Tarbell Course in Magic

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The Tarbell Course in Magic was written by Harlan Tarbell. Originally a mail-order course in magic, now collected in several volumes of books.

The History of the Course

Publishers T. Grant Cooke and Walter A. Jordan developed an interest in producing a correspondence course in magic in the mid-1920s. Cook and Jordan hired Tarbell and Walter Baker, another Chicago-area magician, to work on the project, but Baker dropped out of the project in its early stages to concentrate on his performances. A few months before his death, Harry Houdini was approached to author the course, but Houdini declined but recommended Tarbell. The publishers agreed, allotting Tarbell $50,000 for the course. Tarbell finished the course in 1928, producing 60 correspondence lessons with at least 3,100 illustrations.

Tarbell later discussed the philosophy behind his course: "There is a big difference between a magician and a man who does tricks...Fundamentally, the making of a magician is no different than the making of other professional people. One must be trained in the mechanics, the alternate methods and be skilled in the presentation in order to meet any conditions which may arise." Unlike other magic courses which placed a greater emphasis on self-working illusions, Tarbell began with fundamental drills and practice sessions involving body position, movement, and sleight-of-hand techniques which were to be incorporated into actual tricks in future lessons.

After selling 10,000 complete courses, Cooke and Jordan discontinued marketing the Tarbell Course in Magic in 1931, blaming the Great Depression for slumping sales. In 1941, however, magician Louis Tannen purchased the rights to the course, working with Tarbell and Ralph W. Read (of Read and Covert) to convert the correspondence lessons into book form.

The Structure of the Course

The entire collection comprises more than one-hundred lessons in every aspect of magic including micromagic/close-up magic, escapology, mentalism and stage Illusions. It is the most comprehensive literary work in magic history. The original five volumes contained sixty correspondence lessons with more than 3,000 illustrations.

In addition to teaching specific tricks, The Tarbell Course also teaches patter, marketing, the history of magic, ethics, advertising, routining, magic theory, performance theory, acting, misdirection, timing and showmanship.

Volume 8 of the series was published as a "graduate lesson" in magic.

Companion books

• Tarbell Companion Book written by Tarbell and edited/published by Steve Burton (1994)
• Tarbell Study Guide Book compiled and edited by Steve Burton (1995)
• Spiritual Applications for Tarbell 1 by Jule L. Miller - Each effect in Tarbell 1 is used in several different ways to prove or explain an appropriate gospel message, and to teach stories from the Bible.
• Spiritual Applications for Tarbell 2 by Jule L. Miller

Lessons

Original Volumes 1-5

1. The History of Magic
2. The History of Sleight-of-Hand
3. Necromancy & Divination
4. Development of Superstitions
5. Magic & Religion
6. Magic & the Science of Medicine
7. The Rope & Tape Principle
8. The Relations of Magic to Other Sciences
9. The Principles of Card Effects
10. Confidence & Enthusiasm
11. The Penetrating Ring, The Jumping Rubber Band, Thumb Tie with Rubber Band
12. The Japanese Thumb Tie
13. Cards That Pass in the Night, The Cars up the Sleeve
14. The Regular Pass, The Card Stab, The Extremist-Ray Knife, The Magnetic Knife
15. The Force, Producing a Card from a Whole Orange, The Card & the Banana
16. Guide to Card Positions, Various Principles of Palming & Shifts, The Conjurer's Touch, A Mysterious Discovery, "Marvello," Cards, Envelope & Hat
17. "Tack It", New Era Version of card Through Handkerchief, Three Cards Through the Handkerchief, Rising Cards Through Handkerchief
18. "Snap It", Flash Card Production, Mystery of the Glass House
19. Rising Cards

Volume 6 (1954)

1. Novel Ball Magic
2. Unique Card Effects
3. Novelty Magic
4. Rope Magic
5. Mind Reading Mysteries
6. X-Ray Eyes and Blindfold Effects
7. Silk and Rope Penetrations
8. Escapes and Substitutions
9. Spirit Ties and Vest Turning
10. Modern Stage Magic
11. Stage Productions
12. Magic As Theatre

Volume 7 (1972)

1. More Mental Magic
2. Card Magic
3. Rope Magic
4. Novelty Magic
5. Money Magic
6. Silk Magic
7. Illusions
8. Miscellaneous Late Arrivals

Volume 8 (1993) - (Tarbell's Graduate Course in Magic)

1. Thoughts and Advice
2. Further Unique Mysteries
3. Magic with Cards
4. Oriental Magic
5. Magic of the Mind
6. Rope Magic
7. Chalk Talk Magic
8. Magic with Apparatus
9. Comedy Magic
10. Pantomime Illusions
11. Making Magic Pay
12. Selling of the Tarbell System

References

• Salute to Harlan Tarbell, The Story of the Tarbell Course in Magic in Tarbell Volume No. 7
• Tribute to magic's greatest teacher by Frances Marshall in Tarbell Volume No. 7