I'm doing research about magic tricks (and other hobbies), can you help?

Feb 13, 2017
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My simple question is this: Is there a missing "yelp" for magic-related-stuff (not just specifically tricks)?
What additional index/listing would be great to have? What information currently requires extra effort to find, but could be very easy to look up with the appropriate search tools?

Lastly: Would you personally be interested in helping create such an index? (I'm asking this for research and not for soliciting)
 

Josh Burch

Elite Member
Aug 11, 2011
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1,101
Utah
My simple question is this: Is there a missing "yelp" for magic-related-stuff (not just specifically tricks)?
What additional index/listing would be great to have? What information currently requires extra effort to find, but could be very easy to look up with the appropriate search tools?

Lastly: Would you personally be interested in helping create such an index? (I'm asking this for research and not for soliciting)

I'm not sure if I completely understand what you need. As far as I understand Yelp is a consumer reports sight. I'm pretty sure that you can search popular magicians or give them a review after you have purchased their services. It seems like it is doing fine with performing magicians.

You are going to get mixed thoughts on whether or not magic tricks and secrets should be readily available to the public. Perhaps there are aspects of the history of magic and invention that could be better served with more access but I personally think that the secrets are already a little too easily accessed.

Maybe if I could see an example of this "index" I could get a better idea about what you are looking for.
 

WitchDocIsIn

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Sep 13, 2008
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There's already the one database I always forget the name of - Beir archive? Something like that. It lists resources for various magic routines and history.
 

Josh Burch

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Aug 11, 2011
2,966
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Utah
The Magic Cafe and My Lovely Assistant, while not specifically indexes function in much the same way that an index would.
 
Mar 2, 2016
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This just makes me realise how much I want a detailed encyclopaedia about the history of magic to put on my book shelf.
Like the encyclopaedia britannica but called encyclopaedia arcana or something catchy like that.
 

WitchDocIsIn

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Sep 13, 2008
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There's a massive book from Taschen called Magic 1400s-1950s. I don't have a copy yet. The newest edition is only $70 so I'll probably get it this year. The original printing was $200. Thing is massive.
 
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RealityOne

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Nov 1, 2009
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Good sources include Denis Behr's (www.conjuringarchive.com), the Conjuring Art's Research Center's Ask Alexander (www.askalexander.org) (which allows anyone to search, but you need a membership to acess the material); and http://magicref.tripod.com/books.htm which provides tables of contents for magic books. If you have a Genii subscription, all of their issues are archived and searchable. Magicpedia has some good general background on effects with limited bibliographies.

Both the Magic Cafe and the Genii forums are great resources for searching the history of effects. Among all the banter on those forums there are a number of amazing posts on the history of effects.

Some authors are better than others in providing crediting and history for effects. Roberto Giobbi's Card College often is great for finding original sources and sources for variations on a move. In contrast, crediting in Hugard's writing is virtually non-existent. There is a lot of recorded oral history in John Northern Hilliard's Greater Magic and Lost Notebooks in that he explains who taught him what effects.
 
Feb 13, 2017
2
0
Thanks for the responses :)

So I understand there already are sources (some paid), and that some material is better left off the net. Is there anything you guys can think of that should be free, or could use a redo, or completely missing (but shouldn't be)?
 

WitchDocIsIn

Elite Member
Sep 13, 2008
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Interestingly, I just stumbled across a post describing the differences between the various versions. The second version has about 150 fewer pictures, and then there's a 3rd edition that was made just for Barnes and Nobles which has like another 30 fewer pictures. Prices are $200, $70, and $20 respectively.
 
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