Servais Le Roy: Monarch of Mystery - Contento Estate
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Collection: All Products, Antiques/Estate, Books, Effects, Magic Books, What's Hot, What's New
ABOUT SERVAIS LE ROY: MONARCH OF MYSTERY:
As a performer and inventor of magic and illusions, Servais Le Roy had no peer. Harry Houdini praised him, Howard Thurston feared him and Harry Kellar called him the most finished artist he had ever seen.
Mrs. Le Roy, known around the world as Talma: The Queen of Coins, was often compared to that great sleight-of-hand expert, T. Nelson Downs, and the rotund Leon Bosco induced gales of laughter by switching the heads on two living birds. Together, as Le Roy, Talma and Bosco - The Comedians de Mephisto, they produced a full evening of magical entertainment unlike anything the world had ever seen.
This is the story of their rise to fame starting with Le Roy's early visits to Egyptian Hall in London with his boyhood friend David Devant, his first success in England's music halls and American vaudeville during the 1890s, and finally, international fame as a recognized star of the Variety stage.
During Le Roy's amazing life he rubbed shoulders (and did battle) with many of the biggest names in show business. Drawing on a number of primary sources including William Rauscher's long friendship with Le Roy's chief assistant Elizabeth Ford, Le Roy's previously unpublished notebook and on years of dedicated research, the authors were able to include previously unpublished illusion secrets, Le Roy's inspirational rise to international fame and finally, his catastrophic final performance and heartbreaking demise.
If you enjoyed Mike Caveney's biography on Carter the Great and William Rauscher's book on The Great Raymond, you won't want to miss Servais Le Roy - Monarch of Mystery.
1999 HC WITH DJ COPY 202/1000 - SIGNED AND INSCRIPTED BY BOTH AUTHORS TO PREVIOUS OWNER: "TO MARCELO WITH ALL GOOD WISHES FROM YOUR FRIEND WILLIAM RAUSCHER" AND "WITH GREAT RESPECT FOR MY FRIEND MARCELO. ALL THE BEST, MIKE CAVENEY" - DJ IS NF COND - PREVIOUS OWNER STAMPED WITH PERSONAL BOOKPLATE "MARCELO CONTENTO" ON TITLE PAGE AND ON THE BACK OF FREE CONFERENCE FLYER THAT COMES WITH THE PURCHACE OF THE BOOK - BOOK IS NF COND
Stevens Magic Emporium is honored to be able to represent the family of Marcelo, by offering our distinguished clients many of whom were friend with or familiar with the highest quality magic products produced at that time. One can't think of the Contento name without immediately visualizing the famed and always in demand card fountains. When it came to establishing a brand - the Contento brothers did it as good as it could be done.
What a great tribute to his memory by making his personal collection finally available to other magic enthusiasts. Each book comes with a book plate - Marcelo Contento - Ex Libris
