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The Magic Roses (1906)

- June 2, 2016 in early film, early special effects, floral, flowers, Georges Méliès, magic, magician, roses, Segundo Chomón, trick film

A film by the pioneering Spanish film director, cinematographer and screenwriter Segundo Chomón.

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The Magic Roses (1906)

- June 2, 2016 in early film, early special effects, floral, flowers, Georges Méliès, magic, magician, roses, Segundo Chomón, trick film

A film by the pioneering Spanish film director, cinematographer and screenwriter Segundo Chomón.

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The Magic Roses (1906)

- June 2, 2016 in early film, early special effects, floral, flowers, Georges Méliès, magic, magician, roses, Segundo Chomón, trick film

A film by the pioneering Spanish film director, cinematographer and screenwriter Segundo Chomón.

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The Key of Hell: an 18th-Century Manual on Black Magic

- October 29, 2015 in black magic, cyprianus, magic, magician, occult, sorcery

Images from the Claris Inferni or "The Key of Hell", a late-18th-century book on black magic.

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The Key of Hell: an 18th-Century Manual on Black Magic

- October 29, 2015 in black magic, cyprianus, magic, magician, occult, sorcery

Images from the Claris Inferni or "The Key of Hell", a late-18th-century book on black magic.

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Harry Kellar’s Show Posters

- October 22, 2015 in harry kellar, illusion, magic, magician, posters

A series of wonderful promotional posters to accompany the shows of Harry Kellar, an American magician of the late 19th and early 20th century.

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Harry Kellar’s Show Posters

- October 22, 2015 in harry kellar, illusion, magic, magician, posters

A series of wonderful promotional posters to accompany the shows of Harry Kellar, an American magician of the late 19th and early 20th century.

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Illustrations from a Victorian book on Magic (1897)

- April 17, 2013 in California Digital Library, collections, Digital Copy: No Additional Rights, illusion, Images, Images-19th, Images-Engraving-Line, Images-Illustrations, Images: Miscellaneous, Internet Archive, magic, magician, Underlying Work: PD Worldwide, victorian

Selected images from a massive late 19th century tome entitled simply Magic, subtitled Stage Illusions and Scientific Diversions, including Trick Photography, compiled and edited by Albert A. Hopkins. The book takes a thorough tour through the popular magic tricks and illusions of the day, including along the way many delightfully surreal diagrams and illustrations, the top pick of which we’ve included here – often especially great when seen out of context. Towards the end are some particularly great “decapitation” trick photographs. See the book, with explanatory text and many more illustrations over in our post in the Texts collection. Housed at: Internet Archive | From: California Digital Library Underlying Work: PD Worldwide | Digital Copy: No Additional Rights Download: Right click on image or see source for higher res versions HELP TO KEEP US AFLOAT The Public Domain Review is a not-for-profit project and we rely on support from our readers to stay afloat. If you like what we do then please do consider making a donation. We welcome all contributions, big or small - everything helps! Become a Patron Small angel : £3.00 GBP - monthly Medium sized hero : £5.00 GBP - monthly Large emperor : £10.00 GBP [...]

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Magic: stage illusions and scientific diversions, including trick photography (1897)

- April 17, 2013 in collections, illusion, magic, magician, texts, Texts: 19th, Texts: Non-fiction, Texts: Science

Magic: stage illusions and scientific diversions, including trick photography, compiled and edited by Albert A. Hopkins, with an introduction by Henry Ridgely Evans; 1897; Low, London. A massive late 19th century book on magic and stage illusions including a section on trick photography. The book includes more than 400 (mostly) magnificently surreal illustrations and explanatory diagrams, a select few of which you can see over in our post in the Images collection. The book is housed at the Internet Archive, contributed by the California Digital Library. HELP TO KEEP US AFLOAT The Public Domain Review is a not-for-profit project and we rely on support from our readers to stay afloat. If you like what we do then please do consider making a donation. We welcome all contributions, big or small - everything helps! Become a Patron Small angel : £3.00 GBP - monthly Medium sized hero : £5.00 GBP - monthly Large emperor : £10.00 GBP - monthly Vast deity : £20.00 GBP - monthly Make a one off Donation SIGN UP TO THE NEWSLETTER Sign up to get our free fortnightly newsletter which shall deliver direct to your inbox the latest brand new article and a digest of the [...]

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The Practical Magician and Ventriloquist’s Guide (1876)

- May 16, 2012 in magic, magician, non-article, texts, Texts: 19th, Texts: Non-fiction, Texts: Science, ventriloquism

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The Practical Magician and Ventriloquist’s Guide, a Practical Manual of Fireside Magic and Conjuring Illusions, also Containing Complete Instructions for Acquiring & Practising the Art of Ventriloquism; 1876; Hurst & Co., New York

Ex. 1. The Suffocated Victim – This was a favorite illustration of Mr. Love, the polyphonist. A large box or close cupboard is used indiscriminately, as it may be handy. The student will rap or kick the box apparently by accident. The voice will then utter a hoarse and subdued groan, apparently from the box or closet.

Student (pointing to the box with an air of astonishment) : “What is that ?
Voice: I won’t do so any more. I am nearly dead.
Student: Who are you ? How came you there ?
Voice: I only wanted to see what was going on. Let me out, do.
Student: But I don’t know who you are.
Voice: Oh yes, you do.
Student: Who are you ?
Voice: Your old schoolfellow, Tom. You know me.
Student: Why, he’s in Canada.
Voice (sharply): No he aint, he’s here; but be quick.
Student (opening the lid): Perhaps he’s come by the underground railroad ? Hallo !
Voice (not so muffled as described in direction): Now then, give us a hand.
Student (closing the lid or door sharply): No, I won’t.
Voice (as before): Have pity (Tom, or Jack, or Mr_____, as the case may be), or I shall be choked.
Student: I don’t believe you are what you say.
Voice : Why don’t you let me out and see before I am dead ?
Student {opening and shutting the lid or door and varying the voice accordingly): Dead ! not you. When did you leave Canada?
Voice: Last week. Oh ? I am choking.
Student : Shall I let him out ? {opening the door). There’s no one here.


Open Library link



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  • The Whole Booke of Psalmes collected into Englishe Metre (1584)

  • The Faerie Queene (1596)

  • The Practical Magician and Ventriloquist's Guide (1876)

  • How to Become a Magician (1882)

  • A Floral Fantasy in an Old English Garden (1899)

  • The Memoirs of Count Boruwlaski (1820)

  • Choregraphie (1701)

  • A Burlesque Translation of Homer (1797)

  • Geometrical psychology, or, The science of representation (1887)

  • Aino Folktales (1888)

  • Welsh Fairytales and Other Stories (1894)

  • Musaeum Clausum (1684)

  • An Account of a Fire-Ball, Seen at Hornsey, by William Hirst (1753)

  • Some Account of a Sheep Having a Monstrous Horn Growing from His Throat (1755)

  • A Theory of Pure Design: Harmony, Balance, Rhythm (1907)

  • An Alphabet of History (1905)

  • Natural History of Shakespeare; Being Selections of Flowers, Fruits, and Animals (1877)

  • The selection of Type is just as important as the selection of words (1939?)

  • Hand book of the carnival, containing Mardi-Gras, its ancient and modern observance (1874)

  • Original acrostics on all the states and presidents of the United States, and various other subjects (1861)

  • James Joyce's Chamber Music (1918 American Edition)

  • Madame Tussaud's Napoleon Relics, Pictures and Other Curiosities (1901)

  • Mythical Monsters (1886)

  • Yuletide Entertainments (1910)

  • Uriah Jewett and the Sea Serpent of Lake Memphemagog (1917)

  • The Eccentric Mirror: Reflecting a Faithful and Interesting Delineation of Male and Female Characters, Ancient and Modern (1807)

  • The attitudes of animals in motion, illustrated with the zoopraxiscope (1882)

  • The Diary of a Nobody (1919 edition)

  • Superstitions About Animals (1904)

  • Across the Zodiac: the Story of a Wrecked Record (1880)

  • Hydriotaphia/Urn-Burial and The Garden of Cyrus (1658)

  • Horse Laughs (1891)

  • Napoleon's Oraculum (1839)

  • Pirates (1922)

  • The Last American (1889)

  • The Danger of Premature Interment (1816)

  • English As She Is Spoke (1884)

  • The Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (1899)

  • The Book of Topiary (1904)

  • Wonderful Balloon Ascents (1870)

  • Cat and bird stories from the "Spectator" (1896)

  • Infant's Cabinet of Birds and Beasts (1820)

  • Castaway on the Auckland Isles: A Narrative of the Wreck of the "Grafton" (1865)

  • Letters From A Cat (1879)

  • Quarles' Emblems (1886)

  • The Medical Aspects of Death, and the Medical Aspects of the Human Mind (1852)

  • An account of the late improvements in galvanism (1803)

  • Armata: a fragment (1817)

  • <img src="http://publicdomainreview.org/wp-content/plugins/category-grid-view-gallery/includes/timthumb.php?src=http://publicdomainreview.org/2012/05/16/the-practical-magician-and-ventriloquists-guide-1876/http%3A//publicdomainreview.org/files/2011/08/frenchfairytales.jpg&h=200&w=200&zc=1&q=75%22 alt="Old French Fairytales (1920) " title="Old French Fairytales (1920) "/>

    Old French Fairytales (1920)






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