From the introduction:
To those amateurs and to my numerous professional friends who delight in new books, I send forth "Magic and its Professors," trusting that it will prove of interest to them. Part III is a symposium on magic by some of the best performers and inventors of the day. I sincerely thank them for the labor of love which they have rendered. I am indebted to Mr. T. Francis Fritz, the editor of Mahatma, and Mr. William J. Hilliar, editor of The Sphinx, for the right to reprint in book form some of the valuable exposes contained in their respective journals. I am also under obligations to those clever inventors and conjurers, Messrs. Adrian Plate, Henry Hardin, Doctor Elliott, W. B. Caulk, William J. Hilliar, Frank Ducrot, Clinton Burgess, Hal Merton, W. J. Sargent, "Selbit", Howard Thurston, T. Nelson Downs, Fred J. Peters, Prof. Hornmann, Martinka Bros., Prof. Ambrose, Ellis Stanyon, etc., etc.
- HENRY RIDGELY EVANS
- INTRODUCTION
- PART I
- ROBERT-HOUDIN - CONJURER, AUTHOR AND AMBASSADOR
- THE MECHANISM OF GHOSTS
- THE SHADOWS OF A CLEVER PAIR OF HANDS
- PART II
- THE PRINCES OF PRESTIDIGITATORS
- ENGLISH AND EUROPEAN CONJURERS
- PART III SYMPOSIUM OF MAGIC
- BY HENRY HARDIN
- - The Evasive Dollar
- - Mephisto's Mail
- - A Wrinkle and a Deception
- - The Fakir's Test
- - Dissolving Views
- - A Big Catch
- - Transcendental Card Reading
- - The Chromatic Ribbons
- - An Original Egg Bag
- BY PROF. HORNMANN
- - The Egg Bag
- BY WILLIAM J. HILLIAR
- - The Goldfish Trick
- - A New Handkerchief Tube
- - The Hilliar Rising Cards
- - Ching Ling Foo's Paper Tearing Trick
- BY FRANK DUCROT
- - Ducrot's Wonder Vase
- - Ink and Water Trick
- BY MARTINKA
- - An Apple Of Paracelsus
- BY CLINTON BURGESS
- - Card Trick
- BY HAL MERTON
- - The Ring In The Egg
- - The Chinese Rice Bowls
- BY ADRIAN PLATE
- - Vanishing Mouchoirs
- - Handkerchiefs and Cylinder
- - The Multiplying Flower
- - The Restored Ribbon
- BY WILLIAM B. CAULK
- - Growth Of Flowers
- - Improved Decanter and Flying Handkerchiefs
- BY PROF. AMBROSE
- - New Soup Plates And Handkerchiefs
- BY RUPERT DE VERE
- - The Fairy Flowers And Charmed Card
- BY ELLIS STANYON
- - Boer Vs. Briton
- - The Change - By Sleight-of-Hand
- - Parasol v. Handkerchiefs
- BY FRED J. PETERS
- - The Magic Bomb
- - A Novel Card Ladder
- BY DR. ELLIOTT
- - Dr. Elliott's Stage Setting
- - The Mystic Scissors, Ring, Spools and Ribbons
- - Dr. Elliott's Watch Box
- BY HENRY RIDGELY EVANS
- - "She"
- - Magnetic Wand
- BY HERBERT VICTOR
- - Japanese Magic
- - An Opening Trick
- BY LA VILLE
- - Cleopatra's Tomb
- BY GEORGE W. BROWN
- - The Magic Water Bowl
- THE SVENGALIS
- BY F. C. JENKENS, CHILI, S. A.
- - The Fairy Christmas Cracker
- BY HARRY KELLAR
- - A New Face On An Old Friend
- BY JOHN W. SARGENT
- - The Homing Handkerchiefs
- BY "SELBIT"
- - The Levitation Of A Pack Of Cards
- BY T. NELSON DOWNS
- - The Flying Handkerchief
- - A Novel Match Trick
- BY HOWARD THURSTON TRICKS WITH CARDS
- - Card in the Coat
- - Card Through the Knee
- - Rising Card For Parlor
- - Card Through a Hat
- BY HENRY V. A. PARSELL
- - A Subtle Coin Trick
- - New Divining Wand
- APPENDIX
- A VISIT TO THE GRAVE OF ROBERT-HOUDIN