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Walter Jeans: Illusioneer
Only 500 copies were printed of the original edition. Later an expanded edition was released containing 161 pages and published in 2006.
88 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1986
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 9, 2012
In 1986, Mike Caveney’s Magical Publications (now Mike Caveney’s Magic Words) released a slim volume by Peter Warlock called Walter Jeans: Illusioneer. Mike Caveney titled it the first in a series of Magical Pro-Files. Mike didn’t have any idea whether the publication would be successful, or even if there would be any succeeding volumes of Magical Pro-Files. Published in a limited edition of 500 hand-numbered copies, the volume was slow to sell. However, by the mid-1990s, it was sold out and in high demand. Today, the first edition is an extremely sought after volume as it is often the missing volume in many people’s collection of the Magical Pro-Files. The succeeding volumes of the series have all been released in limited editions of 1000.
In the book, Peter Warlock tells the story of Walter Jeans, an illusion builder who lived from 1877 until 1942. Jeans is best known for his illusion, the Million Dollar Mystery, which P. T. Selbit performed for many years. This illusion used a new principle in magic to vanish and produce items, including even people. This was the use of a mirror tunnel.
Warlock tells Jeans’ story in five relatively short chapters. Jeans grew up in Birmingham, and from an early age wanted to become famous. He tried to be an acrobat, but was injured. After recovering, he took up magic. While trying to achieve success as a magician, he often found himself working at the brass foundry where his father was employed. Jeans eventually found some success in creating illusions and operating a shop, The Panopticon. Visiting magicians often stopped by and spent hours talking to Jeans about magic. Although Jeans didn’t tour, he was well known to many of the British magicians, including P. T. Selbit and the Maskelynes. Jeans followed his wife in death on September 21, 1942. Today, Jeans is best known for the mirror tube he created.
Warlock’s book is largely based on a hand-written manuscript Jeans’ wife wrote for Jeans in 1925 at the request of Will Goldston for a Jeans’ section in his locked book, Further Exclusive Magical Secrets. Warlock had received the manuscript at some time in the past. Warlock then supplemented it with information and details he found from magazines, remembrances and interviews. The original edition concludes with the original British patent (1915) and the American patent (1930) for the mirror tube.
Due to the highly sought after nature of the original edition, the availability of Jeans’ original hand-written memoir from Elizabeth Warlock, Peter’s daughter, her gracious transcription of the memoir, new information, and Mike’s performance of the Million Dollar Mystery at the 2001 Conference on Magic History, Mike decided to issue a revised and expanded second edition of Walter Jeans: Illusioneer twenty years later, in November, 2006. This edition is limited also to 500 copies numbered 501-1000.
So what are the differences? A major one is that the original text was retypeset. This makes for easier reading. The other major difference is a complete transcription of Jeans’ memoir is now included at the end of the book. Also, there were several editorial changes made. Mike has added the dates and references to a quoted description of Jeans’ act from December, 1913. Some of the material in Chapter IV has been rearranged to make the flow smoother. The language and transitions from paragraph to paragraph have been made smoother. There is at least one correction of an error in date made. There was one paragraph deleted from Chapter II. Mike has also added to the explanatory footnotes. There are several new photographs and in one place different photos from the original. The names of the illusions are no longer in boldtype. He also added Chris Van Bern’s Tribute to Walter Jeans following Jeans’ death. The tribute was mentioned in the original, but not quoted. Now it is. Mike has also written a publisher’s note at the beginning of the book to explain why a second edition, and an introduction to the patent applications.
As most who buy the Magical Pro-Files recall, Mike usually has a tipped-in postcard-sized reproduction of one of the subject’s posters. In the original edition this was a drawing of Blown to Atoms from the prospectus (Blown to Atoms was an illusion that Jeans worked on but never produced). This has been moved to p. 119 of the second edition. The new poster is a reproduction of a Silver Hat gummed sticker (the Silver Hat being an early successful illusion of Jeans).
If one enjoys magic history, or has an interest in illusions, this is a fun and quick read about an illusion-builder who shouldn’t be forgotten. Since Mike is only issuing another 500, I’d contact him soon if interested in purchasing a copy. As Mike has said, “once they are gone, their value will once again begin to escalate.” [MAGIC, Volume 16, Number 4 (December, 2006) p. 111].
In the book, Peter Warlock tells the story of Walter Jeans, an illusion builder who lived from 1877 until 1942. Jeans is best known for his illusion, the Million Dollar Mystery, which P. T. Selbit performed for many years. This illusion used a new principle in magic to vanish and produce items, including even people. This was the use of a mirror tunnel.
Warlock tells Jeans’ story in five relatively short chapters. Jeans grew up in Birmingham, and from an early age wanted to become famous. He tried to be an acrobat, but was injured. After recovering, he took up magic. While trying to achieve success as a magician, he often found himself working at the brass foundry where his father was employed. Jeans eventually found some success in creating illusions and operating a shop, The Panopticon. Visiting magicians often stopped by and spent hours talking to Jeans about magic. Although Jeans didn’t tour, he was well known to many of the British magicians, including P. T. Selbit and the Maskelynes. Jeans followed his wife in death on September 21, 1942. Today, Jeans is best known for the mirror tube he created.
Warlock’s book is largely based on a hand-written manuscript Jeans’ wife wrote for Jeans in 1925 at the request of Will Goldston for a Jeans’ section in his locked book, Further Exclusive Magical Secrets. Warlock had received the manuscript at some time in the past. Warlock then supplemented it with information and details he found from magazines, remembrances and interviews. The original edition concludes with the original British patent (1915) and the American patent (1930) for the mirror tube.
Due to the highly sought after nature of the original edition, the availability of Jeans’ original hand-written memoir from Elizabeth Warlock, Peter’s daughter, her gracious transcription of the memoir, new information, and Mike’s performance of the Million Dollar Mystery at the 2001 Conference on Magic History, Mike decided to issue a revised and expanded second edition of Walter Jeans: Illusioneer twenty years later, in November, 2006. This edition is limited also to 500 copies numbered 501-1000.
So what are the differences? A major one is that the original text was retypeset. This makes for easier reading. The other major difference is a complete transcription of Jeans’ memoir is now included at the end of the book. Also, there were several editorial changes made. Mike has added the dates and references to a quoted description of Jeans’ act from December, 1913. Some of the material in Chapter IV has been rearranged to make the flow smoother. The language and transitions from paragraph to paragraph have been made smoother. There is at least one correction of an error in date made. There was one paragraph deleted from Chapter II. Mike has also added to the explanatory footnotes. There are several new photographs and in one place different photos from the original. The names of the illusions are no longer in boldtype. He also added Chris Van Bern’s Tribute to Walter Jeans following Jeans’ death. The tribute was mentioned in the original, but not quoted. Now it is. Mike has also written a publisher’s note at the beginning of the book to explain why a second edition, and an introduction to the patent applications.
As most who buy the Magical Pro-Files recall, Mike usually has a tipped-in postcard-sized reproduction of one of the subject’s posters. In the original edition this was a drawing of Blown to Atoms from the prospectus (Blown to Atoms was an illusion that Jeans worked on but never produced). This has been moved to p. 119 of the second edition. The new poster is a reproduction of a Silver Hat gummed sticker (the Silver Hat being an early successful illusion of Jeans).
If one enjoys magic history, or has an interest in illusions, this is a fun and quick read about an illusion-builder who shouldn’t be forgotten. Since Mike is only issuing another 500, I’d contact him soon if interested in purchasing a copy. As Mike has said, “once they are gone, their value will once again begin to escalate.” [MAGIC, Volume 16, Number 4 (December, 2006) p. 111].
May 9, 2013
Interesting info, but a bit disjointed at times.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews