Almost a century in the making, appearing for the first time in book form… Kurt Volkmann’s A History of the Art of Conjuring is here.
Kurt Volkmann’s complete “Geschichte der Zauberkunst” series has been fully translated into English by Lori Pieper and Maxwell Pritchard. Volkmann’s articles on magic history are considered by Steffen Taut to be “the best overall investigation on the history of conjuring.” In translating Volkmann’s work, Lori Pieper brought her extensive linguistic knowledge to the project, drawing from over a dozen languages.
The first volume of Kurt Volkmann’s peerless History of the Art of Conjuring offers an in-depth examination of performance magic through the ages, from antiquity and the earliest sources documenting magical performers to modern times and Europe’s most accomplished stage conjurers. Kurt Volkmann’s rich prose guides readers through a wealth of manuscripts, books, newspapers and artwork in over a dozen languages to present an insightful exploration of what magic has meant to magicians and their audiences over the centuries.
In Volume Two, Volkmann focuses his keen analytical skills on individual countries and the texts and performers associated with them. Familiar names and stories from across Europe and beyond are viewed afresh, while the repertoires and motivations of lesser-known practitioners are teased out and discussed at length.
Both volumes feature 1,260 pages with 432 beautiful color illustrations throughout, all fully credited, and comprehensive annotated endnotes. Volume Two includes eleven appendices presenting new findings about the sources and magicians Volkmann discusses, as well as a vast Bibliography and an exhaustive Index. Printed on archival paper, with foil-stamped cloth binding and sewn signatures, and housed in a luxury slipcase. This is a magic-history book like no other.
Strictly limited to 1,000 numbered sets and we only got a few right now at Pegani.
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“Amazing! What an accomplishment for both Volkmann and Conjuring Arts!” - David Copperfield
“I’ve never seen a magic-history book like this. It’s more than an encyclopedia of magic and is filled with incredible ideas for anyone who wants to be inspired.” - David Blaine
”These volumes are an amazing accomplishment on every level: The original research, the writing, the translation by Dr. Pieper and Max Pritchard, and the stunning presentation. I’ve had many friends call and write to ask, “Are they worth it? Should I get them?” My answer to all of them, and to you, is “Yes. These are a must.” - Michael Weber
“Just when you thought you knew something about magic history, A History of the Art of Conjuring comes along and changes everything. These two gigantic books provide a view of magic that is both unfamiliar and endlessly fascinating. Seemingly every page provides us with new information. And as we have come to expect from the Conjuring Arts Research Center, these books are of the highest quality.” - Mike Caveney
“These volumes are breathtaking in their scope, detail, production and vision. They deserve a place on the bookshelf of anyone who is serious about the history of magic.” - Richard Wiseman
“A copy of this work belongs on the shelves of historians and collectors worldwide.” - Edwin A. Dawes
“The most thorough and best-researched history on conjuring ever written. […] This two-volume set of Volkmann’s History of the Art of Conjuring is magnificent and—without a hint of hyperbole—is required in the library of anyone with a serious interest in conjuring history.” - Stephen Minch
