Sealed Mysteries by Burling Hull

This is one of the earliest publications which has Burling Hull's Svengali deck described. Hull called it originally the "Cards Mysterious". Even in this early publication he complains about unauthorized copies being sold by unscrupulous dealers. A hundred years later and nothing has changed. We still have magic retailers and manufacturers producing and selling illegal and unauthorized copies of magic products.

One thing has changed though over the last 100 years - the use of Bicycle cards. Hull writes:

One of the objections to the trick is that the design of the backs are that of Bicycle Cards which are rarely used by the amateur and never used by the professional as they are not suited to magical manipulation.

Burling Hull describes several other effects with gimmicked cards and gimmicked envelopes. One uses a card with a reflecting back which today could easily be realized with a piece of mylar stuck to a card. I also found his way of handling wax quite interesting.

4. To The Fraternity
6. Introductory
7. The Goblin Aces
8. Warrings Card Principle
9. Satan's Secret
9. Novel Card Discovery
12. The Monte Cristo Cards
13. Substitute For Pass
13. Houdin's Dream Improved
14. - Burling-Hull Method
15. The Thayer Card Rising Tray
16. New Changing Spot Cards
16. The Photo Sprite
17. The Sealed Letter Test
17. - Extracts "Behind The Scenes"
18. - Explanation Of The Effect Described
20. - The Burling Hull Improved Letter Test
21. - Additional Hints
22. The Fourteen Inventions In Self Forcing Methods
23. The Improved "Cards Mysterious"
25. - The Hoax Of 1909
25. The Devil's Pass And Improvements
28. "Electra" (The Trance Cards)
30. The Fly Away Card Trick
34. Announcement

1st edition 1911; original 32 pages; PDF 36 pages.
word count: 14823 which is equivalent to 59 standard pages of text