Cyclopedia of Magic is a wonderful book. It's primary quality stems from its alphabetical organization. It was written to provide the magician with a wide and solid background of magical knowledge. It provides definitions, descriptions, biographies and some routines on hundreds of magic topics. It is for the most part a compilation of material contributed by magicians such as August Roterberg, Charles Bertram, Eddie Joseph, Ellis Stanyon, John Mulholland, T. Nelson Downs and many others.
The ebook starts with a User's Guide which describes the purpose of the book, and an index to the contributing authors.
A
- Acquitment: definition
- Afghan Bands: short explanation
- Amateur Magicians: definition and article
- Anderson, John Henry: 1814-1874; bio
- Angle-Proof: definition
- Animals: Short article with comments on Rabbits, Pigeons, Dogs, etc.
B
- Ball Manipulation: Long article, covers various Palms, Passes, and vanishes. Refers readers to Burling Hull's Expert Billiard Ball Manipulation
- Ball of Wool: article, trick described
- Bambergs, The: bio. Eliaser 1760-1833; David Leendert 1786-1869; Tobias 1812-1870; David Tobias (born 1843); Theo (Okito) born 1875; David (born 1904)
- Bellachini (Sam Berlach): 1828-1885; bio
- Billet And Message Reading: article with discussion of the One Ahead, Impressions, Transparency, etc.
- Bird-Cage, Vanishing: definition
- Black Art: defined, with an article on the Black Art Table and its construction
- Blackstone, Harry: bio
- Blindfolds: article with description of various forms
- Blitz, Signor Antonio: 1810-1877; bio
- Book Test: article with explanation and various approaches
- Bosco, Bartolommeo: 1790-1863 bio
- Bradawl or Ice Pick: defined
- Breakaway Fan: defined
- Breslaw: died 1783 bio
- Bullet Catching: article
- Business Methods: publicity article
C
- Cake Baked In a Hat: article
- Card Box: Defined
- Card Frame: article
- Card in Cigarette: defined
- Card Index: defined
- Cardini: bio
- Card Manipulation: longer article covers Back Palm, Bottom Dealing, Break, Changes, Crimp, Double Lift, False Count, False Shuffle, Jogs, Flourishes, Forcing, Glide, Glimpse, Mexican Turnover, Palming, Second Deal, Shifts, Slips, and a card worker's bibliography
- Card Marking: longer article covers principles, dot & puncture, manufacture, shading/tinting, line and scroll work, and marking while in play
- Card Setups (The Rosary Deck): New packs, 8 Kings, Si Stebbins, explained along with several tricks
- Cards, Flap: defined
- Cards, Key: Article with several types described
- Cards, One Way, Pointer, Divided: description of three card location approaches
- Cards Up the Sleeve: routine described
- Card Through Handkerchief: described
- Card Vanisher: several types described
- Carter, Charles J: 1874-1936 bio
- Changeover Palm: defined
- Changing Bag: defined
- Children's Shows: article with recommendations
- Chinese Magic: defined
- Chinese Wands: described, multiple versions
- Ching Ling Foo (Chee Ling Qua): 1854-1918 bio
- Ching Ling Foo Water Can: defined
- Chopper Effects: defined
- Chung Ling Soo (William Ellisworth Campbell): 1861-1918 bio
- Cigar Manipulation: Article covers multiple sleights
- Cigarette Manipulation: for lighted or unlighted cigarettes, also covers holders
- Clock Dial: Described
- Coils: defined
- Coin Box, Okito: defined
- Coin In Handkerchief: defined
- Coin Manipulation: article covers Palms, Changes, Handkerchief Folds, Palms, Passes, Sleeving, and a coin works bibliography
- Coin Tray: described with a routine
- Coins, Folding: described
- Coins, Shell: described
- Comedy: Article with advice
- Comte, Louis Christian Emmanuel Appollinaire: 1788-1859 bio
- Costume: article with advice
- Costume Trunk Trick: described
- Culpitt, Fred: died 1944, bio
- Cups and Balls: Article covers palming, cup and wand moves, and East Indian cups
D
- Dancing Handkerchief: described
- De Kolta, Joseph Bautier: 1845-1903, bio
- Devant, David (David Wighton): 1868-1941 bio
- Dice: Article covers changing dots, Die Through Hat
- Die Box, Sliding: described
- Diminishing Cards: Described
- Divinations: Class of effects in which performer discovers which of several similar objects has been concealed or what order they have been arranged in
- Doebler, Ludwig Leopold: 1801-1864 bio
- Dollar Bill Tricks: A torn and restored bill described, and the bill to lemon
- Doll's House: Frederick Culpitt's illusion described
- Dove Pan: described
- Downs, Thomas Nelson: 1867-1938 bio
- Drawer-Box: described
- Droppers: defined
- Drumhead Tube: described
- Duck Vanish: described
E
- East Indian Magic: Article
- Egg and Handkerchief: effect detailed in a couple of approaches
- Egg Bag: described, with some details of De Biere's egg bag. Includes a general approach to a routine, but no details.
- Equivoques (Conjurer's Choice): described
- Escapes and Releases: includes short discussions of The Jacoby Rope Tie, Handcuff Escape, Sack Escapes, The Mail Bag, Straitjacket Escape, Escape from Paper Cylinder, Packing Cases, and Siberian Chain Release
- Exposures: short article on ethics
F
- Fake: defined
- Fawkes, Isaac: died 1731 bio
- Fish-Catching: defined
- Flagstaff: described
- Flash Paper: defined
- Flower in Buttonhole: defined
- Flower Productions: Described in longer article
- Forcing: defined
- Four Ace Tricks: Covers Charles Bertram's Method, and seven other methods
- Fox, Imro (Isidor Fuchs): 1852-1910 bio
- Frikell, Wiljalba: 1818-1903 bio
- Funnel: Described
G
- Gambling Methods: longer article on cheating with cards and dice
- General Card: defined
- Gimmick: defined
- Goldfish Bowls: described
- Goldin, Horace (Hyman Goldstein): 1873-1939 bio
- Grandmother's Necklace: described
- Gyngell: died 1833, bio
H
- Handkerchiefs Prepared as Vanishers: described, including the Die-Vanishing Handkerchief and more
- Hands: how to treat
- Hat Trick: detailed description of Joseph Michael Hartz' production of items from a hat
- Heimburger, Alexander: 1818-1909 bio
- Heller, Robert (William Henry Palmer): about 1826-1878 bio
- Herrmann: family of magicians bio
- Hertz Carl (Laib Morgenstern): 1869-1924 bio
- History: article on the history of magic
- Hoffmann, Professor Louis (Angelo John Lewis, MA): 1839-1920 bio
- Hofzinser, Johann Nepomuk: 1806-1875 bio
- Holders: several ball and egg holders described
- Hoods: as used for coins, cards, etc.
- Houdini, Harry (Ehrich Weisz): 1874-1926 bio
I
- Illusions: defined
- Impromptu Effects: pointer to books with impromptu effects
- Indian Basket Trick: described
- Indian Mango Trick: described
- Indian Rope Trick: described
- Inexhaustible Bottle: described, with various improvements
- Invention: article, includes a chart with Magical Technics, info on patents, etc.
J
- Jap Box: described in detail
- Jumping Peg: described
K
- Kellar, Harry (Harold Keller): 1849-1922 bio
- Kellar Tie: rope release described
L
- Lafayette (Siegmund Neuburger): 1872-1911 bio
- Laurant, Eugene (Eugene Greenleaf): 1875-1944) bio
- Leroy (Jean Henri) Servais: 1865-1953 bio
- Levitations: several stage levitations described, the floating ball
- Linking Rings: a full routine is described
- Literature of Magic: article on historical writings
- Load: defined
- Lota: described
M
- Magical Effects: general description of magical effect types
- Makeup: described
- Maskelynes, The: family bio
- Mechanical Decks: Describes Strippers, Cornered, Forcing Decks, Svengali, Mene Tekel, etc.
- Merry Widow: described
- Mind-Reading: general high-level discussion, with an example two-person code
- Mirror Principle: described
- Miser's Dream: routine described
- Mulholland, John: born 1898, bio
- Multiplying Billiard Balls: briefly described
- Muscle Reading: article on mind-reading
- Music: article on choosing music
N
- Needle Trick: threading needles in mouth described
- Nest of Boxes: described
- Nicola, the Great (William Mozart Nocol): 1880-1946 bio
- Night Club Shows: article
O
- Organizations: SAM, IBM, Magic Circle, etc.
- Organ Pipes: described
P
- Pantomime: article
- Passe-Passe Bottle: described with routine
- Patter: article
- Phantom Tube: defined
- Phillippe or Philippe (Phillippe Talon): 1802-1879 bio
- Pinetti, Giuseppe, De Willedal: 1750-1800 bio
- Pistol: gimmicked pistol described
- Plant: defined
- Powell, Frederick Eugene: 1857-1938 bio
- Practice and Rehearsal: article
- Presentation: article on the rules of presentation
- Programs: article on building your program
- Psychology: article on deception
- Publicity: article on advertising
- Pulls: several varieties described
R
- Rattle Box: described with a routine
- Rice Bowls: various methods described
- Ring: defined
- Ring On Stick: briefly described
- Rising Cards: methods include threads, De Kolta method, with routine described along with various other approaches
- Robert-Houdin: 1805-1871 bio
- Robin, Henri (Dunkell): died 1874, bio
- Rope Tricks: defined
- Routine: short article
S
- Salting: defined
- Sawing a Woman in Two: briefly described
- Selbit, P.T. (Percy Thomas Tibbles): died 1938, bio
- Servante: described in good detail
- Shell: defined
- Shell Game: briefly described, reader is directed to Jack Chanin's Hello Sucker!
- Shower of Sweets: children's effect described
- Silent Acts: defined
- Silk Tricks: Describes various tools such as False Fingers, Wands, Production from a Match Box, Multiplying Tube, Productions, Color Changing, Knots, Sympathetic Silks, etc.
- Slate Tests: writing on blank slates described
- Sleeve Up His: defined
- Sleight of Hand: defined
- Spelling Master: card effect described
- Spider: defined
- Spirit Effects: article
- Sponge Balls: very briefly described
- Stage Settings: Article on setting the stage for stage shows, with bibliography on Stage and Theater
- Steal: defined
- Stodare, Colonel Alfred (John English): 1831-1866 bio
- String Tricks: Includes brief discussion of Perambulating String, Pricking the Garter, Snare, etc.
- Sucker Gag: defined
- Sun and Moon Trick: handkerchief trick described in detail
- Switch: Defined
- Sympathetic Coins: A Coin Matrix type effect described
T
- Table Tricks: defined
- Talk: defined
- Tambourine: production utility described
- Telephone Trick: briefly described
- Thimble Tricks: Decent article describes production, multiplying thimbles, and thimble passes
- Thirty Card Trick: Cards transfer from one pile to another
- Thread, Black: defined
- Three-Card Tricks: Three Card Monte describe in fair detail; Mexican Three Card Monte; Slow Motion Method
- Thumb Tie: release described
- Thumb Tip: defined
- Thumb Writer: Defined
- Thurston, Howard: 1869-1936 bio
- Torn and Restored Paper: various methods described, including Torn Cigarette Paper
- Torrini (Count Edmond De Grisy): bio of this fictional character
- Tourniquet: defined
- Transfixed Pack: two card effects described
- Traps: defined
- Trunk Trick, Substitution: stage effect briefly described
- Tumblers: Bottomless, Mirror Glass, others described
- Turban Cut and Restored: described
V
- Van Hoven, Frank: 18??-19?? bio
- Vanishing Performer: described
- Vest-Pocket Magic: defined
- Volunteers: Short Article
W
- Walking Through a Brick Wall: described
- Wands: Article with discussion of production, coin wand, auto-gravity wand, Cigar Wand, Swallowing Wand, and Vanishing Wand
- Watch Tricks: Several tricks described including the Watch Mortar, The Watch Winder, and Watch It! Refers readers to Samuel Berland's Tricks with Watches.
- Wax: defined
- Williams, Oswald: 1881-1937 bio
- Wine and Water: briefly described
- Wyman, John: 1816-1881 bio
Y
- You Do as I Do: Briefly described, with reference to Hilliard's Greater Magic and Hugard's Encyclopedia of Card Tricks
