Description

The London-based magic dealer and publisher Edward Bagshawe wrote thirteen magic books and booklets in his short life, and this is among the best. A motley selection of twenty magical mysteries are explained in full, with Sid Lorraine and Ern Shaw providing clear illustrations for each. The seventy-seven pages of Twenty Magical Novelties are divided into four chapters that cover magic with silk handkerchiefs, playing cards, miscellaneous props and larger stage setups. Historians of conjuring will be interested to spot an early instance of the Out-to-Lunch principle in “The Recurring Name”, while card tricksters looking for a novel prediction effect will enjoy the ingenious “Sealed Mystery”, in which a written prediction, safely sealed inside two envelopes, correctly foretells which card a spectator will choose. A wonderful book!