Overview

In the late nineteenth century, mediums across the country were busy delivering messages from the dead to anyone who would listen. And there were plenty who would. Often these words from beyond appeared on slates during séances. But the brand of magic that mediums offered was nothing more than that-magic. Author William E. Robinson, an accomplished magician who worked as a stage manager and assistant to Alexander Herrmann and Harry Kellar, knew all the tricks of the trade. His book, Spirit Slate Writing and Kindred Phenomena, published in 1898, explained them all. This new edition includes all the original illustrations, along with an introduction by Henry Ridgely Evans-another turn-of-the-century magician who knew the dead couldn't talk, except through the preservation of the written word. Just as Evans and Robinson will be doing between these covers.

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9780986239366

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Reviews

"""First published in 1898, and now a great rarity, its republication is long overdue. Curious Publications has done a great job and created something worthy of any magician's bookshelf."" - CollectingMagicBooks.com"

First published in 1898, and now a great rarity, its republication is long overdue. Curious Publications has done a great job and created something worthy of any magician's bookshelf. - CollectingMagicBooks.com

Author Information

Born in 1861 in New York, William Ellsworth Robinson's affinity for magic began at an early age and led to a unique career as both an assistant and a performer. After a visit to Europe introduced him to Black Art, he brought it back to America and began creating unique illusions on the vaudeville circuit as ""The Man of Mystery."" He soon attracted the attention of America's two greatest magicians-Alexander Herrmann and Harry Kellar. Robinson developed complex illusions for both before eventually finding success on his own as Chung Ling Soo, the Marvelous Chinese Conjuror. This act remained popular for years, until 1918, when his attempt to catch a bullet on stage failed-because a real bullet had been fired. His final words were, ""Oh my God. Something's happened. Lower the curtain."" Robinson's death was ruled ""accidental.""

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