The Lost Notebooks of John Northern Hilliard

In a hotel somewhere in the Midwest, John Northern Hilliard, Howard Thurston's advance man, has finished his dogged work for the day and, as dusk falls, he clicks on the lamp and slips a piece of paper into his portable typewriter. He begins to tap out descriptions of tricks for a book he's been dreaming of writing for over a decade. At this moment, in 1928, he doesn't have a title or a publisher, but he's the happiest guy in the world. Tonight he's eagerly typing up tricks by Al Baker and Ted Annemann, both of whom he saw in New York City a few days earlier. Last week it was miracles by Stewart Judah, S. Leo Horowitz, and Dai Vernon. He spends seven years collecting the most staggering miracles of the day from the most prominent magicians.
Though extremely ill in 1933 and 1934, he keeps this to himself and, despite his precarious health, continues traveling around the country, working for Thurston during the day and collecting tricks for his masterwork in the evening. He types late into the night. In 1935 John Northern Hilliard died suddenly while in a hotel room in Indianapolis.
When the book on which he had worked for so many years, Greater Magic, was eventually published in 1938, hundreds of the tricks Hilliard had collected were nowhere to be found. There was a great hubbub about the missing material. A number of magicians entered the hotel room where he died ... perhaps one of them left with something? Then, many years later, a box full of old magic catalogues was sold at an auction in middle America. At the bottom of this box, and not even listed in the contents, were two old notebooks-hundreds of typed pages in brown leatherette bindings. The lost notebooks of John Northern Hilliard had been found.
This is an interactive Table of Contents for that publication. The book can be purchased from The Genii Corporation.

Page	Description and Inventors
1	Notebook one. Judah Section: Being Material, Original, and Otherwise, gathered from Stewart Judah of Cincinatti.
5	The Magic Square Mnemonic System for Remembering Numbers in Squares
9	The Five Pellets and Cards Trick
9	Judah's Improvement on his Pellet Trick
11	Hunter's False Shuffle
11	The Torn and Restored Card with a Borrowed Deck
12	Judah's Card Force
13	Stewart Judah's Original Check Trick
15	Reverse Card Tricks: First Effect
15	Reverse Card Tricks: Second Effect
15	Reverse Card Tricks: Third Effect
16	Judah's "Fifteen" Card Trick
17	Eugene Laurent's Method
18	The Zens Pocket to Pocket Trick
20	Judah's "Think ‘Stop' Trick"
22	A New Judah Trick
22	Judah's Clock Trick
23	Rouge Et Noir (Wright & Larsen)
24	Rouge Et Noir (Stewart Judah)
25	Variation on an Old Theme (Judah)
26	Variations on an Old Theme, No.2
26	Reversed Card Trick
27	Judah's Clock Trick (With Ace of Spades as Pointer)
28	Judah's Improvement on Impey's "Say ‘When'" Card Trick
29	Card on Handkerchief (as performed by Leslie Guest)
29	The Secret of the Swami (Leslie Guest)
29	Stewart Judah's Routine
30	The Triangle (Stewart Judah)
30	Judah's Four Envelopes
32	Judah Want Ad Test
34	Judah's Four Ace Trick
35	Vernon's Princess Card Trick
35	Another Vernon Princess Card Routine
35	A Mnemonic Trick (Al Baker)
36	Judah Four Aces, Latest 4 Ace Trick
37	A Variation of the Stanley Collins's Four Ace Trick Slide Principle
39	Four Ace Trick (Stewart Judah)
39	Al Baker's Spelling Set Up
40	The Four Aces (Henry Huber's Method)
43	My Favorite Ace Trick (Jack Merlin)
46	The 4 Queens
49	A Four Ace Routine (Gerald Kosky)
50	Dice & Card
52	A Baffling Slate Trick
53	Al Baker's Wonderful Four Cards and Four Pellets Mystery
55	Another Subtle Al Baker Mystery
56	Judah's Four Pellet Prediction
60	Dai Vernon's Force
60	Judah's Poker Chip Trick
63	Odd and Even
64	Judah's Letter Trick

71	Al Baker Section: Being Original Material Gathered from Al Baker of BrooklynAl Baker is the Most Ingenious Mind in Modern Magic
71	Al Baker's Cut and Restored Ribbon
72	Al Baker's Coin in Envelope
72	Al Baker's Switch of Decks
73	Al Baker's Levitation of a Dollar Bill
73	Al Baker's Untieing Handkerchief Knot
74	Mind Reading Card Trick (Al Baker's Pellet Trick)
75	Another Al Baker Pellet Trick
76	Mind Reading Card Trick (Al Baker's Own Written Description)
78	Mind Reading Card Trick No.2 (Al Baker)
79	Al Baker's Card Force (No.1)
79	Al Baker's Hat and Three Banknotes
80	Al Baker's Vanish of a Dollar Bill (For Brema Bill Tube)
80	An Al Baker Card Force (No.2)
80	An Al Baker Crimp
80	Al Baker's Newspaper Mystery
81	"Think ‘Stop'"! (An Al Baker Card Trick)
82	Al Baker's Three Card and Pellet Mystery
82	Al Baker's Glass of Water and Coin
83	Al Baker's Chinese Rings (Without Key-ring)
83	Baker's Handkerchief Tie (Horowitz Handkerchief Trick)
84	Al Baker's Sympathetic Silks
84	Al Baker's Dye Tube
85	Al Baker's Five Nickels
85	Al Baker's Spelling Trick
86	Spirit Photograph Card (Al Baker's Method of Performing Ducrot's Trick)
86	Al Baker's Divining Knife
87	Al Baker's Telephone Directory Trick
87	Al Baker's Untying Handkerchief
88	Al Baker's Cigarette Trick (Card in Cigarette)
89	Cutting Same Number of Cards Counted (Al Baker)
89	Al Baker's Rising Cards
90	The Torn and Restored Strip of Paper (Al Baker)
90	To Spell a Mentally Chosen Card (Al Baker)
90	A Pretty Paper Trick (Al Baker)
91	Pack That Cuts Itself (Al Baker)
92	Method of Getting Rid of Flap While in Audience (Al Baker)
92	How to Get Name Wanted on Examined Slate (Al Baker)
93	Two Person Slate Test (Al Baker)
95	Al Baker's Billet Test
97	Al Baker's Billet Reading Extraordinary
98	Mathematical Number Trick (Al Baker)
99	Thought Foretold (Al Baker)
101	An Al Baker Card Trick
101	Al Baker's Version of the Old Ten-Card Trick
102	Another Baker Twist to the Old-Ten Card Trick
103	An Al Baker Card Trick With Two Prearranged Packs
103	Card from Hat (Al Baker)
104	Card in Pocketbook (Al Baker)
104	The Pack that Cuts Itself (Al Baker)
104	Poker Face (Al Baker)
105	Forcing a Short Card (Al Baker)
105	A Transmission Code (Al Baker)
105	Second Sight For Two People (Al Baker)
105	Dead Name Trick (Al Baker)
106	Al Baker's Reverse Cards (With Waxed Cards)
106	Al Baker's Card Out of a Hat (Old Method)
107	ard, Cornucopia, and Pellet (Al Baker)
107	Al Baker's Cornucopia for Getting Rid of Torn Card Pieces, Etc.
108	Al Baker's Routine for the Torn and Restored Napkin
108	Al Baker's Short Cut Computing in a Pre-Arranged Pack
108	"Houdini's Escape" (Al Baker)
108	Al Baker's Saturday Evening Post Trick (An Addition)
109	Al Baker's Force
109	Al Baker's 20th Century Handkerchief Trick
110	Al Baker's Torn and Restored Magazine Page
111	Mental Trick with Cards, 2 Persons (Al Baker)
111	A Mental Trick (Al Baker)
111	Trick with Svengali Pack (Al Baker)
112	An Al Baker Trick
114	Card in Wallet—New Method
115	A New Twist to the Cigarette Paper Trick
116	The Bending Coin
116	Fan Location (Horowitz)
116	Baker's False Shuffle
117	Two Mental Card Tricks (A La Moe)
119	Al Baker's Handkerchief Knot (note)
119	The Miniature Card and Shell Coin (note with Baker idea)
119	Chair Balancing with Thread (Baker idea)
119	Baker's Two Person Stunt with Cards. "Mind Reading"
120	Baker's Card Trick with Prearranged Deck (& Envelopes)
122	"A Pretty Paper Trick" (Al Baker's Torn and Restored Paper Ribbon)
122	Horowitz' Palm of One Card
122	Horowitz' Palm of Several Cards
122	Horowitz' Location
122	Horowitz' Princess Card Trick
123	Horowitz' Four Reverse Cards and Drawn Card
123	Al Baker's 30 Card Trick
123	Dave Vernon's Red and Blue Pack Mystery
124	Al Baker's Two Card Trick
124	Al Baker's "Houdini" Escape
124	Baker's Tearing a Bill (A La Paul Rossini)
125	An Al Baker Effect with a Stripper Deck
125	An Al Baker Mnemonic Trick
125	Baker's Two Person Transmission Trick
125	Baker's 10 Card & Envelopes
125	Leslie Guest's Transmission
126	Horowitz, A Great Trick
127	Al Baker's Clock
127	Okito's "Boy's Card in Hand"
128	Al Baker's Location
128	Horowitz' Two Pack Trick
128	Horowitz' Two Reverse Card Tricks
129	Horowitz' 4 Jacks, Or the 4 Burglars

132	The Annemann Section: Subtle Effects Devised by Annemann of New York
132	Annemann's Routine with Reversed Cards
132	Annemann—Trick Transposition
133	Annemann's Blue & Red Card Transposition
134	Annemann's Two Pack Tricks: Sympathy
135	Annemann's Color Changing Deck
136	Annemann's Four Ace
140	Annemann's Improvement on the Changing Bag
140	Annemann's Suggestion for the Brema Nut Trick
140	Remote Control (Annemann)
141	Remote Control Improved (Orville Meyer)
142	The Dollar Cigarette Challenge (Annemann)
143	The Thought Card
145	Annemann's Spelling Trick (No.1)
145	Annemann's Famous Five Card Trick
146	Red or Black (With 14 Cards)
146	Annemann's Three Pack Trick
146	Annemann's Reversed Card Principle
147	Annemann's Spread Card Trick
147	An Annemann Card Mystery
148	Annemann's Method of Finding Cads at a certain number in the pack, combining two methods—thus being able to repeat an effect
149	Annemann's Reversible Card Effect
149	An Annemann Card Mystery
150	Annemann's Spelling Trick (No.2)
150	Annemann's Red and Blue Deck Mystery
151	Annemann's Dead or Alive (With Al Baker's Slate)
152	Annemann's Two Card Reverse
153	Annemann's New "Think ‘Stop'" Trick
154	Annemann's Pellet Trick
155	Annemann's Premier Book Test
157	Annemann's Traveling Thought Card
160	Annemann's Nightmare Effects


164	Yettmah Section: Being Material Gathered from Cyril Yettmah, the English Magician, During his American Tour with Thurston, Season of 1928 to 1929
164	Cut and Restored Turban
167	Yettmah's Cigarette, Card, and Envelope
169	Yettmahh's Thread Trick
169	Ching Ling Foo's Original Method of Holding and Releasing Bowls of Water, Pails of Water, and Other Big Objects for Production Under Cloths
170	Yettmah's Coin Fold

174	The Living or the Dead Problem: Being Material Gathered from Various Sources Having to do with this Special Effect, Commonly Known as "The Dead Name" Trick
174	The Living and Dead Problem
175	Al Baker's Living and Dead name Trick (No.1)
175	Another Method (No.2) (Al Baker)
176	Living and Dead Problem as Presented by Al Baker (His Own Written Explanation)
178	Living and Dead Problem (No.3) (Al Baker's Third Method)
179	The Dead Name
180	Two People Code (Greta Annemann's Code) (Hilliard's Code)
180	Bill Test
181	Dead and Alive Name Trick (With Credit to Annemann)
182	The Quick and the Dead (Stanley Collins) (No.1)
182	The Quick and the Dead (Stanley Collins) (No.2)
183	Annemann's Spirit Answer
184	Charles Peet's Living and Dead Test (From an Annemann Performance)
184	Living and Dead Test (Charles Peet's Own Description)
188	Harry Price Description
188	Raising the Dead (Eddie Joseph)
190	Holmes' New Handkerchief Stand (Donald Holmes)
190	Cards in the Hat (Donald Holmes)
191	Abbott's Spiritualistic Trick
191	Abbott's 3 Slates
192	Donald Holmes' Rising Cards
193	Holmes Additional Effect to the Judah Reversed Pack
193	Jess Mueller's Spelling Trick Behind the Back
193	Mueller's 30 Card Trick
193	Mueller's Trick at the Table with 2 Half Dollars

194	Chapter on Two People Stuff; Mental Magic
194	An Original Slate and Number Test (Al Baker)
196	Mnemonic Card Trick (With Assistant)
197	An Original Magazine Test (Hilliard)
199	A Telepathic Experiment
199	Ashes (Chris Van Bern)
200	Oriental Ashes (Tom Sellers)
201	The Divination Miracle
206	A "Mental" Test
208	Al Baker's "Two Souls with but a Single Thought"
208	Al Baker's Card Discovery
208	Judah's Routine for "Two Souls" Trick
209	"Two Souls with but a Single Thought" (John N. Hilliard's Routine)
210	"Two Souls with but a Single Thought" (Al Baker's Own Explanation)
211	"Two Souls with but a Single Thought" (George Pughe's Method)
212	Hilliard's Version—with Prearranged pack
214	"Two Souls with but a Single Thought" (A New Al Baker Version)
215	"Two Souls with but a Single Thought" (Judah's Version of Al Baker's Masterpiece)
218	Prediction (Arnold)
218	Variation by John Northern Hilliard
219	LePaul's Card Trick
220	The Prediction (From Linking Ring)
220	"Stop" (From Linking Ring)
222	Card System Section: Being Material Gathered Having to do with Card Effects Based on a Prearrangement of the Pack Such as the Si Stebbins Arrangement, etc.
222	The Educated Cards (Gibson)
222	A Puzzler (Gibson)

224	Special Cards & Packs (Essay)
224	Longs & Shorts
224	Biseaute or Tapering Cards
226	A New Long Card Pack (Victor Farelli)
227	Cornered Cards
227	Marked Cards
229	List of Special Packs
230	Special Packs (Essay)
230	Strippers
230	Svengali
231	The "Mene-Tekel" or Self-Shifting Pack
231	The Color-Changing Pack
232	The Svengali or Self-Forcing Deck (Essay)
233	Rogers' "Ever-Ready" Forcing Pack
234	Card Trick using the Svengali Deck
235	The Self-Shifting Pack (And a Trick Therewith)
236	The Instanto Deck (Billy O' Conner)
237	The Short and Narrow Pack
237	The Short and Wide Pack (Al Baker's Favorite Deck)
237	The "Revelation Pack" (Walter Gibson)
238	Arthur Buckley's System for Getting a Card at any Number
239	The Rouge Et Noir with a Stripper Deck (Judah)
240	The "Ne Plus Ultra" Card Trick (Ernest Noakes)

242	Card Systems (With the use of Prearranged Packs)
242	Ireland's Systemless System
244	"Two in a Pocket" (Wright and Larsen)
246	"Miraco" (Edward Bagshawe)
247	Super Mental Card Effect
248	Satan's Trance
249	Clement De Lion on Card Systems and Prearranged Decks (From Sphinx)
250	Coluria (Charles T. Jordan) 250
250	The Card and Number Mystery (Jordan)
251	A Baffling Card Trick
251	Naming a Chosen Card (Gibson)
252	The Clock Trick
252	"Suitability" (Larsen and Wright)
254	Paul Braden (Le Paul) System
255	Tricks with Prearranged Packs: Separate Card Effects and Routines with the Si Stebbins System of Arranging a Pack
255	A.F. Bowen's Routine
257	Suggestions for Tricks with Prearranged Packs

260	Chapter on Poker Deals
260	The Stud Poker Deal
260	Gambling Game with Cards
261	High and Low Card
261	The #31 Game with Dice
262	The "Thirty-One" Card Trick (A Counting Puzzle)
263	The Drunken Poker Player or Drunken Gambler (Stewart Judah)
263	A Fake Run Up Poker Hand (Jack Merlin)
263	Audacity Run Up
264	Seven Pat Hands
264	Master Poker Dealing (Merlin)
265	"The Imaginary hand" (Stewart Judah)
271	Exhibition Poker Feat (Merlin)
271	Telling Amount of Cards Cut by Spectator (Merlin)
272	Canfield
273	A Deceptive False Overhand shuffle (Harry Stork)
274	The One-Arm Gambler, A Four Ace Trick (T. Page Wright)
274	Another Routine for These Three Mechanical Aces (Will Lindhorst)
276	Ben Erens' Poker Deal
278	The L.W. Poker Deal Trick (Larsen and Wright)
279	The Great Poker Trick (John Northern Hilliard)
283	Letter to John Hilliard from Michael F. Zens (1932)
284	My Theory About the Use of Marked Cards (Michael F. Zens)
287	The Red Ace Trick (Michael F. Zens)
288	The "How Come" Card Trick (Michael F. Zens)
290	The Joker's Dual Prophecy (Michael F. Zens)
293	Rouge Et Noir, Zens' Trick with marked Deck

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The Lost Notebooks of John Northern Hilliard

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