At Vanishing Inc., we celebrate the history of magic and welcome with open arms new and fascinating scholarship about our craft. That's why Gibiciere is our very favorite publication on magic history. A magnificent collection of fascinating articles for your perusal from all over the globe. Inside this issue:
GALASSO ON THE TRAIL OF HORATIO - Mauro Massironi
Horatio Galasso was a monumental figure in magic, yet almost nothing was known about the Italian author of Giochi di carte. At the urging of William Kalush, Mauro Massironi has searched for and uncovered important information on the life of Galasso and on the publication of his major work.
A DEVOTIONE - William Kalush
Mr. Massironi presents his findings in the opening article, introduced by William Kalush, who provides further information about the book. Kalush also makes the first public announcement of another development, the discovery of a second conjuring book by Galasso. The story of this work, Galasso's Devotione del signore, is presented here.
BORGES AND MAGIC: HOW TO HIDE A MURDER WITH A CARD TRICK - Federico Luduena
Federico Luduena supplies still more surprises, with his article on the connections of magic to the life and works of the revered Argentine author, Jorge Luis Borges. While Borges has been widely recognized for more than fifty years as a towering figure in world literature, his name has been seen only recently dropped by several magicians in the pages of magic's literature. Mr. Luduena's article provides further reason why this should be so.
THE MYSTERIES OF PHARAOH UNVEILED
The third major topic in this issue is a rare book on card cheating, Les misters du pharaon devoiles (The mysteries of pharaoh unveiled). Written in French by an anonymous author, and published in Leipzig, c. 1802, this book presents a contemporary view and exposes of methods used for cheating at the game of Pharaoh (or Faro) and Bassette (Basset). Lori Pieper has once again delivered a rare and difficult work to English-language readers, while Thierry Depaulis has brought to bear his profound knowledge of history's card games to introduce Les misters du pharaon devoiles and to clarify a number of points in its text.
The contributions of all those mentioned have created another lengthy issue that holds many revelations and much to enjoy.