Decremps, Henri | Scathing exposé of famed magician Giuseppe Pinetti

Decremps, Henri

The Conjurer Unmasked … The Third Edition, With Large Additions and Alterations, by Denton and Others. London: Printed for C. Stalker, 1790

12mo (191 x 114 mm, uncut). Engraved frontispiece; frontispiece soiled on blank recto and lightly offset to title-page, lacking half-title and 2 leaves of advertisements at the end, a few leaves roughly opened. Modern blue Holland boards, blue cloth spine lettered gilt.

The third edition in English of Decremps' exposé of the Italian conjuror Giuseppe Pinetti's methods. One of the contributors to this edition, Thomas Denton, built conjuring props, including Dr. Graham's infamous Celestial Bed; but it was his misapplied talents as a counterfeiter that led to his downfall. He was hanged at Newgate 1 July 1789 for making base coin. 

REFERENCE:

ESTC T127022 (described as 8vo); Toole Stott 237