Volumes 3
Hull, Burling: The New Encyclopedic Dictionary of Mentalism Volume 3
©1989 Micky Hades Publication, Canada
Hardcover, ring-bound, 8.5x11", 204 pages
Comments: Third volume of a three volume series. From the Foreword: "If you are a serious student of mentalism and have read the first two volumes of this work then you will notice that volume three contains much more new and contemporary material."
Contents (from book):
5 Mental 13 (James Swoger)
6 Miraculo (Magictrix)
8 Simplicity Mindreading Act (Dr. Q)
15 Mental Systems With Cards (Jimmie Wilson)
18 The Bally Prediction (Wm. A. Stevenson)
20 Dream Effect
22 Thought Pictures (Robert Nelson)
28 Suggested Lecture for Thought Pictures (Nelson, Larsen)
29 Numerico (Clettis V. Musson)
32 Post Hypnotic Suggestion Experiment (Nelson)
33 Further Use of Clip Boards (Nelson)
34 - Musical Thoughts
35 - Telepathic Super Mentality
37 - Automatic Writing
38 - Into the Infinite
39 - Dollar Bill Test
39 - Sealed Billets
40 - Small Gatherings
40 - Modem Version Mindreading
42 - With Use of Slates
43 Knows All...Sees All.... Tells All...
44 Thought Transcription (Al Baker)
47 Miniature Spirate Slates (National Magic Co.)
49 Additional Routine for Use With Miniature Spirit Slates
51 Mind Key (R.A. Farmer)
60 The Oracle (Frank Monaghan)
63 Detecto (Lou Tannen)
64 Telepathy in Action (Orville Meyer)
67 Thought Transcribed (Eddie Clever)
68 Living and Dead Test (Stewart James)
69 Psychic Touch (Gerald Kosky)
70 Torn Billet (Gerald Kosky)
70 Outwaited (Gerald Kosky)
71 Calling Cards (Gerald Kosky)
72 Premonition Outdone (Stan Lobenstern)
73 Ready (Stan Lobenstern)
74 Blindfold Billet Reading - Improved (R.A. Nelson)
79 The Dantes System of Life Span Readings
84 The Dantes Life Span Reading
88 E.S.P.P. Extra Sensory Perception Problem (Bob Brethen)
89 The Calendar Feat (Nelson)
91 Phantom Mindreader (R.A. Nelson)
95 Thoughtography SX70 (H. Van Der Straeten, Hautman)
100 Tapit (Heath)
101 Mysterious Crystal (Bartell)
102 Blind Fold Advantage (Gerald Kosky)
103 The Cat's Meow (Gerald Kosky)
104 Is It Possible (Elray)
104 - HOKUM
105 - Satan's Double Prediction
107 Resistance Sectets (Robert A. Nelson)
107 - The Non-liftable Girl
109 - The Broom Test
110 - Another Broom Test
111 - The Finger Test
112 Great Hypnotic Blood Test
113 The Seven Book Test
114 And Still Another Prediction (Paul N. Rylander)
116 Mental Mysteries (Anneman)
116 - The Premier Book Test
118 - The Mentalist's Card Staggerer
121 - The Psychic Writing
126 Instantaneous Card Memory
127 Phantasma A Mental Card Feat
131 Some Well Guarded Mind Reading Secrets
131 - Keller’s Conjurer's Telegraph
131 - Sealed Letter Reading No.1
132 - Sealed Letter Test No. 2
132 - Sealed Letter Reading No. 3
132 - Spirit Pellet Test or Psychometric Reading
133 - Sealed Message Reading No. 4
133 - Dead or Alive? Startling Mind Reading Test
133 - A Bank Note Test
134 - Mental Concentration Telling a Card Thought Of
134 - To Tell Any Single Number thought of
134 - Mind Reading Date of a Borrowed Coin
135 - Duplex Date Reading
135 - Telling the Date on a Coin with Playing Cards
136 - A New-Pin Test
136 - Best Mindreading Act
136 - Another Pin Test
137 - The Sensitized Touch
137 - Slate and Blackboard Test
137 - Parlor Mind Reading Trick
138 - Method Number Two
138 - Improved Sealed Letter Reading
139 - Improved Figure Reading
139 - Second Sight With Dice
140 The Miracle Letter Test (Ovette)
140 The 16 Magic Square Mystery (Nelson)
143 The Sixteen Magic Square Problem - Improved
145 Raja Yoga (Frederick Barrington)
148 The Psycho Mindreading Act (Dr. Hereward Carrington)
156 Fourth Dimensional Telepathy (Annemann)
161 Eyes of the Unknown (Greta Anneman)
162 The Psychic Pennies (Larsen, Wright)
163 Somnolency (Prof. Harry Helm)
166 A New Spirit Message Effect (Oswald Rae)
168 Super Defiance One Man Mind Reading (Dr. Divine)
171 Man and Wife Mind Reading Act (Robert A. Nelson)
173 - The Stack
177 - The Imaginary Stack
181 - The Force
182 - A Study in Concentration
182 - Pocket Mindreading
183 - Another Clever Stunt
183 - Working Under Test Conditions
184 - Telepathy via the Telephone
184 - Mechanical Forcing Decks
185 The Abnormal Lift
185 Miracle Number Dice
188 Secret of Dr. A (Robert A. Nelson)
192 - Dr. A's Demonstration
193 - Dr. A's Master Secret - The Index Card Billet Switch
197 - How the Doctor Applies the Switch
197 - Dr. A's Psychological Build Up
200 - The Client Returns
201 - Dr. A's Super Billet Switch
201 - Dr. A's Spit Ball Switch
202 - Nite Club Readings
203 - The Author's Own Floor Show Presentation
All are in good condition, with some underlining and hand written notes throughout.
Burling "Volta" Hull was an all round magician, mentalist, escape artist, performer, TV star, and promoter. These books have a huge assortment of his most powerful mentalism effects that created awe for years, with his huge audiences. Anyone can perform these effects. These books are extremely rare, especially as a set. Many of these effects could easily sell for $100 or more for each effect. If you had to buy each of these effects individually, you would probably be looking at tens of thousands of dollars. These books are for professionals, or aspiring professionals.
These 3 volumes were the largest compilation of Mentalism sleights, gimmicks, effects, patter, and illusions in one collection up to that date. Many, many illustrations to make the effects easy to understand. Also includes mentalism effects of other professional mentalist performers from around the world. Also, plenty of information for showmanship for sensational presentations. Full details or effects as seen by the audience and secrets on how they are done. There is more than enough information in these volumes for a professional lifetime mental magic career on stage and television.
Volume 1: Over 100 mentalism routines, effects. Including: Billets, Add-A-No., Predictions, Book Tests, Blindfold Street Drive, Spirit effects, Slate effects, Memory Expert, Nail Writers, Crystal Gazing, Thornton Effects, Psychological Reading, etc.
Volume 2: Over 90 mentalism routines, effects. Including: Predictions, Book Tests, Ghost effects, Dr. Q's Hypnotic Act, Dr. Q's Sight Unseen, Lecture for X-Ray Act, Supernormal Vision, "Ultra Question Answering Act" with no questions written, Robert Nelson's Miracle Prediction of the Age (Nelson's Miracle Newspaper Headline Prediction in a loaf of bread publicity stunt), Billet Reading, Gilbert Bonus Section, Giant Memory, Slate Writing, Yogi Eyes, etc.
Volume 3: Over 120 mentalism routines, effects. Including: Abnormal lift and Resistance Secrets, Predictions, Blindfold acts, Billet acts, Calendar Feat, Dante's Life Span Readings, Clipboards, Automatic Writing, Slates, Great Hypnotic Blood Test, Book Tests, Instantaneous Card Memory, Post Hypnotic Suggestion, Psychic Touch, Raja Yoga, Dr. A's Secrets and Demonstrations, 16 Magic Square Acts, Tell any single number thought of, Sensitized Touch, Thought Pictures, etc.
Some Interesting facts about Burling Hull:
52 published books to his name in the field of Magic and Mentalism
Sensational showman
Brilliant marketer
Recipient of many awards in the Magical profession
Creator of 100's of original magical effects
He appeared for record breaking runs for months in various venues throughout the world
Known professionally as "Volta", The Man with the Radar Mind
| Owner | Bryan-Keith Taylor |
|---|---|
| Location | Magic Library (Home) |
| Index | 4726 |
| Added Date | Jul 01, 2017 03:06:55 |
| Modified Date | Apr 06, 2026 14:22:44 |
| Book Condition | Fine |
|---|
Burling Hull
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Burling Hull
Born September 9, 1889
Died November 1982 (aged 93)
Occupation Magician
Burling Hull (September 9, 1889 – November 1982) was an inventive magician, self-styled "the Edison of magic," specializing in mentalism and sleight of hand effects. During the greater part of his life he lived in DeLand, Florida. His aliases and stage names included: "Volta the Great", "The Man with the Radar Mind", "The White Wizard," and "Gideon ('Gid') Dayn."
Career
Hull claimed to be — and is generally credited as — the inventor of the Svengali deck of cards, which he patented in 1909. He claimed to have invented more than 500 magical effects and he was a prolific writer, with 52 published books to his name, including Sealed Mysteries and Sleights, The Encyclopedia of Stage Illusions, Sealed Mysteries, and How to Answer Questions for Crystal Gazing and Mind Reading Acts. He wrote on a wide variety of magical subjects, including card tricks, mentalism, escapes, razor blade swallowing, sightless vision, billiard ball manipulation, silk magic, second sight acts, publicity, and showmanship.
Hull not only produced many titles about magical effects, he also performed and taught magic for more than 80 years. In his earlier "White Wizard" years, he performed an act dressed entirely in white in which he made billiard balls and silks vanish, multiply, and reappear.[1] In later years he gave talks to magic conventions on business methods for entertainers.
Hull was active in the movement to recognize that there are intellectual rights to magic methods and he was a strong advocate for the protection of magic trade secrets by both patents on the gimmicks and copyright on the texts, as applicable. However, he undercut his own ethical stance against plagiarism by publishing secret material from other magicians who had stolen ideas from him, in order to get revenge for having been plagiarized.[2]
In the late 1950s, Hull published a newsletter, The G_d D__n Truth About Magic, mainly for the purpose of criticizing the equally famous mentalist Robert A. Nelson, known on stage as "Korda RaMayne." Hull used the pseudonym Gideon ("Gid") Dayn to expose Nelson's effects under the pretense of "reviewing" them.[1]
Hull's weighty three-volume Encyclopedic Dictionary of Mentalism, published in 1961, was the largest compilation of mentalism sleights, gimmicks, effects, patter, and illusions in one collection up to that date. This work was also notable as the venue in which Hull continued to carry out his excoriating feud with Robert Nelson, whom Hull accused in print of teaching mentalism to gamblers and racketeers in order that they might commit what Hull called "thievery of the public." He also criticised Nelson for selling hoodoo folk magic curios that Hull said were used in rituals of "black magic and Devil worship".[2]
In his final years, Hull lost his eyesight, a loss he never learned to accept. He died at the age of 93 in a nursing home.[1] Hull's life and his impact upon the world of stage magic were described in a 1977 biography, The Edison of Magic and His Incredible Creations, written by Samuel Patrick Smith. Both his Svengali Deck of 1909 and his 33 Rope Ties and Chain Releases, written in 1915, are still popular today. While living in DeLand, the same town as Herbert L Becker, Burling and Becker worked together on illusions for Becker’s tour with Alice Cooper
Correspondence with Harry Houdini
Hull was the author of 33 Rope Ties and Chain Releases (1915). It was alleged that the magician Harry Houdini had borrowed information for his own Magical Rope Ties and Escapes (1921). However, a 1947 edition of Hull's book has an introduction titled "Houdini Did Not Steal This Book".[3] According to Hull:
"It is true that a book DID appear with the name of Houdini listed as the 'author', which did steal the entire contents of my original book. It purloined the original 'Patter" and the original presentations for the tricks and even reproduced exactly several of the illustrations. In addition this counterfeit book deliberately changed the names of the original tricks bearing my name and avoided giving any credit to the original author and inventor ... But Houdini explained away the matter [and] paid me a fair but moderate sum ... I accepted his explanation as plausible and ... we remained good friends."[4]
Similar to Houdini, exposing the tricks of spiritualist mediums interested Hull. His writings on this subject were collected and published in 1977 under the title The Billion Dollar Bait.
Publications
Expert Billiard Ball Manipulation (1910)
Sealed Mysteries (1911)
A Modern Handkerchief Act (1914)
Bulletin Of Latest Sleights And Tricks (1914)
Great East Indian Rope Trick (1914)
Master Sleights With Billiard Balls (1914)
The Art of the Stage (1914)
Sleights (1914)
33 Rope Ties and Chain Releases (1915)
The Challenge Handcuff Act (1916)
The Real Secret of the Stage Second Sight Act (1916)
How to Answer Questions for Crystal Gazing and Mind Reading Acts (1927)
The World's Cut and Restored Rope Tricks (1927)
Expert Manipulation (1928)
Sealed Message Reading Acts (1929)
The Volta System For The Feat Of Reading Sealed Messages (1929)
The Miracle of Floating Light (1931)
The Last Word Blindfold Methods (1932)
Thirty One Man Mind Reading (1935)
Burling Hull's Three Wow Card Hits (1939)
Annemann's Card Miracles And Annemann's Mental Mysteries (1940)
The Dictionary of Mentalism (1961)
The Billion Dollar Bait (1977)
The Edison of Magic and His Incredible Creations (1977)
References
Francis Marshall in the introduction to a reprint of The G_d D__n Truth About Magic.
Hull, Burling. Encyclopedic Dictionary of Mentalism. 1961.
"33 Rope Ties and Chain Releases". Retrieved 30 May 2016.
"A Selected Bibliography on Escapology". Retrieved 30 May 2016.
vte
Academy of Magical Arts Creative Fellowship
vte
Academy of Magical Arts Special Fellowship
Authority control databases Edit this at Wikidata
Hull's weighty three-volume Encyclopedic Dictionary of Mentalism, published in 1961, was the largest compilation of mentalism sleights, gimmicks, effects, patter, and illusions in one collection up to that date. This work was also notable as the venue in which Hull carried out his excoriating feud with the equally famous mentalist Robert A. Nelson, whom he accused in print of teaching mentalism to gamblers and racketeers in order that they might commit what Hull called "thievery of the public", and whom he criticised for selling hoodoo folk magic curios that Hull said were used in rituals of "black magic and Devil worship". [2]
In the late 1950s he published a sort of newsletter called The G_d D__n Truth About Magic, mainly for the purpose of criticizing Nelson and supposedly written by one Gideon ("Gid") Dayn, but it didn't take much imagination to know what the first words actually stood for. [1]
In his final years he lost his eyesight, a loss he never learned to accept, and he died at the age of 93 in a nursing home. [1]
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