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Tarbell Course in Magic
Tarbell, Dr. Harlan (Harlan Eugene Tarbell)

Tarbell Course in Magic

Vol. 5

Louis Tannen Inc. (1948)
10
Third Printing
Hardcover
417 pages | USA | eng

Genre

  • Conjuring

Subject

  • Magic tricks

Plot

Tarbell, Harlan: The Tarbell Course in Magic Vol 5
©1927 Tarbell System, Inc.,
©1948 Tannen,
©Hardcover, 417 pages

Comments: Contains Lessons 59-71. Favorites in this volume include: 22 Torn/restored napkin with fake "reveal", 43 Penetra Silk, 47 Good force of corner ripped card, 56 Thimble production, 57 Ink in Glass, 66 Throw coins into glass in jacket, now empty, 67 Invisible thread floating ping pong ball, 69 Selected cards on flower stem, 72 Buried treasure: watch in potted plant, 74 Lemonade: Lemon transfer to cup. Lemon doesn't go, just its insides!, 78 Popcorn loaded box: drops popped corn into box, hat, etc., 89 Folded Card in purse, 110 Malini Egg Bag Explained, 114 Four Aces on table, 4 cards from packet transform, 127 Larsen's Aces: packet trick, 129 Christopher's Red & black aces, 200 X-ray cards, 214 Rabbit in hat, 234 Chinese Firecracker simple color change, 251 Use for die & shell, 292 Rope gimmicks, 336 Necktie Party good rope thru neck, 349 Boomerang Coins: multi coin trays, solid stack switch, etc.

Contents:

13 Lesson 59: Unique Magic
13 Harrison's Knife Through Coat (actually goes through!)
22 Frank Kelly's I Dood It: Torn & Restored napkin with comedy ending
27 Hindu Yarn Mystery: Yarn torn to pieces and restored
30 Mora's Traveling Marbles: Marbles travel 1 at a time from hat to hat
35 Buckley's Milk and Silk Transposition: One glass with silk placed in hat, other glass of milk wrapped in paper. They change places.
37 Edwin Tabor's Fourth Dimension Silks: Two different colored silks are tied together and pulled apart
40 Gene Tarbell's Pull Apart Silks: As above
43 Penetra Silk: Silk disappears from glass to appear in clear box (uses commercial Crystal Casket)
47 Blackledge Card and Cigarette Change: Selected card has corner torn off and is rolled up like a cigarette. It changes into a cigarette, and the card is found in a cigarette case previously examined and now held by the spectator
52 Martin Gardner's Pop Up Cigarette: Cigarette is covered by handkerchief and suddenly pops through it
53 Martin Gardner's Immovable Cigarette: Cigarette held through cloth. Cloth removed, cigarette stays
56 Bob Ellis' Thimble Production: One thimble produced, hands shown, suddenly 4 thimbles are shown
57 Ed Reno's Ink to Water: Glass if ink shown, card dipped in and colored, ink changes to silk
60 Audley Walsh's King of Nite Clubs: 3 Cards rise, one turns out with Al Jolson cutout

66 Lesson 60: More Unique Mysteries
66 Audley Dunham's Vanishing Coins: Coins tossed into glass vanish
67 Dunham's Floating Ping Pong Ball
69 Rufus Steele's A Flower For You: Cards are selected and returned. Three flowers are presented to the spectators, each with the selected card attached.
72 Ed Reno's Watch and Geranium: Borrowed watch vanishes from newspaper, appears in roots of potted plant
75 Watch the Lemon: Lemon transfer from glass to glass apparently fails, until it is found that the lemon is empty and the contents have transferred
78 Popping Corn In a Hat: Raw corn placed in hat, candle held under, popcorn pops out
83 Tarbell's Quick Popper: As above, with wastebasket
84 Gardner's Card Through the Handkerchief
86 Carmen Damico's Toss Over Card: Card placed on table, two others reversed and placed in the deck. Card on table vanishes as it is tossed at the deck, and is found between the reversed cards
89 Stanley Jak's Good Luck Card: Selected card found folded inside coin purse
91 Himber's Name Cards: Card count revelation.
93 Leon Maguire's Newspaper Card Holder: Holder, stack, and servante ideas
96 Karrell Fox's The Question Is...: Cards spread in question mark: the point is selected card
97 Tony Lopilato's Yeast Pack: Cards spread and rise under handkerchief
99 Tony Lopilato's Sympathetic Silks
102 Tony Lopilato's Snappy Knotting Silks
103 The Quick Knot Silks
104 Gene Tarbell's Rubber Band Off String: under handkerchief
106 Wand Through the Hat: soft felt hat
108 Seymour Davis' Wand Through Handkerchief: as above
110 Max Malini's Egg Bag: Discussion of Malini's bag. Comparison with Albini bag. Short ideas, but no full routine provided.

114 Lesson 61 Four-Ace Effects
114 Conus' Aces: 4 Aces placed face down. 4 Cards from pack switch
115 Simple 4 Ace Routine: 4 aces on table, 4 others added. Aces assemble
117 Ed Marlo's Simplex Aces: 4 Aces dealt, 4 others, Aces assemble (no palm)
119 Grant's 4 Ace Routine: 4 Aces dealt, 4 others, mixed, put in pack and re-dealt. Assemble! (good)
121 Paul Rosini's Ace Transposition: 4 Aces removed from deck, appear face down in deck, tabled cards are now indifferent cards!
123 Ed Marlo's Face Up Ace-embly: 4 Aces spread through deck. Assemble together
126 Joe Berg's Magician Makes Good: One card selected, not revealed. Spectator points to any card, all 3 moved to top through deck and turn into Aces.
127 Larsen's Aces: 4 Ace of Spades shown, turn to 4 regular Aces (good)
129 Christopher's Red & Black Aces: Red & Black Aces transpose (good)
131 Chic Schoke's Hippety Hop Aces: 4 Aces transpose in the hands
133 Audley Walsh's Ace Assembly: Aces distributed in pack assemble
134 Barnhardt's 4 Ace Opener: 4 packets dealt, top of each is an Ace (good)
134 Ed Marlo's 4 Ace Opener: Indifferent cards change to 4 Aces
136 Ed Marlo's General Ace Opener: Deck shuffled 4 times
138 Ed Marlo's One at a Time Aces: 4 Aces dealt, 3 cards on each, Aces Assemble
141 H. Adrian Smith's Penetrative Aces: Aces Penetrate newspaper in matrix
146 Conjurer's 4 Ace Mystery: gimmicked 4 Ace Assembly (good)

149 Lesson 62 Modern Mental Mysteries
149 Dai Vernon's Message in Flames: Message is burned, magician reveals
152 Dai Vernon's Mental Prediction: center tear steal
154 Dai Vernon's Magazine Test: Card inserted in magazine, magician describes page (force)
159 Frank Kelly's Magazine & Picture Test: ESP cards used to pick page
163 Newmann's Super Divino Sealed Letter Test: 4 spectators write numbers on pad, a 5th number is added to them. All sealed in envelope. Magician states total and each individual number.
166 Braunhuts Thought Afire: Message sealed in envelope is burned and read
170 Harold Braunhut's Ad-Venture: Number on slate matches number of words in advertisement
172 Double Envelopes: how to make various, with many ideas
179 The Impossible Prediction: Magician write prediction, has waitress repeat: they match!
181 Royal Telephone Test: Card picked, random number (dial phone) is dialed, person knows the card!
183 Tarbell's Bank Night: Envelopes chosen, one has $5. Magician always gets it.
188 Psychic #7: Long distance reading uses code & assistant
190 Sunshines Stop Card Mystery: 3 cards selected and returned. Cards transferred one at a time from hat to hat, spectator says stop. Finds all 3 cards! (good)
194 Synthetic Sympathy: Magician & spectator choose same card
197 Spirit Photography: Blank photo paper: card chosen, developed photo reveals card!
200 X-Ray Cards: x-ray deck

203 Lesson 63: Hat and Coat Productions
203 The Master Hat: gimmicked derby hat for productions & vanishes
206 Comedy Egg Production: routine with Master Hat
210 Master Hat Production Routine: silks from hat
211 Rabbit Productions: Rabbit pockets, suggestions for handling, and unexpected production
216 Rapid Production of Rabbit from Hat (body load)
217 Novel Production of Rabbit From Hat (table load)
218 Easy method (Chair load)
219 Silks and the Rabbit: from paper ribbon, from coat, chicken from coat, milk from gentleman's pocket
225 Changing Rabbit to Box of Candy: gimmicked table
229 Sausages from Boy's Coat

231Lesson 64 Oriental Magic
231 Tarbell's Mysterious Firecrackers: color crackers change places
234 Kolar's Balloon & Silks: Silks vanish from bag, found in balloon.
236 Chink A Ling Chinese Lantern Production: gimmicked
240 Hindu Mango Tree Growth: seed grows quickly to small mango tree
244 Tarbell's Hindu Plant Growth
249 Comedy Flower Growth

251 Lesson 65 Original Oriental Secrets
251 Tarbell Orange & Die: Metamorphosis with orange and die
254 Chink A Chink: with Chinese weights & shell
257 Chinese Treasure Chest: tip over box
260 Chinese Flash Pigeon Frame: Easel covered with paper frames, paper burst through to reveal pigeon
263 Chinese Tape Release from Leg: instant release
265 Simplex Coat & Tape Release: tape tied through coat and released
269 Japanese Multiple Tape Tie: Two assistance tied and released (walking through rope)
271 Ching Ling Foo's Master Tape Mystery: clippo with variations
277 Ching Ling Foo's Royal Tape Mystery: another version, tape is examinable
280 Chinese Burning Tapes: middles of two tapes are burned and restored
282 Hindu Turban Mystery: cut and restored turban cloth
285 Chinese Chefalo Knot: dissolving knot
288 Chinese Ring on the Tape: ring on rope

292 Lesson 66 Tarbell Hindu Rope Mysteries
292 Evolution of Great Rope Mystery: history of effect and discussion of gimmicks
297 Tarbell Hindu Rope Mystery: Cut and restored rope with many variations


321 Lesson 67 Modern Rope Magic
321 Tony Lapilato's Rope Saver: novel cut and restored rope
323 Tony Lopilato's Knot: knots made with one hand
326 Double Knotter: instant appearance of 2 knots
328 Lopilato's Ring on Rope: finger ring
330 Lopilato's BookMark: section of rope cut off as a book mark. Rest of rope is vanished. Bookmark is pulled out, and the rope is restored.
332 Tarbell Rings & Growing Rope: Rings tied on rope are removed while ends are in sight. Rope grows to many time original length.
336 Judge Lynch's Necktie Party: necktie through neck routine

340 Lesson 68 Magic of the Bambergs
340 Jesper and Eliaser Bamberg
341 Frogs Fish & Bowl of Water: Frogs change to fish
345 David Leendert Bamberg
345 D.L. Bamberg Change Over Clay Pipes: color change
346 Broken & Restored Clay Pipe
348 Tobias Bamberg
349 Boomerang Coins: 20-5=20 coin routine
352 David Tobias Bamberg
354 Egg Bag: Large scotch egg bag produces 15 eggs, and a chicken at the end!
362 Theo. Bamberg (Okito)
364 Okito's Tea, Milk, and Sugar Mystery: shaving turns to tea, sugar, and milk, poured into cups, and turns back to shavings.
369 David Bamberg (Fu Manchu)
370 Phantom Bag Escape


375 Lesson 69 Magic With Bowls & Liquids
375 Production of Large Bowl of Water
380 Production of Stack of 4 Bowls of Water
385 Chinese Production of 4 Bowls
387 Production of Child
387 Modern Production of Bowl of Water on Table
390 Vanishing Bowl of Water
392 Chinese Production of Doves

395 Lesson 70 Illusions
395 Egyptian Mummy: Mummy turns into a girl

400 Lesson 71: Publicity and Promotion: discussion of money, schools, clubs, booking, advertising




The most respected course in magic! The classic volumes cover every aspect and interest in the art of magic performance. A must have for every magic library!

THIS VOLUME INCLUDES: Unique Magic, More Unique Mysteries, Four-Ace Effects, Modern Mental Mysteries, Hat and Coat Productions, Oriental Magic, Original Oriental Secrets, Tarbell Hindu Rope Mysteries, Modern Rope Magic, Magic of the Bambergs, Magic with Bowls and Liquids, Illusions, Publicity and Promotion.

13 lessons. 418 pages (hardbound). 1152 illustrations

Personal

Owner Bryan-Keith Taylor
Location Magic Library (Home)
Index 5504
Added Date Jul 01, 2017 03:06:49
Modified Date Apr 06, 2026 14:24:05

Value

Book Condition Very Good

Notes

Harlan Tarbell

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Harlan Tarbell

Born February 23, 1890
Delavan, Illinois, United States
Died June 16, 1960 (aged 70)
Elmhurst, Illinois
Notable work Tarbell Course in Magic
Harlan Eugene Tarbell (February 23, 1890 – June 16, 1960) was an American stage magician and illustrator of the early 20th century. He was the author of the well-known Tarbell Course in Magic.

His only foray into cinema was an early 1930s film short entitled "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century". He directed the production and starred as Doctor Huer.

Childhood and career in illustration
Tarbell was born on February 23, 1890, in the Illinois town of Delavan, but spent his childhood in Groveland.[citation needed] Tarbell created cartoons for a newspaper in Morton when he was 12 years old.[1] It was at this time that Tarbell received one of his earliest introductions to professional magic, when he hiked five miles along the railroad tracks to watch magician Harry August Jansen, aka Dante, perform at the Morton Town Hall.[citation needed]

In 1911, Tarbell moved to Chicago in order to pursue a professional career in illustration. His efforts attracted the attention of the magic company Read and Covert, which hired Tarbell to work on their Illustrated Catalogue of Superior Magical Apparatus. Tarbell continued to produce illustrations for Read and Covert until 1941.[1]

During World War I, Tarbell served with the 24th Air Company in France, working with the medical department. He found time during his service to illustrate a military atlas[citation needed] and study with French impressionist Claude Monet.[1] Tarbell also wrote "Jonah", a song about the Biblical figure, published in 1922 by Eliza Doyle Smith.[2]

Tarbell Course in Magic
Main article: Tarbell Course
Publishers T. Grant Cooke and Walter A. Jordan developed an interest in producing a correspondence course in magic in the mid-1920s. A few months before his death, Harry Houdini was approached to author the course; Houdini declined but recommended Tarbell. Cook and Jordan hired Tarbell and Walter Baker, another Chicago-area magician, to work on the project, but Baker dropped out of the project in its early stages to concentrate on his performances. The publishers allotted Tarbell $50,000 for the course, which he finished in 1928, producing 60 correspondence lessons with at least 3,100 illustrations.

Tarbell later discussed the philosophy behind his course: "There is a big difference between a magician and a man who does tricks...Fundamentally, the making of a magician is no different than the making of other professional people. One must be trained in the mechanics, the alternate methods and be skilled in the presentation in order to meet any conditions which may arise." Unlike other magic courses which placed a greater emphasis on self-working illusions, Tarbell began with fundamental drills and practice sessions involving body position, movement, and sleight-of-hand techniques which were to be incorporated into actual tricks in future lessons.

After selling 10,000 complete courses, Cooke and Jordan discontinued marketing the Tarbell Course in Magic in 1931, blaming the Great Depression for slumping sales. In 1941, however, magician Louis Tannen purchased the rights to the course, working with Tarbell and Ralph W. Read (of Read and Covert) to convert the correspondence lessons into book form.

D. Robbins and Co./ E-Z Magic purchased all rights from Tannens in 1962 and is the current publisher and distributor of the Tarbell Course in Magic. The Encyclopedia was also translated into the Korean and Japanese languages.

Later life
Tarbell lived in Elmhurst, Illinois, for the last 34 years of his life. He suffered a fatal cardiac arrest on June 16, 1960, dying at the age of 70.

References
Romano, Chuck (May 1995). "The Magical Affinity Between Conjuring and Art". The Linking Ring. 75 (5): 67–71.
"'Jonah' New Eliza Doyle Smith Number". Music Trades. 63: 153. June 10, 1922.
External links
Works by or about Harlan Tarbell at the Internet Archive
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Magic and illusion
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