While meandering around The Great Western Gun Fair in Pomona California several
years ago, Tom Jorgenson happened to ask a dealer if he had anything relating
to magic. The dealer blinked, and said, as it happened, that he did. He opened
his briefcase, brought out and handed Tom an original carbon copy of a hand-typed
manuscript entitled Famous Escapes, and Master Wonders of Modern Science by
Henry Hardin.
Tom bought this incredible find on the spot! Hardin was a contemporary of Houdini
and a backstage hob-nobber of the headliners. Apparently this manuscript was
never printed until 75 years later when Tom Jorgenson first reproduced it for
the members of the Lulu Hurst Society. He did not reset the type but simply
copied the original manuscript as it was given to him ...the simple illustrations
were drawn on lined school paper, the manual is about 111 pages long and typewritten.
The contents of the manual are extensive, and covers almost all fields of magic...Escapes,
Spiritualism, Stage Magic, Illusions etc., et al....
This an Amazing volume to study on both popular and little known escape effects,
lost spiritualist tricks and great stage magic. A GREAT find and a GREAT read!
This is a scarce and little known book simply because there were only 40 copies
of the first edition printed, and Tom has made little promotional efforts toward
other sales! The manuscript you are buying is a "new edition," EVERYTHING
inside is the same however the cover is new and improved and the book is no
longer held together with plastic bolts which broke out of numerous books. Get
this great, lost volume now!!
