Have you heard of the story of Conjurer Dick Hazard magic book?
Actually this children novel is just titled “Conjurer Dick”, and the protagonist of the story is a boy magician named Dick Hazard.
This 1886 novel was written by Angelo John Lewis.
Angelo John Lewis who is more popularly known by its nom de plume Professor Hoffmann in the conjuring fraternity.
It is said that John Lewis used the pen name, Professor Hoffman, because his profession as a lawyer.
This was the first book that had his pseudonym, Professor Hoffmann, as well as his real name, Angelo J. Lewis, on the cover.
Dick Hazard Magic Book
The story of “Conjurer Dick” is about the boy magician, Dick Hazard and his travels and adventures.
Dick Hazard started off as an apprentice to the eccentric and vice-ridden magician Professor Vosper.
At the end of the novel, Hazard quit conjuring when he finds life as a conjurer is no bed of roses.
He becomes a lawyer with a stable home and social life.
Hoffmann included the workings of several magic tricks in the fiction, that included: the “Egg Bag,” “Coin Box,” “Production of Sweets,” Die Through Hat,” “Dancing Sailor,” “Torn-and-Restored Card,” “Second Sight,” “Miser’s Dream,” and the “Inexhaustible Bottle”.
There are twenty-four chapters in this magical book by Professor Hoffmann.
He also wrote another short story entitled “The Haunted Hat: A Magical Short Story” which was first published in Chambers’s Journal, January 7, 1905.
This story was reprinted in Stanyon’s Magic Magazine, Volume V, Number 8 – May 1905.
Related: Free Ellis Stanyon books online
Free Stanyon’s Magic Magazine Vol. I
Click on this: Link
If you want to get more free books by Ellis Stanyon, sign up a free account with lybrary.com, and then go to The Learned Pig.
The story is listed below.
Angelo John Lewis even wrote a satirical play for the stage, titled “King Koko” or “The Pretty Princess And The Lucky Lover” .
Basically it is a drawing-room conjuring entertainment in the guise of a stage play.
It is an entertaining farce about a colorful King, his beautiful daughter, her fairy godmother, and the two suitors who try to win her hand in marriage.
In this play, it is filled with 20 magical illusions that enhanced the enchanting fairy tale.
There are twenty-seven illustrations help to explain the effects in this book.
All this time, Angelo John Lewis, or better known as Professor Hoffmann, was known for his classic book “Modern Magic”.
“Modern Magic” completely sold out its first edition of two thousand copies within seven weeks.
When this book was first published, it caused an outrage among the fellow magicians.
One magician even wrote “Hoffmann deserves to be hanged” for exposing their cherished secrets of their trade.
In fact, this book inspired many great past conjurors, that include Howard Thurston, William Robinson (aka Chung Ling Soo), and Claude Alexander Conlin (aka Alexander: The Man Who Knows).
RELATED: The book “Modern Magic” by Professor Hoffmann is mentioned in the novel by Spanish Enrique De Hériz.
It is found in chapter “Populus Vult Decipi”.
The Manual Of Darkness By Enrique De Hériz, Translated from the Spanish by Frank Wynne
Click on this: Link
After the success of this magic book, he came out with three sequels: “More Magic”, “Later Magic”, and “Latest Magic”.
Besides writing his own materials, Professor Hoffmann/Angelo John Lewis also translated a couple of books in magic by Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin.
Free Professor Hoffmann Books For Download
Below here I have curated a collection of twenty-one (21) Professor Hoffmann’s books relating to conjuring and stage magic which are available free online.
Thirteen of the books were written by Professor Hoffmann, while the other three were by French watchmaker, magician and illusionist, Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin.
Angelo John Lewis translated and edited them.
You just click on any of the link which will take you directly to the source of the free book.
NOTE: All the free e-books which I recommended in this blog, there is no redirecting to any landing page or the need to sign up any account.
You will get the free books there and then from the direct sources.
Modern Magic: A Practical Treatise On The Art Of Conjuring
Click any of these: Link 1, Link 2, Link 3, Link 4, Link 5, Link 6, Link 7
More Magic By Professor Hoffmann
Click on any of these: Link 1, Link 2, Link 3, Link 4
Hoffmann’s Later Magic
Click on any of these: Link 1, Link 2, Link 3, Link 4, Link 5
Latest Magic By Professor Hoffmann
Click on any of these: Link 1, Link 2, Link 3, Link 4
Magical Tidbits
Click on any of these: Link 1, Link 2, Link 3
The Haunted Hat: A Magical Short Story
Click on any of these: Link 1, Link 2, Link 3
Tricks With Cards: A Complete Manual Of Card Conjuring
Click on any of these: Link 1, Link 2
Card Trick With Apparatus
Click on this: Link
Card Tricks Without Apparatus
Click on this: Link
Conjuring Tricks With Coins, Watches, Rings And Handkerchiefs; From “Modern Magic”
Click on any of these: Link 1, Link 2
Magic At Home: A Book Of Amusing Science, Translated And Edited By Professor Hoffmann
Click on this: Link
Hoffman’s Book Of Mystery
Click on any of these: Link 1, Link 2
Conjuror Dick By Professor Hoffmann
Click on any of these: Link 1, Link 2
King Koko or The Pretty Princess And The Lucky Lover
Click on this: Link
Hoyle’s Games Modernized Edited By Professor Hoffmann
Click on any of these: Link 1, Link 2
Four Magic Books In French Translated By Professor Hoffmann:
Drawing Room Conjuring (Prestidigitation Moderne: Recueil de Tours De Physique Amusante)
Click on any of these: Link 1, Link 2
* The free book in French “Prestidigitation Moderne: Recueil de Tours De Physique Amusante” is found here.
The Secrets Of Conjuring And Magic: Or how To Become A Wizard
Click on any of these: Link 1, Link 2
* The free book in French “Les Secrets De La Prestidigitation Et De La Magie” by Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin is found here.
The Secrets Of Stage Conjuring (Magie Et Physique Amusante By Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin )
Click on any of these: Link 1, Link 2
* The free book in French “Magie Et Physique Amusante” by Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin is found here.
Card Sharping Exposed (Les Tricheries Des Grecs Dévoilées) Translated And Edited By Professor Hoffmann
Click on any of these: Link 1, Link 2
*The free ebook in French “Les Tricheries Des Grecs Dévoilées” by Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin is found here.
Professor Hoffmann also published a few books on puzzles and games.
You may want to check them out as well.
Puzzles Old And New
Click on any of these: Link 1, Link 2
The Illustrated Book of Patience Games
Click on any of these: Link 1, Link 2, Link 3
The Book Of Table Games Edited By Professor Hoffmann
Click on this: Link
The Cyclopædia Of Card And Table Games Edited By Professor Hoffmann
Click on this: Link
RELATED: Here are two books of card tricks by expert card manipulator August Roterberg.
Card Tricks: How To Do Them And Sleight Of Hand
Click on any of these: Link 1, Link 2
New Era Card Tricks By August Roterberg
Click on any of these: Link 1, Link 2
If you are into mental magic tricks, then get this free Dopamine by Nico Heinrich.
For card trick enthusiasts, then this big collection of effects from these free Steve Beam magic books. should interest you.
DISCLAIMER: I do not publish or host any of the books here. They are copyrighted to their respective owners. All content cited is derived from their respective sources.