Please enjoy this recently rediscovered 19th century collection of genuine magician craft! Including tricks with cards or coins! This is the real stuff, folks. Imagine the possibilities. Fun for the whole family and a great skill. A good magician can produce a lifetime of content…unforgettable experiences for the young and old alike.
Every kid deserves a chance to stumble upon a collection like this and it’s one of our great joys to re-discover forgotten content from great performers lost to the shadows of history. Let their production continue through us so a new generation can learn from their achievements and create new tricks. The show must go on.
We Have Hundreds of Amazing Parlor Tricks! Expect More In the Next Addition of Magic Made Easy.
We did not invent these tricks and claim only the credit for the discovery, restoration, formatting, and strategic derivatives. We can only apply this kind of treatment to works in the public domain; so our initiative depends on adding value to rare works.
To help protect against grifters and flimflams we recommend you learn as many tricks as you can at a rate of one or two a day. Even if you don’t practice each trick, read and understand how they work.
The Erratic Egg
Transfer the egg from one wineglass to the other and back again to its original position, without touching the egg or glasses.
To perform this trick, all that you have to do is to blow smartly on one side of the egg, and it will hop into the next glass repeat this and it will hop back again. Glasses of appropriate size and shape can be purchased at a local antique store.
The Hat And Coin Trick
Place a hat, tumbler and coin, as represented in the cut; then after making several feints, as if you intended to strike the hat upon the rim.
Give the hat a sharp, quick blow upon the inside of the crown, and the coin will fall into the tumbler. This is a beautiful trick, if skillfully performed. Don't worry about the props looking old, it all adds to the atmosphere of the trick.
The Obedient Dime
Lay a dime between two half-dollars, and place upon the larger coins a glass, as in the diagram.
Remove the dime without displacing either of the half-dollars or the glass. After having placed the glass and coins as indicated, simply scratch the tablecloth with the nail at the forefinger, in the direction you would have the dime to move, and it will answer immediately. The tablecloth is necessary; for this reason the trick is best suited to the breakfast or dinner table.
To Lift Three Matches With One
You get three matches of equal length, and cut the end of one in the shape of a wedge.
In the end of another you make a small slit, and you are ready to perform your trick. Introduce the wedge end into the end you have slit, so that they will hold together their own weight; now take the third match and the two you have put together, and nicely balance them upon the table, as represented in the engraving. Then take another match (D); and insert the end of it under the upper ends of the three matches. A, B, C; balance upon the table, and very gently push the matches A and B back, just enough to let the match C fall upon the match D, which you hold in your fingers, and the two matches A and B will fall back again, overlapping the match C, as represented in the engraving. Now you can easily raise them, and carry them anywhere you desire. This is a very simple trick, and having shown it once it can easily be done by observing parties.
How To Cut A Visiting Card For A Cat To Jump Through It
Cut the card through the centre, leaving a perfect bar at each end.
Then proceed by cutting the card according to the lines indicated in the subjoined engraving. Take care that you do not cut through and thus separate the links. When the card has been thus carefully cut, it may be drawn out to form a hoop for pussy to jump through or it will make a pretty collar for her to wear.
The Wandering Hat
To Make A Cone Or Pyramid Move Upon A Table Without Springs Or Any Other Artificial Means.
Roll up a piece of paper, or another light substance, and put a lady-beetle or some such small insect privately under it; then as the insect will endeavor to free itself from its captivity it will move the cone towards the edge of the table, and as soon as it comes there it will immediately return, for fear of falling; and by thus moving to and fro, will occasion much sport to those who are unacquainted with the cause.
To Prepare A Fountain Of Fire
Extinguish the lights, and beautiful jets of blue flame will be seen to dart from the bottom of the liquid.
While its surface will be covered with a luminous smoke. Take two parts of zinc, finely granulated and add to it one part phosphorus (say ten grains of phosphorus and twenty of zinc), and pour on it halt an ounce of water, with a quarter of an ounce of sulphuric acid, and in a short time phosphorated hydrogen gas will be produced. This is a beautiful experiment, and is easily performed.
The Magic Egg
Appearing to suspend an egg in a very remarkable and curious manner.
Take a pint of water and dissolve in it as much common salt as it will take up; with this brine fill a tall glass, then fill up the remaining space with plain water, pouring it in very carefully down the side of the glass, or into a spoon, to break its fall. The pure water will then float upon the brine, and in appearance, the two liquids will seem as but one. Now take another glass and fill it with common water. If an egg is put into this, it will instantly sink to the bottom; but if, on the contrary, the egg is put into the glass containing the brine, it will sink through the plain water only and float upon that portion which is saturated with salt.
The Nondescript
Get a nut and holding it toward the spectators in your closed hand, that they may not see when lies therein.
Profess yourself to be capable of showing them what they have never seen, what you have never seen, what no one else has ever seen, and what, when you and they have once seen, no one else ever shall see. Ask them to guess what it is; and when they have tried in vain crack the nut. Show them the kernel, then put it in your mouth, and having swallowed it ask them if you have not fulfilled your promise.
Miraculous Apple
To divide an apple into several parts, without breaking the rind.
Pass a needle and thread under the rind of this apple, which is easily done by putting the needle in again at the same hole it came out of; and so passing on till you have gone around the apple. Then take both the ends of the thread in your hands, and draw it out, by which means the apple will be divided into parts. In the same manner, you may divide it into as many parts as you please and yet the rind will remain entire. Present the apple to anyone to peel, and it will immediately fall to pieces. Always a string attached to every deal.