Milbourne Christopher – 50 Tricks with a Thumb Tip | Classic Utility Magic Booklet

Description

Few props in the magician’s arsenal are as humble, versatile, and downright sneaky as the thumb tip. Invented in the late 19th century and refined over the decades, the thumb tip is a simple hollow sleeve — usually made of plastic or rubber — worn over the thumb to conceal small objects. But in the right hands, it becomes a powerful tool: making handkerchiefs vanish, cigarettes appear, salt pour endlessly, and more. During the mid-20th century, companies like Magic Inc., Tannen’s, and D. Robbins produced a steady stream of manuals devoted to the thumb tip’s many uses. Affordable, portable, and often underestimated, these booklets became essential tools for magicians of every level, turning one trick into dozens through clever sleight, misdirection, and a little finger finesse.

Written by magic legend Milbourne Christopher, 50 Tricks with a Thumb Tip is the definitive guide to one of magic’s simplest — and most deceptive — tools. First published in the 1940s and reprinted widely, this classic manual packs in sleights, vanishes, productions, and transformations using a standard thumb tip. Christopher, known for his stage work and scholarship (he penned one of the first biographies of Houdini), brings authority and clarity to each effect. Tricks range from beginner-friendly vanishes to more advanced routines involving silks, bills, sugar cubes, and cigarettes. Illustrated with step-by-step diagrams and packed with performance advice, this is a field manual for working magicians and a historical artifact for collectors. Thumb tip tricks have been performed on television and stage for over a century — and this book shows why they still work.

A classic how-to from a master magician — proof that big reactions come from small props.