Book Description

Exclusive Magical Secrets was originally published by The Magician Ltd as a limited edition of 1000 in 1912. It was bound with a lock on the cover and became known as "The Locked Book of Magical Secrets." The author, Will Goldston, was born in 1878 in Liverpool and first went on stage under the name Carl Devo. He later became the manager/buyer of Gamage's Theatrical and Entertainment Department. Goldston was an early member of the Magic Circle but resigned and formed his own society - The Magicians' Club of London with Harry Houdini as President, a post he held until his death. He set up in business as William Goldston Ltd in Aladdin House near Leicester Square in London where he sold "magic tricks." The business was later bought by Davenports, the famous London magic shop. He edited a number of publications: Magician Annual (1907-1912), Magician Monthly (1904-1913), Magazine of Magic (1914-1930) and Golston's Magical Quarterly (1934-1940). If he had been alive today it is likely that Will Goldston would have been one of the most famous people in the world of magic. As it is his legacy stands, not only in his writings but also in the inspiration he gave to future generations of magicians. Like many other books of this era some of the tricks described use substances and methods that would be considered dangerous today and are most likely unobtainable. However, as magicians are always re-inventing old tricks in many cases there are simple substitutes. You are warned, however, not to take any risks. As with other offerings in The Golden Age of Magic series this volume is not a straightforward reproduction of the original text. There are a number of reasons for this. The main one, as with almost all early books, is that the typefaces used frequently make reading a chore rather than a pleasure. There is also the fact that the original printings were poorly edited, resulting in spelling errors and sometimes mistakes which completely alter the meaning of the text. Wherever possible we have endeavored to reproduce illustrations from the original to the highest possible standard and, in many cases, have been able to improve them. However, you should be aware that some illustrations in the original books were, themselves, copied from documents that were then many years old and some reproductions may not be to present day standards. However, we have taken the liberty of producing the book to make it both accurate and accessible. We would hope that, were the author alive today, he would very much approve of this edition.