The Secret Ways of Al Baker Book by Al Baker

"For me, Al Baker has been a source of deep magical inspiration. I consider Al Baker to be one of the giants of twentieth-century magic." -Eugene Burger

Al Baker was one of the most creative figures in magic, a master of close-up, stage magic and mentalism. Now ALL his legendary works are back in print in this volume, plus unpublished effects and more.

Complete versions of Baker's books Magical Ways and Means, Pet Secrets, Al Baker's Book, Al Baker's Second Book, Cardially Yours, and Mental Magic Over 200 additional Baker effects from notes, instructions and journals A dazzling array of never-before-seen Baker photos and rare memorabilia Numerous added illustrations by Katlyn Breene Plus profiles and essays by Eugene Burger, John Carney, Jay Marshall, Max Maven and Teller Click To View the Complete Contents This massive work contains 912 large-format, acid-free, satin-finish pages, hardbound with beautiful full-color dustjacket by artist Katlyn Breene.

A Teacher I Never Met Eugene Burger
Al Baker and the Magical Ideal John Carney
The Recipe Teller
Editor’s Note Todd Karr
The Cat Kept Walking Jay Marshall
Conversations with Jay Marshall
Al Baker and Dennis Jay Marshall
Sketch of My Life Al Baker

AL BAKER’S BOOK (1933)
The Pack that Cuts Itself
The One Man “Lights Up” Séance
A Card and a Number
Al Baker’s Pet Hat Trick
Al Baker’s Rising Cards
Feel My Pulse!
The Al Baker Wrist Tie
The Impossible Card Discovery
Cards of Thought
Al Baker’s Addition Trick
Another Rope is Cut and Restored!
The Finger Points
The Matchmakers
“Say When!”
Al Baker’s Billet Mystery
The Self-Unknotting Handkerchief

AL BAKER’S SECOND BOOK (1935)
A Glass Vanish
Gee!!
Undercover
Another 4-Ace Trick!
Your Pulse Tells
A Card and a Number
Baker’s Bill Switch
Unsight and Unseen
Sex Appeal
Come Seven
Lost and Found
Something from Nothing
Pass the Salt!
Button Button!
The Name Is – !
Me and the Missus
A Novel Escape
The Milky Way

MAGICAL WAYS AND MEANS (1941)
Foreword Elmer P. Ransom
Introduction

Chapter 1: Cards
A Lesson in Magic
The Magician at Home
Red-Black Transposition
One Deck Do As I Do
The Half Card and Cigarette Trick
The Ambitious Card
Herrmann’s Vanish of a Fan of Cards
“Roughing” It
Outguessing the Spectator
Improved Card Code for Two Persons
The Walking and Jumping Card
The Flapless Envelope Switch
The Knife Dial
Slipping the Cut
The Swinging Rising Cards
Poker Face
Miniature Card in Balloon

Chapter 2: Coins and Bills
The Magical Filtration of Four Half Dollars
The Stack of Quarters
The Rising Coin
A Dinner Table Trick
Bending a Half Dollar
A Knotty Problem
Dollar Bill and Cigarette
The Erectile Dollar Bill
The Dollar Bill Switch
Envelopes and Coin

Chapter 3: Silks
The Twentieth Century Silk Trick
Phantom Tube
Spirits at Work
A Silk Force
The Knot That Just Won’t
The Sympathetic Silks

Chapter 4: Ropes
Give a Magician Enough Rope
A Rope Interlude

Chapter 5: Mindreading
Cooperative Conjuring
Acme Mindreading Effect
Seeing Through Solid Matter
A Super-Superprediction
Concentration
Al Baker Number Force
The Baker Slate Easel
Any Telephone Book Test
The Number and Book Test

Chapter Six: Mnemonics
The Saturday Evening Post Feat
Phenomenal Memory
An Impossible Count
The Celebrity Feat
The Polish Psychic
Living and Dead Test Plus
A Miracle of Memory
The Pairs Repaired

Chapter 7: The Linking Rings
Linking Rings Opening
The Linking Rings

Chapter 8: Specialties
The Levitation of a Glass of Liquid
The Naomi Goldfish Bowl Production
Ink Filtration
Welded Flash Paper
Glass Penetration
The Flying Match Head
Kiddie Party Slate
The Torn and Restored Paper Napkin
The Quick and the Dead
The Cut and Restored Necktie

Appendix: Manuscript Materials
A Lesson in Magic
The Knife Dial
The Linking Rings

MENTAL MAGIC (1949)
Foreword

Chapter 1
First Lesson in Mind Reading Technique
The Baker Switch
Bill-epathy

Chapter 2
New Light on the Center Tear
The Baker Method of Reading the Center Tear
Co-Incidentally

Chapter 3
Telephone Mysteries
A Telemirakel
Over the Phone
Telephony

Chapter 4
Mental Magic Effects
No-Nomonics
Baker’s Eight Card Trick
Thought Transmission
Al Baker’s Envelope Switch
Envelope as an Accessory
Chicken-Feed
Parlor Telepathy
Impossible!
Pellet Reading
Out of the Air
Baker Switch Number 2
Secret Reading of Billets
Pseudo-Fortune Telling Séance
The Dead Man’s Name
Mental Card Tricks
The Pulse of the People
The Stethoscope
Telepathy for Two
Unconscious Clairvoyance
The Magic Bell

Appendices
Adrian Plate’s System of Mnemonics
Fortune Telling Significance of Playing Cards
Recapitulation of Al Baker’s Rules

PET SECRETS (1951)
Foreword Dai Vernon
Introduction Jean Hugard

Chapter 1: Hair Magic
Hair Secrets
The Baker General Utility Hook-up
The Double-Ended Hook-up
Double-Breasted Hook-up
The Balancing Card
The Card From the Hat
The Deck That Cuts Itself
The Simplex Rising Cards
The Rising Ring
The Grandfather Clock Trick
Miscellaneous Hair Tricks

Chapter 2: Thread Magic
The Al Baker Arabian Beads
Floating Glass of Milk
The Hindu Thread Trick
Coin Production

Chapter 3: Rope Magic
The Instantaneous Visible Restoration
The Al Baker Lightning Pull
The Doctor Cuts a Rope
Ring and Tape Penetration
Variation on Stretching a Rope

Chapter 4: Card Magic
The Jet-Propelled Card
Double Impossibility
Color Flight
The Spectator Does the Trick
The Impossible Force
The Baker “Readers”
Mental Discernment
The Lie Detector
Long-Distance Telepathy
The Clairvoyant Spectator
How to Force a Card
The Card Between Glass Plates
Jumbo Switch
Giant Gambling

Chapter 5: Mental Magic
Double Thought
One-Man Billet Reading
The Baker Billet Switch
Center Tear Tip
Mental Masterpiece
The Telepathic Miracle

Chapter 6: Money Magic
The Baker Bill Tear
The Stack of Quarters
The Vanishing Quarter
Fun with the Money-Making Machine
Dime and Penny Gag
The Bill in the Borrowed Lemon

Chapter 7: Magic from Another World
The Baker Spirit Photo
Magnetisn’t

Chapter 8: Various Magic
The Baker Chewing Gum Trick
Finesse with the Dye Tube
The Vanishing Glass of Water
Salt Flight
Silk Transportation
Sugar Cube Vanish
Goldfish Production
Bar Trick Fooler
Egg Finale
Rabbit Production
The Obedient Snake
The Short Highball

MANUSCRIPTS

THE TWENTY-FIVE DOLLAR MANUSCRIPT (Ca. 1929)
Billet Reading Extraordinary
Two-Person Slate Test
My Method of Getting Rid of Flap While in Audience
How to Exchange a Pack of Cards for a Prearranged Pack
The Billet Test
The Pack That Cuts Itself
Living and Dead Test
Al Baker’s Deck of Cards
Mind Reading Card Trick
Two Souls with but a Single Thought

AL BAKER’S PACK (1932)
The Card Counting Mystery
The Two Card Location
Mind Reading Trick
Al Baker’s Wonderful Prediction
Al Baker’s Famous Two Souls Trick
Poker Face

CARDIALLY YOURS (1934)
Color Flight
Out On Location
Eyes All Around
The Fall of the Wise
A Dirty Trick
Al Baker’s Stacked Deck
The One I Like

EFFECTS 1, 2, AND 3 (Ca. 1939)

CARD TRIO (1948)
Prediction Trick
Cards Across
The Pack That Cuts Itself

INSTRUCTIONS
Al – N – Dai
“Al” Producto
Albaka
Albakerdabra
Alnate
Bakerise
Bakerscope
Ball and Glass Trick
Bead Trick
Cut and Restrung Bead Trick
Bak-Had Bead Trick
Best Card Trick
A Borrowed Cigarette Remade
Card and Envelope
Card in Pocketbook
Checking the Dead Name
Cutting a Card
Dictionary Trick
Diminishing Cards
Dyeing Tube Method
The Great Purse Game
Improved Swami
Jo-Baka
Living and Dead Problem
Magnetisn’t
Mindreading Trick
Monte Surprise
My Pet Card Trick
Newspaper Trick
Number, Please
Oh Bunk
Plate-Biting Stunt
Ribbon Trick
Rice Bowls
Ring Around Rosie
Rope Routine
Salt Trick
Spirit Slates
Master Addition Slate
Lock Spirit Slate
Tea Table Telepathy
Telepathic Selection
Thought Transmission
Torn and Restored Paper Strip
Tri-Coin
Photographic Coins
Copper or Silver: Which?
Cards and Coins
Vanishing Lead Pencil
Vanishing Wand
Vocalepathy
With Any Telephone Book Test
Leon Maguire Magazine Test

BOOK CONTRIBUTIONS
A Prediction
Cherchez La Femme
Eye Witnesses
The Finger Knows and Tells
The Magic Thrust
The Migrating Cards
Mysterious Divination
A Problem in Plumbago
Red-Black Detection
Snappy Number
Switching the Deck
Think “Stop”
Twin Souls

MAGAZINES

Brotherhood Secrets
A Letter

Genii
Strip Tease
Two Ideas of Al Baker

Hugard’s Magical Monthly
Change for a Dollar

The Jinx
Nufind
Numero!

The Phoenix
Climax

The Sphinx
Card Rising Wand
Some Useful Hints for Young Magicians
More Hints
Limerick
If the Editor Printed the Things He Would Like to Say
Al Baker Says
Burlesques
Al Baker’s Reflections
Al Baker’s Philosophy
Al Baker’s Phantasies
Wisdom and Wizardry
More Tricks and Wisdom
More Wisdom and Tricks
More Tricks and Wisdom
More Tricks and Wisdom
Al Baker Goes Visiting
My Way of Doing Two Tricks
Tricks and Likes and Dislikes
Another Trick and Letter
Those Were the Happy Days
Presto! Blooey!
Magic Around Times Square
Al Baker’s Magic News (October 1932)
Al Baker’s Magic News (November 1932)
A Letter to Harold (December 1932)
A Letter to Harold (February 1933)
A Letter to Harold (March 1933)
A Letter to Harold (April 1933)
A Letter to Harold (May 1933)
Cards from Hat
Another Luncheon Conversation
Message from Beyond
Al Baker’s Method
A Vanishing Glass of Milk
Dematerializing Coins
Trilby, Jr.
The Weigh of All Flesh
What Makes a Trick
Catching Coins
Magician’s Nightmare
The Boy, the Bottle, and Guinea Pig
A New Letter
“Here’s Another One Here, Doctor”
Dollar ’n’ Blitzen
A Letter to Harold (January 1948)
A Letter to Harold (March 1948)
Tricks I Like
A Letter to Harold (December 1949)
A Letter to Harold (October 1950)
Bottoms Down

NOTEBOOKS
Another Card-Finding Stunt
Another Subtle Mystery
Attaching Hairs
Best Card Trick
Second Method
For Two Persons
Bill Trick
Burned Ribbon Trick
Card and Safety Match Trick
Card Change
Card Force
Card Force Using Short Card
Card Found at Chosen Number
Card from the Hat
Finger Tip Method
Clockwork Method
New Improved Rising Card from Hat
Card in Wallet
New Method
Cards and Dice Trick
Cards Up the Sleeve
Cigar Band Trick
Cigarette Paper Trick
Cigarette Trick
Coin in Envelope
Coin in the Ball of Wool
Color-Changing Handkerchief Through Fist
Cornucopia
Crimp
Cups and Balls
Cutting a Card in Half
Cutting the Same Number of Cards Counted
Deck and Envelopes
Developing Messages Before the Audience
Dice Trick
Dictionary and Postal Card
Dollar Bill Trick
Dollar Bill Vanish
Dyeing Handkerchief Trick
Eyesight Trick
Five Nickels
Four Ace Tricks Using Envelopes
Giant Memory Card Trick
Glass of Water and Coin
Harmonica Trick
Hooked Coins
Knockout
Latest Rope Effect: The Sliding Knots
Living and Dead Trick
Improved Living and Dead Trick
Impromptu Living and Dead Trick
Mathematical Number Trick
Mental Force
Mental Trick
MInd-Reading Card Trick
Mind Reading with a Pack of Cards
Improved Version
Miracle Man’s Penny Trick
Name and Calling Card Trick
Old Coin Game
Pack That Cuts Itself
Pellets and Cards Trick
Penetrating Coins
Pretty Paper Trick
Psychic Ball and Card Trick
Psychic Photography
Psychic Photography Improved
Latest Psychic Photography
Ribbon Laundry
Ring Trick
Roterberg Card Box Trick
Simplified Roterberg Card Box Trick
Selected Card Found
Sense of Touch Card Trick
Slate Trick
Spelling Trick
To Spell Chosen Card
Spirit Dollar Bill Trick
Stabbing Card Trick
Improved Stabbing Card Trick
Stack of Coins Through the Hand
Stop Trick
Strange Coincidence
Stretched Bill
Super Cut and Restored Rope
Sympathetic Cards
Sympathetic Coins
Ten Cards and Envelope Trick
Thirty Card Trick
Latest Thirty Card Trick
Method 2
Method 3
Method 4
Method 5
Thought Foretold
Thread Trick
Three Card Trick
Thumb Tip Preparation
To Name Any Card Drawn
To Perform with a Borrowed, Shuffled Pack
To Tell the Name of Any Card
To Tell the Number of Cards
Torn and Restored Strip of Paper
Tube and Rings Trick
Twentieth Century Handkerchief Trick
Two-Person Mental Card Trick
Two-Person Mind-Reading
Ubiquitous Card
Vanishing Coin from Handkerchief
Weight Trick
Wonderful Four Card and Pellets Mystery
Yale Lock Key Trick
You Do As I Do With One Pack

THE ART OF VENTRILOQUISM
Unpublished Baker manuscript

LETTERS

CHAUTAUQUA, 1927

ANNEMANN AND BAKER
Introduction to The Book Without a Name
Greta Annemann
Torn and Restored Magazine Page
Editrivia: Baker in The Jinx
The Accidental Mentor
Introduction Max Maven
Annemann Letters to Baker

PROFILES
Mr. Al Baker
Sphinx Cover Story (1925)
A Visit with Al Baker John Braun
Al Baker, Comedian C. T. (Cliff) Green
Al Baker Programme
Sphinx Cover Story (1929)
Al Baker’s Psychology Harlan Tarbell
Sphinx Cover Story (1937)
A Great Guy Dorny
1944 Sphinx Al Baker Issue
1948 Fiftieth Anniversay Bruce Reynolds
Recollections of Al Baker Walter B. Gibson
Obituaries

APPENDICES

THE CARD FROM THE HAT Eugene Burger

BILLETS DEUX Phil Goldstein
Baker’s Doesn’t
Revers-Al

AL BAKER’S HUMOR
The Magic Funnel
Egg Bag
Wrist Tie
Jokes
Magic Shop Gags

INDEX