The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-03-02
A LIBRARY ALL ABOtT MAGIC
1he Largest Collection OF the Kind Said
to he In This (1ty.

II is thought that DR.. Saram r. Ellison
OF iIs West iosd street, owns the largest
collection in the world OF books on Magic
and its allied arts. AZ tho library 10Y
stands it Is a valuable collection. and il
intended to supply the place Of a reference
library, TO all reputable magicians and other
people; but ii is not a circulating library.
That must be distinctly understood,
for the Doctor says he would not let a
book 60 out of his own house. even In the
care Of his best friend Many are the
visits he has from the members OF the pro-
~fession; to talk over magic, and to look
over his collection. In the hope that In some
Of the books published more than 800 years
ago, a trick that is new to the present
theatre-going people may be found.
That mystic rites and ceremonies impress
DR.. Ellison is manifest In the fact that he
Is a Mason Of the thirty-third degree. He is
Recorder Of Mecca Temple Of the Mobiles
OF the Mystic Shrine; which duties bring
him In correspondence with people all
over the world. In this way the Doctors
opportunities as a collector have been ex-
ceptional. All his friends both home and
abroad know his enthusiasm. and unite in
sending him photographs, clippings. books.
DR.. Ellison Is not. and never was a public
performer of magic; nor docs he pretend
to be even a clever amateur; but as his
collection grows. his enthusiasm increases.
and he il to-day known all over the world
among magicians ana collectors.
His catalogue contains the titles OF
more than COO different books and magazine
articles, the dates running from a'History
of Magic" published in 1857, TO a magazine
published in the Interests Of magicians
this month. A few Of the subjects
Of the books on the shelves Them
selves are: Ancient mysteries. myths,
&c; second sight. spiritualistic exposures.
thought transierence, illusions, spiritual
ism, occuliism. denonulogy, pretended
miracles, real miracles-in which last class
tho visitor will see the Bible. Then there
are books on juggling. leg~erdemain, recrea-
tons, history of magic, black magic, gam
blers' tricks, cryptoIraphy.
There are books that furnish performers
with good samples Of what IL termed con-
jurcrs' patter. a mess Of confusing, but
laughable nonsense.
In addition to these books the doctor
has several ~scrapbooks filed with clippings
from newspapers published all over the
world. And filed away in a different man
ner, are magazine articles on magic and
The Corjurer's Magazine, which ran
from August 1901. to January, 1894. and
was probably the first periodical ever got
out exclusively IN the interest OF maRtclans,
was completed under the title Of tho As
iroiogers' Magazine and Philosophical Ms
coHdHy. It's volumes rest on the shelves
OF DR.. Ellison's library.
There are OLD pamphlets containing
a history Of some English tricks. now no
longer performed. A magazine called
Magic and the sherman slumber cheek
by iowl with the German Zduberreh and
Z~duberspiegeL This country is repre-
scented by American Tricks ard the Ma
pici1n. both Of which nave now entered
into rest.
Tho books Of themselves could almost
be compared 10 the inhabitants Of metro
politan New York, so varied are they IN
age. size, color and richness or poverty
Of their coverings. There are old books
through which the bookworms ha we passed;
there are new books in full calf and vel
lum. There are thin books. scarcely more
than pamphlets. and there are nice fat
books. thai cause one TO remember in grail
tude the bookholder: and all carefully
classified, so hat the one who seeks knOwl-
edge on the subject - magic, may have
as little trouble as possible.
DR.. Ellison also has a fow Of tho appli-
ances with which the mi Ricians perform
their simplest tricks, and he Is about 10
begin the collection Of ma gicians' wands.
He counts upon getting ono from each 81
the best ma icians now living.