystify us by making the impossible possible.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis book celebrates more than 500 years of the stunning visual culture of the world’s greatest magicians. \u003cstrong\u003eFeaturing more than 750 rarely seen vintage posters, photographs, handbills, and engravings\u003c\/strong\u003e as well as paintings by Hieronymus Bosch and Bruegel among others, \u003cem\u003eThe Magic Book\u003c\/em\u003e traces \u003cstrong\u003ethe history of magic as a performing art\u003c\/strong\u003e from the 1400s to the 1950s. Combining sensational images with incisive text, the book explores the evolution of the magicians’ craft, from medieval street performers to the brilliant stage magicians who gave rise to cinematic special effects; from the 19th century’s golden age of magic to groundbreaking daredevils like Houdini and the early 20th century’s vaudevillians.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"read-more__description--content\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"read-more__description--content\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"read-more__biography--wrapper\"\u003e\n\u003ch5 class=\"read-more__biography--title\"\u003eThe authors\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"read-more__biography--item\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"read-more__biography--text\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJim Steinmeyer\u003c\/strong\u003e is the author of many books on magic history and practice, including \u003cem\u003eLos Angeles Time\u003c\/em\u003es best seller \u003cem\u003eHiding the Elephant\u003c\/em\u003e (2004) and \u003cem\u003eThe Glorious Deception\u003c\/em\u003e (2006). He has created deceptions featured by magicians such as Doug Henning, David Copperfield, and Siegfried and Roy, and critically acclaimed illusions for Broadway hits\u003cem\u003e Mary Poppins, Beauty and the Beast\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eInto the Woods\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"read-more__biography--item\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"read-more__biography--text\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMike Caveney\u003c\/strong\u003e is a writer, collector, professional magician, and the publisher of over 50 books on the theory, practice, and history of magic. His biographical works include \u003cem\u003eKellar’s Wonders\u003c\/em\u003e (2003) with Bill Miesel, and \u003cem\u003eCarter the Great\u003c\/em\u003e (1995). An avid collector and performer for over four decades, he has appeared onstage or on TV in more than 20 countries.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"read-more__biography--wrapper\"\u003e\n\u003ch5 class=\"read-more__biography--title\"\u003eThe contributing author\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"read-more__biography--item\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"read-more__biography--text\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRicky Jay\u003c\/strong\u003e, who has contributed the introduction to this book, is one of the world's great sleight of hand artists, and a distinguished actor, historian, and best-selling author. His \u003cem\u003eLearned Pigs \u0026amp; Fireproof Women\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eJay’s Journal of Anomalies\u003c\/em\u003e were both \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e \"Notable Books of the Year,\" and he defined the terms of his art for \u003cem\u003eThe \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003eCambridge Guide to American Theatre\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eEncyclopedia Britannica\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"read-more__biography--wrapper\"\u003e\n\u003ch5 class=\"read-more__biography--title\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003ch5 class=\"read-more__biography--title\"\u003eThe editor\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"read-more__biography--item\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"read-more__biography--text\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNoel Daniel \u003c\/strong\u003eis a graduate of Princeton University and a former Fulbright Scholar to Berlin. Her TASCHEN publications include \u003cem\u003eTATTOO 1730s-1950s\u003c\/em\u003e, Kay Nielsen's\u003cem\u003e A Thousand and One Nights \u003c\/em\u003eand\u003cem\u003e East of the Sun and West of the Moon, The Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm, The Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen, Wintertime Tales, Magic\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eThe Circus.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"read-more__biography--text\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHardcover, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-testid=\"book-details--dimensions\"\u003e6.7 x 9.4 in., \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-testid=\"book-details--weight\"\u003e4.03 lb, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e544 pages\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Amazon","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44796885369061,"sku":"T-3114","price":40.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0457\/7129\/2832\/files\/DSC05090_b934a70d-6033-46af-91da-59ccfc63d91f.jpg?v=1709746241"},{"product_id":"david-copperfields-history-of-magic","title":"David Copperfield's History of Magic","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/nwacMaqSfhM\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eAn illustrated, illuminating insight into the world of illusion from the world’s greatest and most successful magician, capturing its audacious and inventive practitioners, and showcasing the art form’s most famous artifacts housed at David Copperfield’s secret museum.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn this personal journey through a unique and remarkable performing art, David Copperfield profiles twenty-eight of the world’s most groundbreaking magicians. From the 16th-century magistrate who wrote the first book on conjuring to the roaring twenties and the man who fooled Houdini, to the woman who levitated, vanished, and caught bullets in her teeth, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eDavid Copperfield’s History of Magic\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e takes you on a wild journey through the remarkable feats of the greatest magicians in history.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThese magicians were all outsiders in their own way, many of them were determined to use magic to escape the strictures of class and convention. But they all transformed popular culture, adapted to social change, discovered the inner workings of the human mind, embraced the latest technological and scientific discoveries, and took the art of magic to unprecedented heights.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe incredible stories are complemented by over 100 never-before-seen photographs of artifacts from Copperfield’s exclusive Museum of Magic, including a 16th-century manual on sleight of hand, Houdini’s straightjackets, handcuffs, and water torture chamber, Dante’s famous sawing-in-half apparatus, Alexander’s high-tech turban that allowed him to read people’s minds, and even some coins that may have magically passed through the hands of Abraham Lincoln.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBy the end of the book, you’ll be sure to share Copperfield’s passion for the power of magic.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Simon \u0026 Schuster","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39956532035744,"sku":"70039","price":35.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0457\/7129\/2832\/files\/DSC00245_b7c089d2-a530-4727-90e2-f8a1a61d1593.jpg?v=1695418590"},{"product_id":"magic-1400s-1950s","title":"The Magic Book (XL)","description":"\u003cp class=\"read-more__title\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eTake a truly magical mystery tour with this \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003esparkling compendium of magic and trickery\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e from medieval thaumaturgies to 20th-century showmen. Featuring \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ehundreds of rarely seen vintage posters, photographs, handbills, and engravings\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe Magic Book \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003efollows this special performing art from the 1400s to the 1950s.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"read-more__description\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"read-more__description--content\"\u003eMagic has enchanted humankind for millennia, evoking terror, laughter, shock, and amazement. Once persecuted as heretics and sorcerers, \u003cstrong\u003emagicians have always been conduits to a parallel universe of limitless possibility\u003c\/strong\u003e—whether invoking spirits, reading minds, or inverting the laws of nature by sleight of hand. Long before science fiction, virtual realities, video games, and the Internet, the craft of magic was \u003cstrong\u003ethe most powerful fantasy world man had ever known\u003c\/strong\u003e. As \u003cstrong\u003ethe pioneers of special effects\u003c\/strong\u003e throughout history, magicians have never ceased to mystify us by making the impossible possible.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis book celebrates more than 500 years of the stunning visual culture of the world’s greatest magicians. \u003cstrong\u003eFeaturing more than 750 rarely seen vintage posters, photographs, handbills, and engravings\u003c\/strong\u003e as well as paintings by Hieronymus Bosch and Bruegel among others, \u003cem\u003eThe Magic Book\u003c\/em\u003e traces \u003cstrong\u003ethe history of magic as a performing art\u003c\/strong\u003e from the 1400s to the 1950s. Combining sensational images with incisive text, the book explores the evolution of the magicians’ craft, from medieval street performers to the brilliant stage magicians who gave rise to cinematic special effects; from the 19th century’s golden age of magic to groundbreaking daredevils like Houdini and the early 20th century’s vaudevillians.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"read-more__description--content\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"read-more__description--content\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"read-more__biography--wrapper\"\u003e\n\u003ch5 class=\"read-more__biography--title\"\u003eThe authors\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"read-more__biography--item\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"read-more__biography--text\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJim Steinmeyer\u003c\/strong\u003e is the author of many books on magic history and practice, including \u003cem\u003eLos Angeles Time\u003c\/em\u003es best seller \u003cem\u003eHiding the Elephant\u003c\/em\u003e (2004) and \u003cem\u003eThe Glorious Deception\u003c\/em\u003e (2006). He has created deceptions featured by magicians such as Doug Henning, David Copperfield, and Siegfried and Roy, and critically acclaimed illusions for Broadway hits\u003cem\u003e Mary Poppins, Beauty and the Beast\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eInto the Woods\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"read-more__biography--item\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"read-more__biography--text\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMike Caveney\u003c\/strong\u003e is a writer, collector, professional magician, and the publisher of over 50 books on the theory, practice, and history of magic. His biographical works include \u003cem\u003eKellar’s Wonders\u003c\/em\u003e (2003) with Bill Miesel, and \u003cem\u003eCarter the Great\u003c\/em\u003e (1995). An avid collector and performer for over four decades, he has appeared onstage or on TV in more than 20 countries.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"read-more__biography--wrapper\"\u003e\n\u003ch5 class=\"read-more__biography--title\"\u003eThe contributing author\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"read-more__biography--item\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"read-more__biography--text\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRicky Jay\u003c\/strong\u003e, who has contributed the introduction to this book, is one of the world's great sleight of hand artists, and a distinguished actor, historian, and best-selling author. His \u003cem\u003eLearned Pigs \u0026amp; Fireproof Women\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eJay’s Journal of Anomalies\u003c\/em\u003e were both \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e \"Notable Books of the Year,\" and he defined the terms of his art for \u003cem\u003eThe \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003eCambridge Guide to American Theatre\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eEncyclopedia Britannica\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"read-more__biography--wrapper\"\u003e\n\u003ch5 class=\"read-more__biography--title\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003ch5 class=\"read-more__biography--title\"\u003eThe editor\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"read-more__biography--item\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"read-more__biography--text\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNoel Daniel \u003c\/strong\u003eis a graduate of Princeton University and a former Fulbright Scholar to Berlin. Her TASCHEN publications include \u003cem\u003eTATTOO 1730s-1950s\u003c\/em\u003e, Kay Nielsen's\u003cem\u003e A Thousand and One Nights \u003c\/em\u003eand\u003cem\u003e East of the Sun and West of the Moon, The Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm, The Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen, Wintertime Tales, Magic\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eThe Circus.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"read-more__biography--text\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eHardcover, 9.7 x 14.8 in., 9.47 lb, 544 pages\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Taschen","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44796885696741,"sku":"T-3124","price":100.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0457\/7129\/2832\/files\/IMG-1823.jpg?v=1707972223"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.tannens.com\/collections\/best-for-history-buffs\/author-edwin-dawes.oembed","provider":"Tannen's","version":"1.0","type":"link"}