Help us get to over 8,755 articles in 2024.

If you know of a magician not listed in MagicPedia, start a New Biography for them. Contact us at magicpediahelp@gmail.com

Robert Nelson: Difference between revisions

From Magicpedia, the free online encyclopedia for magicians by magicians.
Jump to navigation Jump to search
No edit summary
(adding mentalism cat)
 
(5 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown)
Line 21: Line 21:
| misc                      =
| misc                      =
}}
}}
'''Robert Nelson''' (1901-1973), founder of [[Nelson Enterprises]] (and Bob Nelson's Magic Shop), specialized in mentalism.
'''Robert Nelson''' (1901-1973), founder of [[Nelson Enterprises]] (and Bob Nelson's Magic Shop) in Columus, Ohio, specialized in [[mentalism]].


== Biography ==
== Biography ==
He started Nelson Enterprises on February 10th, [[1921]].<ref> [[Conjurers' Magazine]], Vol. 2, No. 1, march 1946, page 30.</ref>
Nelson Enterprises was founded on February 10th, [[1921]]<ref> [[Conjurers' Magazine]], Vol. 2, No. 1, March 1946, page 30.</ref> to supply props and instructions for performing mentalism on stage, as well as tools and supplies for those who pitched metaphysical lectures at public venues, and those who served private reading clients. Much of the artwork in the annual Nelson catalogues was provided by [[Nelson C. Hahne]], who signed his art as "NH" or as "Nelson." During the 1940s, Robert Nelson purchased the entirety of [[Claude Alexander Conlin]]'s stage act and remaining chromolithographic posters and sold them to performers, including [[Leon Mandrake]], who used them to bill himself as Alexander, The Man Who Knows.


Nelson operated the "Voice of Destiny" radio program as '''Dr. Korda RaMayne''' for seven years and  performed a crystal-gazing act as "RaMayne"
Nelson operated the "Voice of Destiny" radio program as '''Dr. Korda RaMayne''' for seven years and  performed a crystal-gazing act as "RaMayne." He also published pitch books for mentalists, private readers, astrologers, and numerologists under the RaMayne name, though his Psychic Sciences publishing wing.


He helped organize the Howard Thurston [[IBM]] Ring, the Columbus Magic Club, and the Magic Hobby Club of Ohio (of which he served as
The company's printing department maintained its own staff to serve pitchmen and private office mentalists.  Nelson's "Tomorrowscope" service, for instance, provided natal horoscope readings assembled from pre-printed sheets selected for each birth date and year, delivered to astrologers all around the United States by air-mail with a three-day turn-around. Likewise, for a slight additional fee, the RaMayne booklets could be purchased with the default author's name removed and the buyer's own name surprinted on the cover.
president of all.)<ref>By Thompson, Jr., J.G.. "My Best", 1945, p. 370</ref>


He was a prolific author of mentalism books.
Nelson helped organize the Howard Thurston [[IBM]] Ring, the Columbus Magic Club, and the Magic Hobby Club of Ohio, and he served as
president of all three.<ref>By Thompson, Jr., J.G.. "My Best", 1945, p. 370</ref> He maintained a small demonstration theater in his shop.
 
He was a prolific author of mentalism books.  
==Books==
==Books==
*[[Sensational Effects]] (1928)
*[[Sensational Effects]] (1928)
*Super Mentality (1929)
*Super Mentality (1929)
*[[Psychic Mysteries]] (1929)
*[[Psychic Mysteries]] (1929)
*The X-Ray Eye Act with Lecture (1929)
*The Psychological Reading (1929; 1933)
*Publicity Stories and Press Notices Adaptable to Your Attraction (1929)
*How to Read Sealed Billets / How to Read Sealed Messages (1929; 1933)
*Confessions of a Medium (1930)
*Confessions of a Medium (1930)
*Psychic Mysteries 1931 Tricks
*Psychic Mysteries (1931)
*More Effective Answers to Questions (1932)
*More Effective Answers to Questions (1932)
*Stage Hypnotism Course (1935)
*Pseudo-Hypnotism and Hypnotism via Radio  / The Nelson Stage Hypnotism Course (1929; 1935)
*Hellstromism (1936)
*Mind Divination: One Person Program / Mind Divination: The One-Man Master Act (1933; 1957)
*Modern Blindfold Street Drive (1933)
*Super Prediction Tricks (with E.J. Moore) (1933; 1947)
*Sensational Answers (1933; 1944)
*Tele-Thought (1933)
*Hellstromism (1935)
*The Master Code (1935; 1959)
*Technique of the Private Reader (1936)
*Technique of the Private Reader (1936)
*Making Mindreading Pay (1936)
*Making Mindreading Pay (1936)
Line 47: Line 59:
*Man and Wife Mindreading Act (1942)
*Man and Wife Mindreading Act (1942)
*The Miracle Deck (1942)
*The Miracle Deck (1942)
*Private Medium's Secret Guide (1942)
*[[Encyclopedia of Mentalism]] (1944)
*[[Encyclopedia of Mentalism]] (1944)
*Sensational Answers (1944)
*Sensational Answers (1944)
Line 57: Line 70:
*Manual of Publicity and Exploitation (1948)
*Manual of Publicity and Exploitation (1948)
*The New Dr. Q. Book (1948)
*The New Dr. Q. Book (1948)
*How To Book your Attraction (1951)
* Brain Busters (1948)
*How To Book your Attraction (1951; 1959)
*[[The Art of Cold Reading]] (1951)
*[[The Art of Cold Reading]] (1951)
*Secret Methods of Private Reader (1953)
*Secret Methods of the Private Reader (1953; 1964)
*The Mentalist's Manual (1953)
*The Mentalist's Manual (1953; 1964)
*[[TV Mentalism]] (1955)
*[[TV Mentalism]] (1955)
*Hypno-Trix (1956)
*Hypno-Trix (1956)
Line 71: Line 85:
*[[Mentalism and Its Presentation]] (1959)
*[[Mentalism and Its Presentation]] (1959)
*More Miracles in Mentalism (1959)
*More Miracles in Mentalism (1959)
*The Master Code (reprint) (1959)
*Mental Exploits (1960)
*Mental Exploits (1960)
*Encyclopedia of Mentalism (3rd edition) (1960)
*Encyclopedia of Mentalism (3rd edition) (1960)
Line 78: Line 91:
*Comedy Mentalism, Vol. 1 (1962)
*Comedy Mentalism, Vol. 1 (1962)
*Comedy Mentalism, Vol. 2 (1963)
*Comedy Mentalism, Vol. 2 (1963)
*Comedy Mentalism, Vol. 3 (1964)
*Phantom Mindreader (1964)
*Phantom Mindreader (1964)
*Comedy Mentalism, Vol. 3 (1964)
*[[Sensational Mentalism]] (1965)
*[[Sensational Mentalism]] (1965)
*The Horoscope Party Manual (1968)
*The Horoscope Party Manual (1968)
*Sensational Mentalism, Vol. 2 (1968)
*[[Sensational Mentalism]], Vol. 2 (1968)
*The Last Book of Nelson : An Autobiography, Plus (1970)  
*The Last Book of Nelson : An Autobiography, Plus (1970)  
*[[A Sequel to the Art of Cold Reading]] (1971)
*[[A Sequel to the Art of Cold Reading]] (1971)
*Sensational Mentalism, Vol. 3 (1972)
*[[Sensational Mentalism]], Vol. 3 (1972)
*Commercial Mentalism (1972)
*Commercial Mentalism (1972)
*Sensational Mentalism, Vol. 4 (1977)
*[[Sensational Mentalism]], Vol. 4 (1977)  (published posthumously)


{{References}}
{{References}}
Line 95: Line 108:




 
[[Category:Mentalism]]
[[Category:Biographies]]
[[Category:Biographies]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nelson,Robert}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nelson,Robert}}

Latest revision as of 20:20, 20 March 2019

Robert Nelson

Cover of Genii (1958)
BornRobert Alan Nelson
November 16, 1901
Columbus, Ohio
DiedFebruary 21, 1973 (age 71)
CategoriesBooks by Robert Nelson

Robert Nelson (1901-1973), founder of Nelson Enterprises (and Bob Nelson's Magic Shop) in Columus, Ohio, specialized in mentalism.

Biography

Nelson Enterprises was founded on February 10th, 1921[1] to supply props and instructions for performing mentalism on stage, as well as tools and supplies for those who pitched metaphysical lectures at public venues, and those who served private reading clients. Much of the artwork in the annual Nelson catalogues was provided by Nelson C. Hahne, who signed his art as "NH" or as "Nelson." During the 1940s, Robert Nelson purchased the entirety of Claude Alexander Conlin's stage act and remaining chromolithographic posters and sold them to performers, including Leon Mandrake, who used them to bill himself as Alexander, The Man Who Knows.

Nelson operated the "Voice of Destiny" radio program as Dr. Korda RaMayne for seven years and performed a crystal-gazing act as "RaMayne." He also published pitch books for mentalists, private readers, astrologers, and numerologists under the RaMayne name, though his Psychic Sciences publishing wing.

The company's printing department maintained its own staff to serve pitchmen and private office mentalists. Nelson's "Tomorrowscope" service, for instance, provided natal horoscope readings assembled from pre-printed sheets selected for each birth date and year, delivered to astrologers all around the United States by air-mail with a three-day turn-around. Likewise, for a slight additional fee, the RaMayne booklets could be purchased with the default author's name removed and the buyer's own name surprinted on the cover.

Nelson helped organize the Howard Thurston IBM Ring, the Columbus Magic Club, and the Magic Hobby Club of Ohio, and he served as president of all three.[2] He maintained a small demonstration theater in his shop.

He was a prolific author of mentalism books.

Books

  • Sensational Effects (1928)
  • Super Mentality (1929)
  • Psychic Mysteries (1929)
  • The X-Ray Eye Act with Lecture (1929)
  • The Psychological Reading (1929; 1933)
  • Publicity Stories and Press Notices Adaptable to Your Attraction (1929)
  • How to Read Sealed Billets / How to Read Sealed Messages (1929; 1933)
  • Confessions of a Medium (1930)
  • Psychic Mysteries (1931)
  • More Effective Answers to Questions (1932)
  • Pseudo-Hypnotism and Hypnotism via Radio / The Nelson Stage Hypnotism Course (1929; 1935)
  • Mind Divination: One Person Program / Mind Divination: The One-Man Master Act (1933; 1957)
  • Modern Blindfold Street Drive (1933)
  • Super Prediction Tricks (with E.J. Moore) (1933; 1947)
  • Sensational Answers (1933; 1944)
  • Tele-Thought (1933)
  • Hellstromism (1935)
  • The Master Code (1935; 1959)
  • Technique of the Private Reader (1936)
  • Making Mindreading Pay (1936)
  • Nelson's Super Code (1937)
  • Visions of Tomorrow (1941)
  • Man and Wife Mindreading Act (1942)
  • The Miracle Deck (1942)
  • Private Medium's Secret Guide (1942)
  • Encyclopedia of Mentalism (1944)
  • Sensational Answers (1944)
  • Musical Thoughts (1944)
  • Dante's System of Life Span Reading (1944)
  • Miracles in Mentalism (and Psychic Experimentation) (1945)
  • Hotel and Nite Club Mindreading (1947)
  • Super Prediction Tricks (with E.J. Moore) (1947)
  • The Ghost Book of Dark Secrets (1948)
  • Manual of Publicity and Exploitation (1948)
  • The New Dr. Q. Book (1948)
  • Brain Busters (1948)
  • How To Book your Attraction (1951; 1959)
  • The Art of Cold Reading (1951)
  • Secret Methods of the Private Reader (1953; 1964)
  • The Mentalist's Manual (1953; 1964)
  • TV Mentalism (1955)
  • Hypno-Trix (1956)
  • Projected Answers (1956)
  • Miracles of the Mind (1956)
  • Sensational Effects (revised) (1958)
  • Master Course in Hypnotism (1958)
  • New Dr. Q. Slate Routines (1958)
  • E.S.P. Brain Busters (1958)
  • Mentalism and Its Presentation (1959)
  • More Miracles in Mentalism (1959)
  • Mental Exploits (1960)
  • Encyclopedia of Mentalism (3rd edition) (1960)
  • Club and Party Mentalism (1961)
  • Still More Miracles in Mentalism (1961)
  • Comedy Mentalism, Vol. 1 (1962)
  • Comedy Mentalism, Vol. 2 (1963)
  • Comedy Mentalism, Vol. 3 (1964)
  • Phantom Mindreader (1964)
  • Sensational Mentalism (1965)
  • The Horoscope Party Manual (1968)
  • Sensational Mentalism, Vol. 2 (1968)
  • The Last Book of Nelson : An Autobiography, Plus (1970)
  • A Sequel to the Art of Cold Reading (1971)
  • Sensational Mentalism, Vol. 3 (1972)
  • Commercial Mentalism (1972)
  • Sensational Mentalism, Vol. 4 (1977) (published posthumously)

References

  1. Conjurers' Magazine, Vol. 2, No. 1, March 1946, page 30.
  2. By Thompson, Jr., J.G.. "My Best", 1945, p. 370