The Art of Magic by Ken Trombly

Ken Trombly's lavish new book The Art of Magic -- A Lifetime of Collecting has just been released by Vanishing Inc. While not among the preview pics, know that the book contains not one but two chapters of Houdini treasures, including several items never before published. Here's a taste of what's inside.

Step inside one of the world’s most astonishing private collections of magic posters—now revealed for the first time. The Art of Magic chronicles one of the world’s finest collections of magic posters. The oversized book is, itself, a work of art. It is a collection dedicated entirely to the art and artistry of magic history.

Author Ken Trombly is one of the industry’s most fervent collectors of magic art: lithographs, posters, etchings–if it depicts a magician in history, Ken probably owns a copy in mint condition. His house is a wonderland from the golden age of magic. But few of us will ever get to see his collection in person. So…The Art of Magic brings that collection right to your fingertips.

You’ll learn about the heroes you know–Kellar, Chung Ling Soo, Thurston, Houdini–but you’ll see images here that you won’t find anywhere else. You’ll learn about John Henry Anderson and Robert-Houdin, who preceded the golden age of magic, and what’s particularly fascinating here is that you can see, literally, as the technology and art evolve, from broadsides of almost all types, to some wood etchings, to bursts of color in the stone lithographs we all know and love.

Ken Trombly provides the commentary for each image. He tells brief histories of each performer, how he acquired the piece, and often why the piece speaks to him as a collector. It’s a deeply personal accounting of one collector’s journey in our craft.

The Art of Magic -- A Lifetime of Collecting is being released as a Regular and Deluxe Edition. You can purchase it now at Vanishing Inc.

Related:

• Houdini and the Spiritualists with Ken Trombly
• Houdini hanging out in Houston