BOOKS 

Sugden - The Magician - The Wonder Show of the Century

You will read of the life of magician Ray Sugden from his early life as a performer in Pittsburgh to the stages of New York in the guise of Ta Yuan and the Chau Tung Mysteries and beyond. What started out as friendly advice to master magician Howard Thurston developed into a partnership that would change both their lives. Over 200 photographs, playbills, advertisements, and over 40 reproduced letters of correspondence are included. The letters will place you in the midst of their eventual contentiousness. Included is the only complete detailed information to date of the legal fight of Ray Sugden versus the Howard Thurston Estate.

Includes: Ray Sugden's journey from stage to radio - Original drawings and ideas from Sugden's files - Untold information leading up to Sugden's partnership with Howard Thurston Over 40 letters of correspondence - Never disclosed details of the lawsuit between Ray Sugden and the Howard Thurston Estate - Over 200 never before seen photographs publicity and more - 8 pages full color l 80# glossy stock paper - Hardbound and dust jacket - Over 300 pages Limited Edition of 300 only. Published in 2008.

Here's what been said about Sugden - The Magician - The Wonder Show of the Century:

"I found the book a fascinating read, and I think you will too." Jim Alfredson - Magicol

"This is by far one book that places you at the time of what was happening to performers of the stage. It also sheds light to what Ray Sugden was actually going through under the thumb of Howard Thurston. All Sugden wanted to do was perform. This book is not addendum of your previous work, it stands on its own and more." - Richard Hansen

"This is a great work. Thank you so much for honoring my family once again. And the inclusion of "The Sugden Brothers" was really something as well." - Sugden Family 

Chung Ling Soo - The Man of Mystery

This is limited single edition book of the life of William Ellsworth Robinson. He was the man who the world knew in the early 1900's as the illustrious performer "Chung Ling Soo , The Marvelous Chinese Conjurer". He was an inventor, a master magician and a writer. The book takes you through the years as Robinson builds his knowledge and his reputation as a master of his craft. Robinson worked for two of the finest performers of the time Herrmann and Kellar. You'll read about Robinson's performances, his failures and his untimely death. Find out what really happened to this famous magician in the prime of his life.

Included in this hard bound book of sixty-five pages are over twenty photographs, two in full color. Each book is book plated and signed by W. E. Robinson's son, Hector Robinson. Limited edition of 1,000 copies.

$35.00 Postpaid in the United States!

Tampa - England's Court Magician

Under the name, Tampa England's Court Magician, Ray S. Sugden toured the United States as master magician, Howard Thurston's third traveling show unit. Vaudeville was coming to a show business halt while talking pictures were sweeping the country. You'll read what happened in the professional career of Ray and the continued praise he received in news articles and reviews. His performances were a constant success, but something changed.

Photos, advertisements, and actual publicity are woven throughout the book to guide the reader through Sugden's professional life. Added to this publication is actual correspondence from Thurston to Dante discussing the fate of Tampa and his magic career as Thurston's number three unit. You'll enjoy the eight page full color section which includes four Tampa posters, color advertisements and a special collection of Christmas cards from Thurston to Tampa, and more. This book was published in 2002. It is a good companion book with the recently published book, Sugden - The Magician - The Wonder Show of the Century.

The book is 152 pages, hardbound, gold stamped and includes a full color dustjacket.

$45.00 Postpaid in the United States!

The Collector's Scrapbook presents to the reader 5 full color lithographs which have never been printed in color in any publication, over 50 photographs (most are rare and never published), performer's publicity releases, show reviews, newspaper articles and unpublished historical information relating to these magic celebrities and more!

Here's what's been said about The Collector's Scrapbook ::

" The range is excellent: Chung Ling Soo's death ... Horace Goldin, Thurston, Dante, Tampa, Blackstone Sr., Ben Chavez and the College of Dexterity and Prestidigitation, and a Devant article from The Strand magazine. The photo reproductions are excellent, and Frank has included five, small full-color reproductions of posters." – David Goodsell, "M.U.M." Magazine, Dec. 1994 -

"It is simply a scrapbook... I enjoyed browsing through this book - reading those articles that caught my eye and perusing the various clippings and photos. Of note, however, are five full-color reproductions of different advertising posters which have been tipped in. These have been very nicely reproduced and are in many ways the highlight of the book." - Stephen Hobbs, "MAGIC" Magazine, Dec. 1994

5 - Full - color poster reproductions

Over 50 photos (most rare and unpublished)

96 - 81/2" x 11" pages - Typeset

Perfect Bound

Two - color artwork

Laminated Cover

Limited to 500 copies

$35.00 Postpaid in the United States!

Classic Color Changing Knives and Paddle Routines

It's been said the basic paddle moves are still the most rewarding ways to learn the art of sleight of hand. If sleight of hand is really the making of an ordinary movement in a slightly different manner...then the paddle move qualifies. This sixteen page booklet offers the reader an opportunity to increase their knowledge of this primary sleight of hand move. 

$10.00 each. Postpaid in the United States!

Merrill's Knife Book

This is a large, 64 page volume, in perfect binding, two color board cover. It contains 62 illustrations, most of them unique mirror photographs of Dr. Merrill's hands, showing both what the audience sees and what the performer see. The book represents the work of a lifetime, and it is bound to become a classic. If you have ever saw Dale Merrill demonstrate the knives at a convention, you require no convincing. And, if you didn't see him work, you really missed something. And he told all in this big book. Not only does he explain the basic moves, but also gives many fine effects and routines that have never before been in print. And he discusses all aspects of his art including the psychology of knife effects. 

$15.00 each for Soft Bound  -  Postpaid in the United States!

$35.00 each for Hard Bound -Postpaid in the United States!

$30.00 each for Hard Bound. Postpaid in the United States!

This is an excellent book that chronicles the variety artists who performed in the theaters in Melbourne, Australia from 1854 to 1948. Enjoy the fruits of Wallers research that he of the great magicians in the golden age of magic. Waller met a number of these great performers and he reflects and comments on their performance on and off the stage. Interesting anecdotes on Chung Ling Soo, Houdini, Dante, Levante, Malini, Carter the Great, Cardini, T. Nelson Downs and many more. Waller also includes a number of Jugglers like W.C. Fields; Ventriloquists and other acts within the 248 pages of this hardbound book. There are thirty-two pages of illustrations that feature rare photos. The dust jacket has a number of photos that are in the book. Gerald Taylor published the book in 1980. It is a good reference book, it is a worthy book for finding facts of favorite performers you know and so many you need to know better.

$60.00 Postpaid in the United States.