a fascinating work on conjuring history, a unique relic of baroque entertainment culture
the new standard work; 300 previously unknown illustrations
a facsimile of a unique blow book from the seventeenth century


Thomas Stauss discovered a unique picture album (Disegni Antichi Bizzarri, produced in Italy at around 1650) in Paris at the end of the 1990s. Magic Metamorphosis – a new monograph on picture transformation books (‘blow books’) – consists of two large-format volumes in a slipcase: a high-quality facsimile reproduction of the 17th-century picture album, and a richly illustrated explanatory volume. The facsimile volume includes the notched ‘indexing’ necessary to demonstrate its original function as a blow book.


The album’s drawings are fascinating—a bizarre mixture of the most diverse motifs: animals, flowers, soldiers, fire-breathing devils and dragons. The seemingly illogical sequence of the individual images also appears bizarre. What purpose should the volume serve?


The blow book (also: picture transformation book, flick book, and 'magic colouring book' in its modern variations) is a classic centuries-old magic trick. As early as the 17th century, it was customary for the magician to get a spectator to blow on the book during the performance--a kind of magical gesture, and the origin of the term 'blow book'. Blow books were used in performances in all social circles: in royal houses, at fairs, in taverns and on the street.


A blow book contains repeated sequences of pictures that allow an optical illusion facilitating the performance of an amazing magic trick. Leafing through the book, the performer can manipulate it, showing the audience a desired picture motif to magical effect.


Facsimile volume: 336pp, faithfully reproduced from the original complete with notched 'indexing', printed on heavy art paper in full colour throughout


Explanatory volume: 248pp, printed on heavy art paper, profusely illustrated in colour throughout; the monograph is fully referenced and annotated, complete with an Index of proper names and Bibliography