Magic Papers: Conjuring Ephemera, 1890 - 1960

Magic Papers: Conjuring Ephemera, 1890 - 1960 by Patrick Fry / ISBN 9781916412149 / 144-pages + insert, about 9.75 x 13.5 inches, published by Centrecentre (UK)

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A celebration of a bygone era of magic publishing, this book takes a peek behind the curtain into the community of magic and magicians. Featuring hundreds of pieces, it is packed with flamboyant custom lettering, sensational language, and mystifying illustrations. Magic is for the most part a solitary endeavour, but the channels of its tips and tricks had a little-known heyday around a century ago. Back then, secrets compiled and consumed by dedicated practitioners and hobbyists circulated in printed matter among the magic community. The book features a huge assembly of this material and ephemera from the collection of Philip David Treece, an expert on the subject.