The Art of Close Up Magic (Vol. 1) • MagicLibrary.org

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The Art of Close Up Magic (Vol. 1)

1972 Hardcover

Lewis Ganson

Author

Publisher:
- Supreme Magic Company
Illustrator:
- Dennis Patten

Contents

Search Contents

#	Title	Type
7	Foreword Fred Lowe	Foreword
11	The Presentation Of Close-Up Magic	Section
11	Presentation	Article
The author's philosophy of close-up performance — how working within touching distance of spectators changes the demands on both method and showmanship.
13	One Spectator	Article
Guidance on positioning, pacing, and managing a single spectator; how extreme proximity changes the performer's technique and transforms the experience for both parties.
16	A Small Group	Article
Advice on adjusting performance for a small informal cluster — positioning, managing multiple people's attention, and choosing effects that read well at close range.
19	The Larger Group	Article
Strategies for projecting close-up work to a larger informal gathering while preserving the sense of intimacy that gives the form its distinctive character.
20	Containers	Article
Discussion of bags, wallets, and cases for carrying close-up props — how good organisation and presentation of your kit shapes the audience's first impressions.
23	Working Surface	Article
Advice on choosing and preparing a working surface; how the right cloth or table top can simplify handling, cushion sound, and improve the visual clarity of effects.
25	Music	Article
Thoughts on using background music during close-up performance — when it enhances atmosphere, when it creates noise problems, and how to decide either way.
29	Close-Up Effects	Article
What makes a strong close-up effect: criteria for selecting repertoire with lasting impact, clear visual logic, and the ability to withstand scrutiny at inches.
30	Length Of Performance	Article
Guidelines on pacing a close-up programme — how long to perform, when to stop, and how to read an audience before they have had enough.
31	Practice	Article
Advice on effective rehearsal habits: practising at performance pace and conditions, and the importance of grooved, natural-looking handling that survives real-world pressure.
33	Economy Of Movement	Article
The principle of eliminating unnecessary gestures and body movement — why superfluous action creates suspicion and how restraint makes the magic cleaner.
36	Borrowing	Article
The advantages of using spectators' own objects: the psychological sense of fairness it creates, the added challenge it places on technique, and when to do it.
40	Bangle Delight	Section
40	Bangle Delight Lewis Ganson Rink Frederica	Routine
A ring impossibly penetrates the centre of a rope and becomes threaded on it, then is removed just as mysteriously — all executed with deliberate, open movements.
44	Travelling Ring Raymond Hafler	Trick
A ring knotted onto a rope invisibly travels from one knot to another with each swing; the journey is repeated, the ring moving further along the rope each time.
47	Ring Transposition Glenn Gravatt	Trick
Two rings on colour-matched ribbons are pinned in place with ends in view; under a covering handkerchief the rings silently transpose to the opposite ribbons.
51	Two Rings And A Silk Glenn Gravatt	Trick
Two bracelets held on a silk visibly change places between the performer's hands; all props are unprepared and no cover is required.
53	Rope, Rings And Silks Ravelle	Trick
A spectator freely selects a silk tied to a ring; ring and rope are placed in a hat; the ring emerges magically threaded on the rope with both ends visible throughout.