Magic 1400s-1950s
by Jim Steinmeyer, Mike Caveney, Ricky Jay
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Book Summary Information
Author: Jim Steinmeyer, Mike Caveney, Ricky JayEditor: Noel Daniel
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: French (Unknown); English (Unknown); German (Unknown); French (Original Language); German (Original Language); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2009-11-01
ISBN: 3836509776
Number of pages: 670
Publisher: TASCHEN America Llc
Book Reviews of Magic 1400s-1950s
Book Review: "Rich Books for Poor Times"--Taschen's Current Motto
Summary: 5 Stars
I've said it before, I say it again now: These Taschen XL titles are unprecedented bargains for any lover of books or art. These are astounding publications: huge, vast in scope, ultra-high quality. I've collected books for 25 years, and I can tell you that in a few years you will only be able to find these in antiquarian bookstores which will want to charge you several times the bargain rate that Amazon is currently asking for the current in-print titles. Those booksellers will have all these titles locked up in glass cases, and once he grudgingly pulls it out for you, and you see the huge sum being requested, you will look back on the day that you saw it listed on Amazon for a fraction of the price, and you will sorely regret that you did not promptly buy it with a purposeful one-click. I have bought all the dozen-or-so titles (except for "Tom of Finland"--I'm still working up the courage on that one ;), and I cherish each one. These are heirloom books here, folks. Your kids will be fighting over these before your body is cold.
As with all the other titles this "Magic" book will forever set the standard on the subject. Obviously if you or a family member or a friend has ever dabbled in magic, then it is a foregone conclusion that you have to get this. I've personally never been that enthralled with magic shows (having not really seen that many that I can recall), but I do love anything supernatural, and in particular, horror movies and horror books. The overlap is considerable, and flipping through the pages of this book gave me the shivers more than once. There is every sort of bizarre photograph here depicting séances, exotic ceremonies, magic performances, and many other potentially ill-advised ventures into the mystic unknown. The poster art--there are hundreds--is incredible and they display a world at once richer and yet more innocent and open minded. The color reproduction is astonishing. And may you be punished severely by the "other side" if any one of you mutilates one of these books to clip out a poster!! These books are historical artifacts and should not be messed with.
The only down side is that these books are big enough that you may have a hard time finding a place to put it. I have stored about eight of mine--still in the handy boxes which they come in, and which I highly recommend you keep--in a closet. But I enjoy knowing that the wonderful imagery is right at hand for me to peruse at my leisure, and I will make sure that my next house has bigger bookshelves so I can again have these proudly on display.
PS: Here are some of the other XL titles which I can recall off the top of my head: "Cabinet of Natural Curiosities" (perhaps my favorite title of all); "Leonardo da Vinci"; "Michelangelo"; "Atlas Major"; "The Complete Costume History"; "The Atlas of Human Anatomy and Surgery"; "The World of Ornament"; "The Stanley Kubrick Archives," et al.
(Finally, for anyone interested in magic or other "doors of perception", there is another recent and important publication which may be of interest: Carl Jung's "Red Book" (his diaries from his period of near insanity). It is a huge book almost on the scale of a Taschen XL, with Jung's own fabulous and colorful illustrations. First editions of this publication are destined for astonishing future values, not that you would ever sell it or any of these Taschen XLs.)
Summary of Magic 1400s-1950s
The art of magicMagic has enchanted humankind for millennia, evoking terror, laughter, shock, and amazement. Once persecuted as heretics and sorcerers, magicians have always been conduits to a parallel universe of limitless possibility whether invoking spirits, reading minds, or inverting the laws of nature by sleight of hand. Long before science fiction, virtual realities, video games and the internet, the craft of magic was the most powerful fantasy world man had ever known. As the pioneers of special effects throughout history, magicians have never ceased to mystify us by making the impossible possible.
This book celebrates more than 500 years of the dazzling visual culture of the world s greatest magicians. Featuring over 1,000 rarely seen vintage posters, photographs, handbills, and engravings in one 650-page volume, it traces the history of magic as a performing art from the 1400s to the 1950s. Combining sensational images with lucid and incisive text, Magic explores the evolution of the magician s craft, from medieval street performers to the brilliant stage magicians who gave rise to cinematic special effects; from the 19th century s Golden Age of Magic to groundbreaking daredevils like Houdini and the early 20th century' vaudevillians.
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