La Magie Blanche Dévoilée, ou explication des tours surprennants qui font depuis peu l'admiration de la capitale et de la province
Paris: Langlois Libraire, 1784.
First Edition. Hardcover (Full Leather). Very Good Condition. Item #048105
Contemporary acid calf, rubbed, corners worn through, slightly shaken but binding sound. Stain in outer margin to title and first pages, scattered foxing. Small burn mark (likely a candle) on final page of vol 1 not touching text, contemporary note to "voyez errata". Two volumes in one,. xvi, 138 (2)pp; vi, (2), 287pp, 2 leaves of plates at rear. In text illustrations and frontispieces to each volume. 1784-85
First edition of Decremps' work on the inner workings of stage magic, going into detail on how a number of famous tricks worked. His book was as popular with the public as it was unpopular with magicians (especially the popular Joseph Pinetti who people assumed was the target of La Magie Blanche). He added four more volumes (the first being the second volume here) in the following years.
Provenance: Kenneth Klosterman (bookplate), Clarence Myers (bookplate) Size: Octavo (8vo). Quantity Available: 1. Shipped Weight: Under 1 kilo. Category: Magic, Paranormal & Occult; Inventory No: 048105.
Price: $1,500.00