Project Gutenberg
2018-05-26
Public domain in the USA.
149
Dean, Henry
Dean, H. (Henry)
90101687
Hocus Pocus; or The Whole Art of Legerdemain, in Perfection.
By which the meanest capacity may perform the whole without the help of a teacher. Together with the Use of all the Instruments belonging thereto.
The first magic book published in the United States. Originally published in England in 1722. Cf. Library of Congress information bulletin, Oct. 6, 1986.
Produced by RichardW and the Online Distributed Proofreading
Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from
images generously made available by the Library of Congress)
"Hocus Pocus; or The Whole Art of Legerdemain, in Perfection" by Henry Dean is a guidebook on sleight of hand techniques written in the late 18th century. This work serves as a comprehensive manual to the practice of legerdemain, or magic tricks, intended for both novices and experienced performers looking to improve their skills. The book outlines various magical feats involving balls, coins, cards, and other props, emphasizing the elements of misdirection and practice necessary to deceive onlookers. The opening portion of the book introduces the reader to the art of legerdemain and sets the stage for detailed explanations of various tricks. Dean begins by elucidating the fundamental principles of effective performance, which include confidence, theatrical language, and body gestures designed to distract the audience. He then proceeds to describe specific tricks involving the manipulation of balls and cups, enhancing the reader's understanding of how to deceive and entertain through practiced skill and clever presentation. Overall, this introduction establishes a foundation for the tricks that will be explored in greater depth in subsequent chapters. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Reading ease score: 53.1 (10th to 12th grade). Somewhat difficult to read.
en
Magic tricks -- Early works to 1800
GV
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