This is now sold out and out of print, to buy Volume Two click here.
 
The whole story of London’s iconic magic and joke shop told in two volumes. Exclusive to CollectingMagicBooks.com, each volume limited to just 100 copies.
 
The Ellisdon family had a long and exciting history before they even founded the shop they are remembered for today. These two books track their history, from humble roots in New Zealand to rapid growth in Australia and then a scandal that led to the family moving to the other side of the world. In London, Ellisdons became a national institution, representing many things to many different people. To some, it was an exciting Christmas tradition to visit the London store, see some tricks performed and browse the toys. Others only knew Ellisdons from the exciting adverts for magic, jokes and novelties printed in thousands of comics. Then there were the magicians. The 1950s saw big changes in Ellisdons’ London magic department, as it evolved from a counter of pocket money toys to a social hub for professional conjurers. Regulars to the store included Tommy Cooper, Tony Corinda and Alex Elmsley, to name just a few.
 
The story of Ellisdons is one of ups and downs, scandals and triumphs. This is their colourful history. 
 
These beautifully produced hardback books have 388 pages in total and contain 82 pages of full-colour plates illustrating the history of the company and the tricks they produced.
 
These come with a custom-made reproduction Ellisdons postal box, hand stitched by a traditional box maker in Sheffield.
 
EU and other international customers whose countries charge VAT on books should order via Etsy to pay their VAT in advance via this link. 
 
Condition: New.
 
Binding: Hardback
Year: 2022
Publisher: CollectingMagicBooks.com
Pages: 388 (including 82 full-colour plates)
Dimensions: 16.5 X 10.5cm