Vol. 6
Tarbell, Harlan: Tarbell's Course In Magic Volume 6 (Lessons 72-83)
©1927 Louis Tannnen Inc.
©1954 Tannen Publications
Hardcover, 410 pages
Comments: The Tarbell Course in Magic contains tons of classic magic in all areas. Recommended for any level of proficiency. Favorites include:17 Billiard Ball thru hanky (shell); 21 Balls from the Air; 39 Cup and Balls; 55 Jump Up Card (use slit card case); 58 Quick card in sealed envelope; 61 Ghost Cards: 10 cards under hanky, 1 thought of, 2 removed, all gone!; 61 3 card Monte: ace disappears; 71 No gimmick 6 card repeat; 78 6 card repeat one handed; 117 Miser's dream with dollars; 141 Fu Manchu Ball Vanish bag; 153 Bank Night; 159 Bob Ellis Cut & Restored rope
Contents:
17 Lesson 72: Novel Ball Magic
17 Billiard Ball Thru Handkerchief
21 Balls from the Air: Ball & Cone using gimmicked cone
32 McLemore's Stop Go: Swinging Ball follows commands
39 Senator Clark Crandall's Cups & Balls: One cup routine
48 Tarbell's Flower Pots & Oranges: A no-sleight Cups & Balls routine
55 Lesson 73: Unique Card Effects
55 Jump Up Card: Selected Card Jumps out of the Deck
58 Reneaux Card in Envelope: Card to sealed envelope
60 Stanley Palm's Ghost Card: 10 Cards under handkerchief, 2 are removed but are not selection, rest of cards have vanished!
62 Phalhinha's Weherizit: 3 Card Monte type; Ace disappears from middle while held by spectator under handkerchief
65 Haxton's One Chance in Eight: Selected card one of 8 in magi's pocket. Spec and Magi remove one at a time, the last one is the spectator's selection.
67 Inspired: Selected card found from packet of 6
70 Maldo's 6 Card Mystery: non-gimmicked 6 card repeat
75 Berland's 6 Card Repeat Mystery: gimmicked cards, uses patter that has become the "standard"
78 Crandall's One Hand 6 Card Repeat: one handed comedy bit, uses non-gimmicked cards
83 Hen Fetsch's Card In Balloon: uses Menetekel deck
87 Rawson Card Reading: Card read in gimmicked case
89 Tarbell Card Reading: as above
90 Gambler's Rehearsal: Poker Deals with card stand
101 Lesson 74: Novelty Magic
101 Al Sharpes' Two Ribbon Cut: Two different colored ribbons cut & restored, uses TT
103 Switch over Knot: Blue, Orange silks knotted. Green silk shown, suddenly Orange & Green are knotted
106 Grant's Ghost Knot: knot tied in rope disappears
107 George Blake's Uncanny Hanks: Silks tied to tape untie themselves as selected by audience
113 Graham Adams' Ring, Chair, and Rope: Rope pulled through all
116 Bob Ellis' Miser Dream with $1 Bills: 6 Bills produced
119 Blackster's Mystic Match Box: Ribbon thru box, box is removed
123 Novel Coin Vanish: From handkerchief
126 Vanishing Beer: using Weller bottle
129 Tan Hock Chuan's Silk Thru Glass: Silk thru bottom of glass
131 Tarbell Phantom Sticker: Marked envelopes can be exchanged secretly. Includes 3 routines
136 Tarbell Traveling Stickers: Sticker transfers inside envelope to card
139 Fu Man Chu's Utility Bag: Ball disappears from bag (uses black art table)
142 Grant's Cigarette Classic: Lighted cig vanishes and reappears behind playing card
146 Royal Cigarette Vanish: Lighted cig vanished behind card (TT)
148 Sands Van Slyke's Birds of a Feather: handkerchief matrix
152 Tarbell Bank Night Cardboard/Envelope: Allows secret loading
155 Tarbell';s Magnetic Card & Envelope: Reverse Card to Pocket
159 Lesson 75 Rope Magic
159 Bob Ellis Vishnu Rope Mystery: Rope Cut into 3 and restored
164 Denhart Ring on Rope: Rope tied to wrists, bracelet becomes tied to center
167 Hindu Ring on Rope: finger ring on rope
169 Peter Warlock's Ring & Rope Release: large ring
173 Zella Ring on Rope: Several stage ring on/off rope
178 EZ Cut 'n Restored Rope
179 Another Ending for Zella Ring & Rope
181 Grant's Bombay Ropes & Rings: Ring put on rope inside hat
186 Moore's Magnet Rope
187 Tarbell's Linking Rope Routine: all same color
195 Lesson 76 Mind Reading
195 Parrish's Telepathic Drawings: spectator draws on slate, magi draws same
198 Sterling Tarbell Astrological Mind Reading Act: full act
203 Sydney Bergson's Thought Anticipation: Phonebook Test, uses stooge
206 Royal Message Reading: Writing read through a card
209 Sid Lorraine's Dictionary Message Reading. Dictionary Test
211 Tarbell Wrapped Card Message Reading
214 Long Strip Billet Reading
216 Gerald Kosky's Prediction: flip card
219 Parrish Mentalism: Impromptu with match book
221 Jack Avis' Message From Hades: Paper pellet prediction of chip on card
225 Tarbell Butler Envelope Prediction: 3 predictions: birthday, city, author
228 Royal Newspaper Headline Prediction
233 Tarbell Parrish Newspaper Headline Prediction
237 Celebrity Choice: spectator chooses 1 of 6 celebrity photos
242 How to Win 3 Horse Races: one ahead principle
245 Spectator's Choice: spec is able to find cards selected by 3 others (blank deck)
247 Al Koran's A Word in Thousands: Book Test
249 Lesson 77 X-Ray Eyes and Blindfold Secrets.
249 Explains blindfold magic, handkerchief blindfold, hood blindfold
263 Lesson 78 Silk & Rope Penetration
263 Single Knot Handkerchief through Rope
265 Lyon's Handkerchief from Rope
266 Jimmy Herpicks Single Knot Release
269 Tarbell Rice Dissolvo Handkerchief Knot
272 Middles Vanishing Handkerchief Knot
275 Tarbell Triple Handkerchief Release
277 Silk Through Wrist
280 Lesson 79 Escapes & Substitutions (Stage)
280 Substitution Trunk
287 Canvas Box Escape
293 Royal Packing Box Escape
296 Grant's Packing Box Escape
299 Tarbell Grant Packing Box Escape
301 Fischer Bamberg Packing Box Escape
306 Paper Bag Escape
307 BonBon Paper Bag Escape
309 Lesson 80 Spirit Ties & Vest Turning
309 Gysel's Spirit Tie: Magician tied to chair and screened, but stuff flies all over
312 Marvel Wrist Tie: quick release
314 Kellar Rope Tie
317 Vest Turning: Vest turned inside out although magician tied up
321 Lesson 81 Modern Stage Magic
321 Fu Manchu's Magic Microphone: uses Wonder Box
324 Chinese Tape Through Neck
327 Berland's Tray Servante
329 Judge Wehered's Black Art Tray
334 Hindu Turban Mystery: cut & restored
338 Don Greenwood's Lighted Cigarette Routine: full routine
343 Jack Chanin's Cigarette Routine: 4 cigs appear and vanish, with cigar climax
346 George Sand's Cigarette Production: as above
351 Jimmy Herpick's Cigar Routine: cig to cigar to pipe
353 George Sand's Phantom Cigarette
355 David Tobias Bamberg's Coin in ball of Wool
359 David Tobias Bamberg's Ring in Ball of Wool: includes ring on wand
362 Ed Reno's Knife Through Arm
367 Lesson 82 Stage Productions
367 UF Grant's Carton Production
375 Square & Circle Production: with variations
379 Vincent Malmstrom's Organ Pipe Routine: 6 cylinders shown empty yet produce items
393 Doll House Illusion
399 Christopher's Slot Machine Illusion
405 Lesson 83 Magic As Theatre by Fred Keating (essay)
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: Novel Ball Magic, Unique Card Effects, Novelty Magic, Rope Magic, Mindreading Mysteries, X-Ray Eyes and Blindfold Effects, Silk and Rope Penetrations, Escapes and Substitutions, Spirit Ties and Vest Turning, Modern Stage Magic, Stage Productions, Magic as Theatre.
12 lessons. 410 pages (hardbound). 1200 illustrations.
| Owner | Bryan-Keith Taylor |
|---|---|
| Location | Magic Library (Home) |
| Index | 5505 |
| Added Date | Jul 01, 2017 03:06:49 |
| Modified Date | Apr 06, 2026 14:24:05 |
| Book Condition | Very Good |
|---|
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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