Jay, Ricky | Keeping the venerable history alive

Jay, Ricky

The Magic Magic Book. An Inquiry into the Venerable History and Operation of the Oldest Trick Conjuring Volumes. New York: Library Fellows of the Whitney Museum of American Art, 1994

2 volumes, 4to (254 x203 mm). Text volume: Numerous illustrations of which 4 are polychromatic and laid down, remaining text illustrations printed in black-and-white or in various colors (red, green, purple, etc.). Blow book volume: 42 leaves with die-cut tabs designed by Patrick Reagh, Ricky Jay, with May Castleberry incorporating art work by Vija Celmins, Jane Hammond, Glenn Ligon, Justen Ladda, Philip Taafe, and William Wegman. With an additional suite of 10 prints signed and numbered in pencil by each of the artists. Black paper wrappers stamped "MAGICMAGIC" in blind with a silver emblem of an imp at the center. Housed within a folding case of fine dark blue cloth, front cover embellished with card suits stamped in silver and metallic red in geometric pattern, designed by Justen Ladda.

Deluxe limited edition, copy no. 8 of 80 copies accompanied by an additional suite of prints from a total edition of 300. The text volume is signed in pencil by the artists and initialed in ink by Ricky Jay opposite the limitation page. The blow book features fire-breathing demons, Wegman's weimaraners in various poses, decorative abcdaries, optical starbursts, Pulicinella, etc. as well as instructions in English, French, German, and Spanish on how to operate the blow book.