Greater Magic
John Northern Hilliard · 1938
The landmark 1938 encyclopedia of modern magic: over 1,000 pages, 813 entries and Harlan Tarbell illustrations.
Greater Magic - John Northern Hilliard
Greater Magic is one of the defining reference books in twentieth-century conjuring. First published in 1938 by Carl Waring Jones, it runs to just over 1,000 pages in the original edition and contains 813 indexed entries. John Northern Hilliard began the project but died in 1935 before it was complete. Carl Waring Jones and Jean Hugard brought the manuscript to publication, with the distinctive drawings of Harlan Tarbell. That history matters: this is a large collaborative record of professional magic, not simply a collection of casual tricks.
Scope of the book
The original volume ranges across card magic, coins, cigarettes and cigars, silks, ropes, rings, balls, handkerchiefs, bills, apparatus, stage effects, mentalism and magic squares. It is deliberately broad. A card worker can use it as a source of classic plots and handling; a stage performer can study the logic of props and visibility; a historian can trace names and methods that later books quote only briefly. The illustrations are an important part of its usefulness because they clarify positions and apparatus that prose alone cannot easily describe.
How to use it well
Greater Magic rewards selective reading. It is too large to treat as a course to be completed from page one to page 1000. Start with a discipline you already perform, read the surrounding discussion rather than only one method, and make notes on effect, conditions, reset and audience viewpoint. Much of the material reflects its period, so presentation should be rebuilt for a current audience. The underlying lessons in economy, misdirection, timing and theatrical clarity remain the more transferable part.
Editions and collecting
The 1938 first edition is the key original bibliographic reference. Later printings and the expanded 1994 edition are different objects and should not be described as interchangeable. The 1994 edition adds More Greater Magic and runs substantially longer. When buying a used original, confirm the publisher, date, page count, binding and whether the copy is complete. Examine the spine and hinges carefully: this is a heavy book and wear often appears there first. Ask for images of the title page, copyright page, illustrations and any foxing, damp damage, repairs, inscriptions or library marks.
Who should buy it
This is a serious library book for the magician who wants breadth, historical context and a long-term source of study. It is less suitable for someone seeking a small number of ready-made routines with modern patter. For a working magician, a complete reading copy is often more useful than a fragile collector's copy. For collectors, provenance, the 1938 issue, condition and completeness are the factors that deserve attention.
Greater Magic has earned its reputation because it preserves a whole ecosystem of conjuring knowledge. Its real value is not merely its size; it is the chance to study classic methods in context and to separate lasting principles from the surface details of another era.