Episode 10: Judge Gary Brown

Introduction

Judge Gary Brown, a United States district judge and accomplished magician, writer, and historian, brings a unique perspective to magic history research and documentation. His investigative background has shaped his approach to uncovering magical mysteries. 

Look, magic history is really hard because it's filled with self promotion and lies. And it's really hard to sift the truth from the self-promotion. And so much of our traditional magic histories were built on those self-promotional aspects that magicians put out there.

This awareness of the challenges in separating fact from fiction has guided Gary's significant contributions to magic history and literature.

Early Writing and Research

Gary's journey into magic writing began during his legal studies and led to his first book, "The Coney Island Fakir," a biography of Al Flosso. After the book was published, Gary continued to receive anecdotes from people who knew Al Flosso.

I got contacted from people all over the world, from Brooklyn to Los Angeles to literally to Hong Kong. Magicians who read the article or got their hands on it somehow and said, 'Hey, have you heard this story about him?'

This oral history approach proved successful, though Gary notes the inherent challenges in verifying such accounts.

The Henry Slade Investigation

Gary's research into 19th-century spiritualism culminated in his comprehensive article, published in Gibecière 23 in 2017, “Henry Slade and His Slates: From Europe to the Fourth Dimension.”

I researched that piece for more than a decade, and that involved ridiculously large expenditures on rare books. It involved travel and knocking on doors and doing all the really hard parts including something I think many of your listeners will be unfamiliar with, the notion of inter-library loans.

Gary’s thorough investigation revealed surprising aspects of Slade's story, including his influence on theories about the fourth dimension!

Wandcraft and Innovation

In 2021, Gary published "Wandcraft" with Theory and Art of Magic Press, exploring the understudied topic of magic wands. 

I realized why it is that classical magicians are always seen with a wand. I'm not somebody who's done a lot of cups and balls work. I know those folks know this well, but I was just fascinated by the results of using a wand. 

This deep dive into wand theory and practice filled a significant gap in magic literature and foreshadowed his next book.

The Inventive Magician's Handbook … with Props

Gary's most recent book represents an innovative approach to teaching magical creation. 

If we're gonna do this right, I want people to have most of the props in their hands. So this way, we talk about this particular process or this particular effect or this particular technique. You can just reach into the kit and pull out the cards.

Working again with editor Larry Hass, Gary created a comprehensive guide that combines theory with practical application, resulting in a book that sold out within 30 days of its release.

New Revelations about Alexander

Gary's upcoming Gibecière article about Alexander promises significant new discoveries about the enigmatic mentalist.  

I found larceny charges that no one's unearthed simply by using certain of his writings, searching them in a certain way, and finding scores of fake identities that he used.

This new research, completed in just six months using primarily digital resources, demonstrates how modern technology is transforming magic historical research. And Gary promises some truly startling revelations when the article is published this summer.

Books

1. "The Coney Island Fakir: The Magical Life of Al Flosso" by Gary Brown

2. "Wandcraft" by Gary Brown

3. "The Inventive Magician's Handbook ... with Props" by Gary Brown

4. "The Secret History of Magic" by Jim Steinmeyer and Peter Lamont

5. "Inspirations" by Larry Hass

6. "Transformations" by Larry Hass

7. "Cards As Weapons" by Ricky Jay

8. "Dunninger's Complete Encyclopedia of Magic" by Joseph Dunninger

9. "Modern Magic" by Professor Hoffmann

Articles

1. "Henry Slade and his Slates: From Europe to the Fourth Dimension" (Gibecière 23, 2017)

2. "The Magical Life of Al Flosso (M-U-M Magazine, Vol. 85, No. 5, October 1995)

3. "Koran the Mystic, Herbert Hoover and the Magic of Chutzpah!" (throwingcards.blogspot.com)

4. Upcoming Alexander article (Gibecière, Summer 2025)

Gary's Websites

1. Propelled Pasteboards: Magicians' Throwing Cards and Related Memorabilia

2. Judge Brown Magic

Timestamps

00:00: Introduction to Magic History
00:35: Meet Judge Gary Brown
02:09: The Spark of Interest in Magic
02:51: First Magic Book: Dunninger's "Encyclopedia of Magic"
03:39: The Journey into Writing About Magic
04:44: Accidental Biographer: "The Coney Island Fakir"
07:07: Researching Al Flosso's Life
08:42: Challenges of Oral History vs. Archival Research
10:49: Influence of Legal Background on Research
12:14: The Complexity of Magic History
12:44: Researching Henry Slade and Spiritualism
15:28: Surprising Aspects of Slade's Story
17:08: Maskelyne's Role in Slade's Trial
19:13: Influential Editors in Magic Literature
22:01: Approach to the Writing Process
23:26: Performing on Penn & Teller: Fool Us
26:17: Spiritualism's Connection to Magic
28:09: "Wandcraft" Exploring Magic Wands
30:10: Contemporary Views on Magic Wands
32:34: Challenges in Documenting Wand Theory
34:01: "The Inventive Magician's Handbook ... with Props"
35:52: Challenges of Including Props in a Magic Book
37:01: Reception of The Inventive Magician's Handbook
39:36: Future Projects and Ideas
40:19: Upcoming Gibecière Article on Alexander
42:09: Rebuilding a Magic Library After Loss
45:59: Developing Effects: Method, Prop, Handling, and Script