Hofzinser's Card Conjuring

Hofzinser's Card Conjuring is a book about Johann Nepomuk Hofzinser card magic written in German by Ottokar Fischer as "Kartenkünste"

The material is a bit hard to follow. The original German descriptions are a bit flawed since Hofzinser died long before Fischer became interested in his magic, and Fischer was not be best writer. He had to rely upon second-hand descriptions from Hofzinser's friends and students. Then with the English translation, the results are so far removed from the original source it causes many problems trying to reconstruct the sleights and effects.

Although without this book, the work of Hofzinser may have been forgotten.

Editions

• 'Kartenkünste' by Ottokar Fischer (1910) (German)
• Hofzinser's Card Conjuring by Ottokar Fischer; 1st edition, (1931) translated by Samuel H. Sharpe, published by George Johnson, London.
• Hofzinser's Card Conjuring by Ottokar Fischer reprint, 1973 by Karl Fulves
• Hofzinser's Card Conjuring by Ottokar Fischer reprint, 1986, Dover Publications, New York

• Hofzinser's Card Tricks based on S.H. Sharpe's "Hofzinser's Card Conjuring". Illustrated by Joseph K. Schmidt by Karl Fulves (2002)
• The Magic of J. N. Hofzinser (ebook) by Johann Nepomuk Hofzinser & Ottokar Fischer & Richard Hatch (2008)

Contents

• iii Foreword
• 8 Editor's Preface
• 11 Preface
• 14 Biography of J. N. Hofzinser
• 19 Guide to Performance
• 23 Experiments with Unprepared Cards
  • 23 The Sympathetic Numbers
  • 25 Synonymous Thoughts (First Method)
  • 29 Association of Thoughts
  • 33 The Four Eights
• 39 Experiments with Duplicate Unprepared Cards
  • 39 Everywhere and Nowhere (First Method)
  • 45 The Four Aces
  • The Metamorphosis of the Flying Card
• 55 Experiments with Double-Sided Cards
  • 55 Sensation
  • 59 Pre-Determination of Thought
  • 65 Thought
  • 69 The Power of Faith
  • 75 The Four Kings
  • 81 Experiments with Pre-arranged Packs
  • 81 Domination of Thought (First Method)
  • 85 Domination of Thought (Second Method)
• 89 Experiments with Divided Cards
  • 89 Remember and Forget (First Method)
  • 93 Remember and Forget (Second Method)
  • 97 Remember and Forget (Third Method)
  • 101 Omnipotence of the Ladies
  • 111 Deceive Your Neighbor as Yourself
  • 117 The Married Hearts
  • 123 The Married Hearts, the Loving Couple
  • 127 The Queen of Hearts
  • 131 The Mysterious Pack of Cards
  • 135 Everywhere and Nowhere (Second Method)
  • 141 Everywhere and Nowhere (Third Method)
• 151 Experiments with Differently Prepared Cards
  • 151 Synonymous Thoughts (Second Method)
  • 155 The Insoluble Impromptu
  • 159 Lost, Stolen or Strayed - a King
• 163 Experiments with the application of Transparent Cards
  • 163 The Ace of Hearts
• 167 Experiments with Mechanical Apparatus
  • 167 The Flying Thought
  • 169 The Three Powers
• 185 Appendix
• 185 Card Problems