The Art of Illusion by Will Ayling

Details: The Art of Illusion is one of the few books that deserve a place on every magician’s bookshelf. From the renowned magical mind of Will Ayling, this book is filled how to create and make illusions entertaining.

With a foreword by Lewis Ganson, The Art of Illusion contains over fifty illustrations across nearly 200 pages and features information that applies to any modern audience. Some of the contents include ‘The Small House’, ‘Invisible Flight’, ‘Bullet Catching’, ‘Glass Trunk’, ‘Buzz Saw’, ‘Volunteers Sawing’, ‘Kellar Levitation’, ‘Duck Production’, ‘Chair Suspension’, ‘Broomstick Levitation’, ‘Backstage’, ‘Magicians Rehearsal’ and many more.

In the era of DVDs and downloads, books like this will soon become a goldmine of methods and thinking from minds that predate the digital revolution. One of the founding members of the Portsmouth and District Magic Circle, Will Ayling also authored many other books and became renowned for his creativity in the world of magic. With this book you can get a glimpse into that mind and learn from one of the greatest.

Contents: 

5 Foreword (Lewis Ganson)
6 Preface (Will Ayling)

9 Chapter 1
9 The Floating Princess
16 3 Sword Suspension
16 Chair Suspension
20 Broomstick Levitation
24 Aga Illusion
27 The Phantom Princess
30 Kellar Levitation

32 Chapter 2
32 Temple of Swords
38 Head Cremation
40 Crushing a Woman
43 Temple of Benares
44 Broomwich
46 Golfer’s Dream

49 Chapter 3
49 The Eye of a Needle
52 Rod Through Mediaeval Style
57 The Tiger
61 Totem Pole
65 Rod & Rope Release

68 Chapter 4
68 Guillotine
76 Head Chopper
80 Vivisection of a Clown
84 Wrist Chopper
87 Long Swallow

92 Chapter 5
92 Sawing Through
98 Great Divide
103 Sawn Life in an Egg
104 Buzz Saw
109 Volunteer Sawing

112 Chapter 6
112 Hey Presto
114 Card Castle
118 Model Illusion
121 Doll’s House
125 Glass Trunk
127 Black and White
130 Triple Change

133 Chapter 7
133 Big Time
134 Magician’s Rehearsal
139  Backstage With a Magician
144 Cabaret de la Mort
149 Bullet Catching
150 Hugard’s Bullet Catching
154 Anneman’s Bullet in the Mouth
157 Fogel – Catcher of Bullets

159 Chapter 8
159 Canvas Trunk Illusion
162 The Accident
164 Packing Case
166 Substitution Box
171 The Great Invisible Flight

180 Chapter 9
180 Intermezzo
180 Cluck Cluck
183 Duck Production
186 Small House
187 Parasol
193 Inexhaustible Beer Barrel
199 Raoul’s Talking Record

203 Chapter 10
203 Illusionist
207 Assistant’s Revenge
211 Statue
220 Turn Over Candle
227 Multiplying Lighted Candles

230 Thoughts of the Genie
231 Author’s Appreciations
232 Publisher’s Appreciation

• Publisher: Supreme
• Pages: 232
• Location: Bideford, Devon
• Edited by: Hugh Miller
• Dimensions: 6″x9″
• Date: 1968, 1978
• Binding: hardbound

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