Drawing Room Deceptions by Guy Hollingworth

Details: Drawing Room Deceptions did not become one of the fastest selling books ever just by chance. It was the direct result of a series of specific events. The first ingredient was a young English school boy willing to invest a full decade of his young life in the study and practice of close-up card magic. He was not satisfied to mimic the tricks of others so he created a repertoire that was totally original. Along the way, he developed a distinct performing style that was gentlemanly yet steeped in sophisticated humor. Following graduation from university, Guy spent a couple of years traveling around the world performing and lecturing for club meetings and convention audiences. Add to this, television appearances around the world such as The World’s Greatest Magic in America. This exposure to thousands of magicians established Guy’s reputation for possessing impeccable skill along with an arsenal of original material. And one miracle that stood out among all others was his not-to-be-believed, piece-by-piece card restoration, now known to the magic world at large as The Reformation. The final piece of the puzzle was putting all of this knowledge into a single book, Drawing Room Deceptions. The added fact that this entire book was written, illustrated and designed by young Mr. Hollingworth simply makes this story that much more amazing. It is not an exaggeration to say that the magic world was desperate for the release of this book and when it finally did appear, the response was overwhelming. The presses had barely stopped spinning when we ordered a second printing.

Customers knew they would be thrilled with the sleights, theories and routines that fill the 320 pages of Drawing Room Deceptions but they were surprised and delighted with the book’s physical appearance. The two-color stamping on the cover, a vellum sheet hand-tipped over the author’s formal portrait, marbled endsheets and distinctive typography and artwork give this book the appearance of a classic, nineteenth century magic textbook

Contents:

7 Publisher’s Note
11 Prologue: with regard to the difficulties facing the author and the validity of prologues

18 One: concerning cards that turn over, move position, separate in colour and generally perform amusing feats; including:
21 Waving the Aces
31 A second version thereof
39 Oil and Water
43 Cherchez la Femme
44 The Hofzinser Problem
45 Other Thoughts

47 Two: pertaining to the difficulty of magic and the merits of bespoke tailoring; including:
48 The penetration of Cards Through a Jacket
62 Travelers
65 An Ambidextrous Interchange
78 A “One Card” Routine
83 Other Thoughts

87 Three: regarding items of stationery and the significance of good fortune; including:
89 The control of chosen cards
96 An Ace Assembly
106 The Homing Card
114 Cannibal Cards
118 Other thoughts

121 Interval: including a variety of eccentricities; such as:
122 The shift
133 Methods for controlling and palming
150 Switching cards
159 False dealing
169 False shuffling

179 Four: incorporating a number of dishonest practices; including:
181 A Gambling Routine
192 A More Light-Hearted Routine
202 “Call to the Colours”

217 Five: in which an inspector calls, and we discuss his deceit; including:
219 A Destroyed and Reproduced Card
230 A Card at any Number
237 A Card Stab

243 Six:  containing an assortment of items, involving boxes, unusual shuffling and the fall of Troy; including:
243 Three Cards under a Box
251 A Triumph Routine
264 The Cassandra Quandary

275 Epilogue: during which a method for tearing and restoring a card is discussed.

• Publisher: Mike Caveney’s Magic Words
• Pages: 311
• Location: Pasadena, CA, USA
• Dimensions: 6″x9″
• Date: 1999
• Binding: hardbound

Contents: magicref.net – click for details

Found something wrong? Help us improve things by clicking here!