Revelations Vol 1-17 – Dai Vernon

It’s been 30 years since the initial release of Revelations, the monumental video set that immortalized the life and work of perhaps one of the greatest magicians who ever lived – the Professor himself – Dai Vernon.

In celebration, L&L Publishing is releasing the Revelations 30th Anniversary Box Set which features all 17 volumes of Revelations digitally remastered on 8 DVDs. Also included are three bonus DVDs that contain extremely rare footage of Vernon lectures from the 1970’s – almost six hours of material that almost no one has ever seen before. Included also are four audio CDs of Vernon lectures from the 1960s and two commemorative booklets. The first is a facsimile of the original Videonics Revelations catalog with comprehensive commentary on each volume by Sid Lorraine while the second contains Dr. Gene Matsuura’s original notes made at Dai Vernon’s farewell lecture in 1976. Everything is packaged in a full color slipcase that is sure to make this set one of the most desirable magic keepsakes ever released.

David Ben’s introduction that appears in the beginning of Gene Matsuura’s notes booklet:

“Will wonders never cease?
When it comes to Dai Vernon, apparently not.

This celebration of the 30th anniversary of Revelations, the series produced originally in 1982 by Hans Zahn in Newfoundland, attests to that amazing legacy and it provides yet another generation of magicians – old and new – the chance to experience Dai Vernon and his magic.

This compilation is much more than just a repackaging of the original discs. With additional footage from the celebrated $1,000 Lecture Tour in the mid-1970s, private videos shot by Bill “The Prez” Larsen at The Magic Castle, and supporting documentation and ephemera, magic aficionados and historians now have an accurate portrayal of perhaps the most celebrated thinker and performer in magic during his “Late Period.”

Start with Vernon’s lecture at the Washington Press Club in August 1973, courtesy of Arthur Emerson. (Still images of Arthur Emerson and Vernon were inserted for the first minute or so because the initial quality of the video was suspect. Your patience, however, will be rewarded.) Vernon is 79 years old at the time. That’s right, 79! It is Late Vernon, Second Wave.

Next, screen the October 9, 1976, lecture at The Magic Castle. Here Vernon is reprising the content of the $1,000 Lecture Tour. He is now 82. Again, it is Late Vernon, Second Wave.

Take a break and turn to the notes provided by Dr. Gene Matsuura. Dr. Matsuura was a confidant of many of the most esteemed sleight-of-hand magicians of the 20th century. He is a real student of magic and, in particular, the magic of Vernon. He is also renowned for the quality of his observations and notes. We thank Dr. Matsuura for agreeing to release his personal notes on Vernon’s $1,000 Lecture Tour appearance in Sacramento. His observations are astute, and the nuance he flags worth studying.

Next up: the April 1977 presentations filmed at The Magic Castle. Shot by and because of Bill Larsen, they represent yet another extraordinary gift of the Larsen family to the magic community. In fact, it is hard to imagine what magic would be like today without the Larsens – Genii magazine, The Magic Castle, the Academy of the Magical Arts, and now this. The family, in its fourth generation in magic, continues to contribute to the growth of magic and the preservation of magic history. Vernon, by the way, would soon turn 84! It is the tail end of the Second Wave of the Late Period.

Only then, it is time to revisit the monumental series that is Revelations. Recorded in 1982, when Vernon was 88, it is the Late Period, Third Wave. Here, Vernon provides more coaching and commentary than actual performance. Michael Ammar, Gary Ouellet and Steve Freeman are there to assist, performing and demonstrating magic, and to spark the conversation. We see how things are meant to be done, and how not. The breadth of material is staggering. Fortunately, this commemorative package of discs and other material includes a reproduction of a booklet that provides a detailed description of each section so that viewers can zero in on their particular area of interest.

If I can offer one final word of advice, it is to heed what Vernon said to a young Albert Goshman: take one trick and learn to do it better than anybody else. Goshman did exactly that, and built his initial reputation with “Spellbound.”

With this 30th anniversary celebration of Revelations, you have that same opportunity.

I look forward to seeing your magic.”
– David Ben, Toronto

VERNON”S LECTURES:
The Academy of Magical Arts has graciously opened their members-only video vault and allowed L&L to publish one of their rare private videos. This is your chance to watch vintage lectures by Dai Vernon taped at the world-famous Magic Castle by Bill “The Prez” Larsen who had the foresight to preserve Vernon’s genius for posterity. These videos are also valuable for their historic importance as they are among the first lectures ever videotaped at the Magic Castle.

Lecture DVD 1 – April 1, 1977 Lecture:

Lecture DVD 2 – April 15, 1977 Lecture:

Also featured are Vernon’s anecdotes including how he first came to the Magic Castle, early Castle memories, and his infamous X-rated Japan story.

October 9, 1976 Lecture:

Lecture DVD 3
In August of 1973, Dai Vernon lectured for a large and extremely enthusiastic audience at the Press Club in Washington D.C. and host Arthur Emerson was prescient enough to have a video camera on hand for the occasion.

Contents include:

VINTAGE VERNON VOLUMES 1-4 (AUDIO CDs)
On April 9, 1963, a very select group assembled at the newly-formed Magic Castle to hear Dai Vernon lecture. This was a historic moment because it was on the strength of this presentation that Vernon was asked to become the Castle’s resident magician – and now, through the magic of audio recording, you can be there, too, almost 50 years later. Volumes 3-4 record another lecture on December 6, 1964. Vernon was performing regularly at the time; his methods were brilliant and his timing perfect.

CD 1 (1 hour)

1. Introduction

2. Five Coins and a Glass

3. Cups and Balls

4. The Daivergent Silk

5. John Ramsey Cylinder and Coins

CD 2 (1 hour)

1. McDonald’s Hundred Dollar Ace Trick

2. Penetration of Thought

3. Top Change

4. Bottom Change

5. Ambitious Card

6. Tips

7. Conus Aces

8. Erdnase Bottom Palm

9. Hofzinser Bottom Palm

10. Mental Card Miracle

11. The Travelers

12. Palming

CD 3 (1 hour)

1. Introduction

2. General Comments

3. Jerry Andrus and Lies

4. Conversational Approach

5. Double Lift

6. The Pass

7. Getting a Card to the Top

8. A Trick with a Double-Faced Card

9. Aces Up or Down

10. Color Changing Deck

CD 4 (1 hour)

1. Coin and Glass

2. IOU

3. Brain Weave by Alex Elmsley

4. Four Pair Solitaire by Henry Christ

5. Spelling Trick (using a cull)

6. Thought of Card Trick

7. Silk from Bill Trick

NOTES ON DAI VERNON’S FAREWELL LECTURE BY DR. GENE MATSUURA
In this booklet, you’ll find comprehensive notes by Dr. Gene Matsuura, a lifelong student of sleight-of-hand magic – particularly Dai Vernon – who was in attendance at what was billed as Dai Vernon’s farewell lecture in Sacramento, California in March of 1976.

Matsuura’s keen observations of the material that Vernon presented at that lecture provides invaluable insights into many of the routines performed on the lecture DVDs in this set. Covered are the Cups and Balls, Five Coins and a Glass, The Tale of the Treasury-Worm, The Daivergent Silk, The Peripatetic Walnuts, Twisting the Aces, the Linking Rings, many, many effects and ideas from Erdnase, and much, much more.

Coupled with a scholarly introduction by David Ben, Dr. Matsuura’s notes are a snapshot of a historic occasion – Dai Vernon presenting his life’s work one final time.

1983 VIDEONICS CATALOG FACSIMILE
This booklet is an exact reproduction of the Videonics catalog that was issued in June of 1983 which featured the Revelations series. We’ve included this to provide Revelations viewers with the historical context of the series in addition to other valuable insights.

You’ll find an introduction by Michael Ammar, one of the co-hosts of the series, where he describes the filming of Revelations in addition to offering some interesting perspectives on how the project was developed and realized. In addition, Sid Lorraine contributed comprehensive reviews on each of the 18 volumes, providing viewers with a “blow by blow” description of the vast and rich material covered in Revelations.

Vernon Revelations – Volumes 1-17 (on 8 DVDs):
History was made September 2-6, 1982 in a filming studio in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada, as the life and magic of Dai Vernon was permanently recorded for future generations. Inspired by Bill Larsen, the project was undertaken by Videonics, owned and operated by Hans Zahn. The co-hosts of the filming project were Michael Ammar, Gary Ouellet and Steve Freeman.

The format is that of a jam session, with Vernon discussing his tricks, moves and routines, and generally holding court. All the moves, techniques, routines, tips and handlings discussed are actually performed by Vernon or one of the co-hosts, along with a complete explanation. Roughly half of the subjects covered relate to the published record; half the material was new and disclosed for the first time (at the time of the video shoot).

You’ll learn important new techniques regarding the Vernon classics and important revelations about the Erdnase techniques, which Vernon has spent a lifetime studying. There’s a lifetime of magic study in these eight discs.

DISC 1:
Volume 1

Volume 2

DISC 2:
Volume 3

Volume 4

DISC 3:
Volume 5

Volume 6

DISC 4:
Volume 7

Volume 8

DISC 5:
Volume 9

Volume 10

DISC 6:
Volume 11

Volume 12

DISC 7:
Volume 13

Volume 14

Volume 15

DISC 8:
Volume 16

Volume 17

Get Revelations Vol 1-17 – Dai Vernon, Only Price $127

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