Ye Olde Magic Mag for March 2025 welcomes many contributors with a plethora of new discoveries on magic history and a long view of rare antique magic bookk that exchanged hands in the past year.
In this issue:
- A mysterious gambler, “Mr. X”, presented his skills with dice and cards on the American program You Asked for It in the 1950s. Who was he? Michael Perovich reveals the forgotten skills of this no-longer-mysterious advantage player.
- What was the most expensive magic book sold in 2024? Which other rare and antiquarian magic books have been sold last year? We welcome back for his annual review of important magic books our friend James Smith.
- Martin Chapender graces our cover, and Peter Brunning gives us some hitherto unknown biographical information about this talented and short-lived magician.
- Anne Goulden has been researching the evolution of JN Maskelyne‘s cabinet for the performance of Will, the Witch and the Watch(man) and shares her research and a fascinating timeline on this popular illusion.
- What is the secret to get magic bookings? What to do if a booking doesn’t materialize? Pietro Micheli reveals the technique Italian magician Cesare Watry used all his career.
- We review these books on magic history and collecting… maybe you will add some to your library?
- Magia para Recordar, by Alex Nebur
- Bert Allerton: the Gentleman Magician, by Chuck Romano
- Fu Manuch – Una vida para la Magia by David Bamberg
- …and of course more information in our regular columns: Auction Action (with analysis of the Max Maven sale, amongst others), and Chewing the (Magic) Fat with a question about the desirability of Houdini memorabilia.
This 60 pages issue contains almost 22,000 words and is available as a PDF Download and in printed format, LIMITED TO 125 SIGNED AND HAND-NUMBERED COPIES, for the most distinguished collectors.
Download your copy now (about 4MB) to learn about the
history of magic and magic collecting!
Ye Olde Magic Mag is the first fully-digital magazine on Magic History and on collecting magical memorabilia, edited and published by Marco Pusterla, A.I.M.C. A quarterly publication, available in a small number of printed copies, all individually numbered and signed, for real collectors. The printed version is shipped post-free worldwide and gives access to the digital copy! We recommend you subscribe to the magazine with a PayPal recurring payment as that will ensure you receive the same issue number every time.