Difference between revisions of "Conjuror's Magazine (Locke)"

Revision as of 16:04, 10 December 2008

The Conjuror's Magazine subtitled "or Magical and Physiognomical Mirror" by William Locke started as a Magic Periodical including everything from card tricks to occultism. Volumes one and two ran from 1791 to 1793. Astrology became such a major theme of its articles that it changed its name in August 1793 to the Astrologer's Magazine and ran for six more issues.

It was the first periodical in which a group advertised themselves openly as workers of magic.

The list of contents for the first issue on August 1791:

• ASTROLOGY
  • Horary Regency of the Plants
  • Decumbiture of a Gentleman, &c.
  • Astrological Tables
  • Explanation of, and Directions for, using the astrological Tables
• Philosophical and ingenious Amusements
  • Surprising and entertaining Deceptions on Cards
• A Mathematical Combination, &c.
  • How to Guess the Thoughts of any Person
  • The Art of Fortune-Telling by Cards
  • To make Sport and cause Mirth with Quicksilver
  • The Old Woman and the Dumplings
• The Art of telling Fortunes by the Lines in the Hands
• Physical Amusements from Pinetti
  • To make a Ring shift from one Hand to another, &c.
  • To Guess by Smelling, &c.
• Legerdemain Performances.
  • To make one Pen-knife out of Three, jump out of a Goblet
  • To pull off any Person's Shirt, without undressing him.
• Metallurgy
  • Method of Assaying Gold and Silver by a short Process

Some of the magic articles in the December, 1791 issue:

• "To Make a Person Tired or Sweat at Carrying a Small Paper or Stick Out of the Room."
• "A Droll Trick With a Cock."
• "The Cambridge Scholar, or a Comical Trick Played With a Fowl."
• "Ingenious Method of Throwing a Ring Out of a Window on a Dark Night and Causing It to be Found in Gentleman's Pocket or Sleeve, as Performed by Herman Boaz.'"

Issues

• Volume 1
  • 1 (Aug 1791)
  • 2 (Sep 1791)
  • 3 (Oct 1791)
  • 4 (Nov 1791)
  • 5 (Dec 1791)
  • 6 (Jan 1792) [Printed as ‘Feb’ in error]
  • 7 (Feb 1792)
  • 8 (Mar 1792)
  • 9 (April 1792)
  • 10 (May 1792)
  • 11 (Jun 1792)
  • 12 (Jul 1792)
• Volume 2
  • 13 (August 1792)
  • 14 (Sep 1792)
  • 15 (Oct 1792)
  • 16 (Nov 1792)
  • 17 (Dec 1792)
  • 18 (Jan 1793)
  • 19 (Feb 1793)
  • 20 (March 1793)
  • 21 (April 1793)
  • 22 (May 1793)
  • 23 (June 1793)
  • 24 (July 1793)
• Volume 3
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6