Houdini's Hocus Pocus
This copy of Hocus Pocus, written by Henry Dean and published in 1781, was used by the escapologist Harry Houdini, and is held in the Senate House Library in London.
The book describes itself as ‘the anatomie of legerdemain, or, the art of jugling set forth in his proper colours, fully, plainely, and exactly, so that an ignorant person may thereby learne the full perfection of the game, after a little practice : unto each tricke is added the figure, where it is needfull for instruction’.
This book is one of more than three million – many of them priceless and irreplaceable editions – held by Senate House, part of the University of London. I was fortunate to have access to Hocus Pocus and a number of other fascinating titles (more to follow) thanks to my membership of FNL, Friends of the Nations’ Libraries.
Founded in 1931, this charity has awarded thousands of grants to regional, specialist and national libraries, including Senate House. FNL has enabled them to acquire rare books, manuscripts archives and fine bindings which otherwise would be outside their reach.
Houdini's Hocus Pocus
This copy of Hocus Pocus, written by Henry Dean and published in 1781, was used by the escapologist Harry Houdini, and is held in the Senate House Library in London.
The book describes itself as ‘the anatomie of legerdemain, or, the art of jugling set forth in his proper colours, fully, plainely, and exactly, so that an ignorant person may thereby learne the full perfection of the game, after a little practice : unto each tricke is added the figure, where it is needfull for instruction’.
This book is one of more than three million – many of them priceless and irreplaceable editions – held by Senate House, part of the University of London. I was fortunate to have access to Hocus Pocus and a number of other fascinating titles (more to follow) thanks to my membership of FNL, Friends of the Nations’ Libraries.
Founded in 1931, this charity has awarded thousands of grants to regional, specialist and national libraries, including Senate House. FNL has enabled them to acquire rare books, manuscripts archives and fine bindings which otherwise would be outside their reach.