Special offer: The first fifty orders of this book will also receive a strictly limited reprint of Robert-Houdin's The Priory, The Home of Robert-Houdin, translated by Professor Hoffmann. In this enjoyable essay Robert-Houdin describes the incredible electrical inventions he created in his home during his retirement. Only 50 copies of these 14-page A5 booklets will be produced. Each copy is individually numbered. These are still available, so order today!
Among magicians, Robert-Houdin is affectionately referred to as “the father of modern magic” in gratitude of the many developments he made in the art of conjuring.
He is credited with bringing magic into a respectable theatre setting and away from street performance. He also created many magic effects and pioneered the use of electricity, both for stage tricks and for more practical purposes.
His training as a clock maker gave him the ability to create some of the most complex and beautiful magic effects and automata of his period. His mystery clocks are still highly sought after, though it is clear in his memoirs he felt they were mere toys compared to his pioneering electric clocks.
His memoirs were written in Robert-Houdin’s retirement and first published in France in 1858. They were an immediate success and an English translation was released the following year. In them, he describes his life, achievements and struggles with great story-telling and humour.
In this new deluxe edition, Lacelles Wraxall’s 1859 translation is reproduced in full, along with his preface written for the British edition. In addition, it incorporates the index and preface written for the first American edition, also of 1859. It also includes a new introduction. The book itself is our most lavish yet, with illustrated buckram boards, black card endpapers, head and tail bands and a dust jacket.
If you are ordering this book for delivery to an EU address please order via this Etsy link.
Condition: New.
Binding: Hardback
Year: 2021
Publisher: CollectingMagicBooks.com
Pages: 353
Dimensions (to nearest cm): 22 X 14cm