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Professor Hoffmann – Modern Magic

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Every generation a magician comes along, whose intention is to record magic in an encyclopedic fashion. Professor Hoffmann was the first in recorded history to attempt such a feat with his trilogyModern Magic,More Magic, AndLater Magic. Certainly many magic books have been published before him, mostly copying from each other. But none reaches the depth and breadth of Prof. Hoffmann’s work. The material in these three books records the state of the art of magic in the late 19th century. Today we know more tricks and we have also refined our techniques and methods. But it is astounding how much was already known at that time. Reading carefully you will discover several clever methods which have been forgotten or have fallen out of fashion with todays popular magicians . If you really want to fool your magic friends the next time, read this book and perform one of its many not so well known secrets.

This book was rated one of the ten basic books for a working library of conjuring by H. Adrian Smith, historian, collector and owner of the largest private magic library in his time. Other books in this top 10 list are

Magicians’ Tricksby Henry Hatton and Adrian PlateThe Expert at the Card Tableby S.W. ErdnaseThe Art of Magicby T. Nelson DownsMore Magicby Prof. HoffmannLater Magicby Prof. HoffmannThe Modern Conjurerby C. Lang NeilOur Magicby Maskelyne and DevantTarbell Courseby Harlan TarbellGreater Magic by John Northern Hilliard

1st edition, 1876, Routledge; 1st US edition, 1882, Routledge; reprinted many times by various publishers; 563 pages.

Table of Contents

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CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTION.

Introductory ObservationsThe Magic WandThe Magician’s TableThe Magician’s DressProfondes Pochettes “Loading” Pockets

CHAPTER II.
GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF SLEIGHT-OF-HAND APPLICABLE TO CARD TRICKS.

The CardsTo “Make the Pass”To “Force” a CardTo Make a “False Shuffle”To “Palm” a CardTo “Ruffle” the CardsTo “Change” a CardTo Get Sight of a Drawn CardTo “Slip” a CardTo “Draw Back” a CardTo “Turn Over” the PackTo Spring the Cards from one Hand to the OtherTo Throw a CardThe “Bridge”

CHAPTER III.
CARD TRICKS WITH ORDINARY CARDS, AND NOT REQUIRING SLEIGHT-OF-HAND.

Simple Modes of Discovering a Given CardVarious Modes of Disclosing a Discovered CardTo Make a Card Vanish from the Pack, and be found in a Person’s PocketTo place the Four Kings in different parts of the Pack, and to bring them together by a simple CutThe Four Kings being placed under the Hand of one Person, and the Four Sevens under the Hand of Another, to make them Change Places at CommandFour Packets of Cards having been formed face downwards on the Table, to discover the Total Value of the Undermost CardsTo Name all the Cards of the Pack in SuccessionThe Cards being Cut, to tell whether the Number Cut is Odd or EvenThe Whist Trick. To deal yourself all the Trumps (see also page119 )To allow a Person to think of a Card, and to make that Card appear at such Number in the Pack as another Person shall NameThe Cards revealed by the Looking-glassTo Guess Four Cards thought of by Different PersonsThe Pairs Re-pairedThe Magic TripletsAnother Mode of Discovering a Card thought ofTo Guess, by the aid of a Passage of Poetry or Prose, such one of Sixteen Cards as, in your Absence, has been Touched or Selected by the CompanyTo Detect, without Confederacy, which of Four Cards has been Turned Round in your AbsenceTo Arrange Twelve Cards in Rows in such a manner that they will Count Four in every DirectionTo Place the Aces and Court Cards in Four Rows, in such a manner that neither Horizontally nor Perpendicularly shall there be in either Row two Cards alike, either in Suit or ValueThe Congress of Court Cards

CHAPTER IV.
TRICKS INVOLVING SLEIGHT-OF-HAND, OR THE USE OF SPECIALLY PREPARED CARDS.

The “Long Card”Biseauteor Tapering Cards
Tricks Performed by the Aid of a Long Card, orbiseautePack:A Card having been Chosen and Returned, and the Pack Shuffled, to produce the Chosen Card instantly in various waysTo Cut at the Chosen CardTo Let all the Cards fall, save the One ChosenTo Pick out the Card, the Pack being placed in a Person’s PocketTo Fling the Pack in the Air, and Catch the Chosen CardTo Change a Card drawn hap-hazard to the Chosen CardTo Divide the Pack into several Packets on the Table, allowing the Company to stop you at any Moment, and to cause the Top Card of the Heap last made to Change into the Chosen CardTo Teach the Company a Trick which they Learn without Difficulty; then to allow them to Succeed or cause them to Fail at your PleasureTo Distinguish the Court Cards by TouchTo Name any Number of Cards in Succession without Seeing ThemTo Make Four Cards change from Eights to Twos, from Black to Red, etc.A Card having been Drawn and Returned, and the Pack Shuffled, to make it Appear at such Number as the Company chooseThe same Trick with several Cards, and by a Different MethodThe “Three Card” TrickTo Nail a Chosen Card to the WallThe Inseparable SevensThe Inseparable AcesHaving placed the Four Aces in different positions in the Pack, to make the two Black change places with the two Red ones, and finally to bring all Four together in the Middle of the PackA Card having been thought of, to make such Card Vanish from the Pack, and be Discovered wherever the Performer pleasesTo cause a Number of Cards to Multiply invisibly in a Person’s keepingThe Pack being divided into two Portions, placed in the keeping of two different Persons, to make Three Cards pass invisibly from the One to the OtherTo allow several Persons each to draw a Card, and the Pack having been Shuffled, to make another Card drawn haphazard change successively into each of those first chosenTo make Four Aces change to Four Kings, and Four Kings to Four AcesHaving made Four Packets of Cards with an Ace at the bottom of each, to bring all Four Aces into whichever Packet the Company may chooseTo Change the Four Aces, held tightly by a Person, into Four Indifferent CardsThe Shower of AcesSeveral Persons having each drawn Two Cards, which have been Returned and Shuffled, to make each Couple appear in Succession, one at the top and the other at the bottom of the PackTo make Two Cards, each firmly held by a different Person, change placesTo change Four Cards, drawn haphazard, and placed on the Table, into Cards of the same Value as a Single Card subsequently chosen by one of the SpectatorsTwo Heaps of Cards, unequal in Number, being placed upon the Table, to predict beforehand which of the two the Company will chooseA Row of Cards being placed Face Downwards on the Table, to indicate, by turning up one of them, how many of such Cards have during your absence been transferred from one end of the Row to the otherSeveral Cards having been freely chosen by the Company, Returned and Shuffled, and the Pack placed in a Person’s Pocket, to make such Person draw out one by one the chosen CardsThe Cards having been freely Shuffled, and cut into three or four Heaps, to name the top Card of each HeapTo allow a Person secretly to think of a Card, and, dividing the Pack into three Heaps, to cause the Card thought of to appear in whichever Heap the Company may chooseTo allow a Person secretly to think of a Card, and, even before such Card is named, to select it from the Pack, and place it singly upon the TableA Card having been secretly thought of by one of the Audience, to place two Indifferent Cards upon the Table, and to change such one of them as the Audience may select into the Card thought ofA Card having been Drawn and Returned, and the Pack shuffled, to divide the Pack into several Heaps on the Table, and to cause the Drawn Card to appear in such Heap as the Company may chooseTo change a Drawn Card into the Portraits of several of the Company in successionA Card having been Drawn and Returned, and the Pack shuffled, to place on the Table six Rows of six Cards each, and to discover the chosen Card by a throw of the DiceA Card having been withdrawn and replaced, to call it from the Pack, and to make it come to you of its own accordMode of Preparing specially adhesive Wax for Conjuring PurposesThe Whist Trick. (Improved Method.) To deal yourself all the Trumps, the three other Players holding the usual mixed Hands

CHAPTER V.
CARD TRICKS REQUIRING SPECIAL APPARATUS.

The Magic Sword. A Card being drawn and replaced, and the Pack flung in the Air, to catch the chosen Card on the point of the SwordThe Rising Cards. Several Cards having been drawn, returned, and shuffled, to make them rise spontaneously from the PackThe Jumping Cards. Two or three Cards having been drawn, returned, and shuffled, to make them jump out of the PackTo make a Card stand upright by itself on the Table”Changing” Card-boxes, and Tricks performed with themThe Mechanical Card-boxThe “Card and Bird Box”The Card TripodThe “Torn Card”Mechanical Changing Cards

CHAPTER VI.
PRINCIPLES OF sLEIGHT-OF-HAND MORE ESPECIALLY APPLICABLE TO COIN TRICKS.

PalmingPassesChanges

CHAPTER VII.
TRICKS WITH COIN WITHOUT APPARATUS.

A Quarter being spun upon the Table, to tell blindfold whether it falls head or tail upwardsOdd or Even, or the Mysterious AdditionTo change a Quarter into a Penny, back again, and then to pass the same invisibly into the Pocket of the OwnerTo make a marked Quarter and Penny, wrapped in separate Handkerchiefs, change places at CommandTo make two marked Coins, wrapped in separate Handkerchiefs, come together in one of themTo pull Four Quarters or Half-crowns through a HandkerchiefTo pass a marked Quarter (or Half-crown) into the Centre of two Oranges in successionThe Flying Money. To make a Coin pass invisibly from the one Hand to the other, and finally through the TableTo rub One Sixpence into ThreeThe Multiplication of MoneyTo Make a Marked Sixpence vanish from a Handkerchief, and be found in the Centre of an Apple or Orange previously examinedThe Travelling CountersThe Wandering Sixpence

CHAPTER VIII.
TRICKS WITH COIN REQUIRING SPECIAL APPARATUS.

The Heads and Tails TrickThe Magic Cover and Vanishing HalfpenceThe Animated Coin, which answers Questions, etc.
Appliances for Vanishing MoneyThe Vanishing Halfpenny BoxThe Rattle BoxThe Pepper-boxThe Brass Money-boxThe Brass Box, known as the “Plug-box”The Handkerchief for Vanishing MoneyThe Demon HandkerchiefThe Davenport Cabinet
Appliances for Re-producing Vanished MoneyThe Nest of BoxesThe Ball of Berlin WoolThe Glass Goblet and CoverThe Glass without CoverThe Miraculous CasketThe Half-Crown or Quarter WandThe Shower of MoneyThe Vanishing Plate, or SalverThe “Changing” PlateThe Tray of Proteus

CHAPTER IX.
TRICKS WITH WATCHES.

To indicate on the Dial of a Watch the Hour secretly thought of by any of the CompanyTo Bend a Borrowed Watch Backwards and ForwardsThe Watch-mortar and the Magic PistolThe “Snuff-box Vase”The “Watch Box”The “Watch Target”The Mesmerised Watch. (To Make any Watch a Repeater)

CHAPTER X.
TRICKS WITH RINGS.

The Flying RingTo Pass a Ring from the one Hand to either Finger of the other HandTo Pass a Ring through a Pocket-handkerchiefTo Pass a Ring through the TableTo Pass a Ring invisibly upon the Middle of a Wooden Wand, the Ends being held by two of the SpectatorsThe Magic Ball and RingsTo Pass a Borrowed Ring into an EggThe Magic Rose

CHAPTER XI.
TRICKS WITH HANDKERCHIEFS.

Introductory RemarksThe Handkerchief that can not be Tied in a KnotThe Handkerchief that will not BurnThe Vanishing KnotsTo Exchange a borrowed Handkerchief for a SubstituteThe Locked and Corded Box, and the Washerwoman’s BottleThe Reversibel CanisterThe Burning GlobeThe Transformed HandkerchiefThe Handkerchief cut up, burnt, and finally found in a CandleThe Shower of SweetsThe Feathers from an Empty HandkerchiefThe Flying PlumeThe Magic LaundryThe Egg and the HandkerchiefThe “Hand-Box,” for Vanishing a Handkerchief