Doctor, Magician, Artist, Mystic, likely "Aspie"--

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As a youngster I felt an intense attraction to magic, and from a Christmas magic set to hanging out in a magic shop in the U.S., I eventually came across Dr. Harlan Tarbell (1890-1960 -- birthday February 23), and his world-famous (amoungst professional and advanced amateur magician's and conjurors) "Tarbell Course in Magic."

He was a Naprapathic Physician, who learned magic as a hobby when he was a teenager, and studied art and painting and other fields during his career.

His course was first published in 1926; my newly purchased vol.1is the Tenth printing, Copyright Nov. 1971 by D.Robbins & Co. Inc.

Here is a web article from the November 2006 Chicago Magazine on the late Jay Marshall, with a typical Tarbell story, as well as general memorabilia on famous magicians - A-Fine-Mess

The University of Iowa Library has these original Tarbell publicity flyers on web view.

I was impressed by his writing, as he was a serious scholar, beginning his course with a history of magic beginning with the Bible, the three Wise Men, Zoroaster and as in the topic list at the bottom of this post, and the role that the scholar/magician has played throughout history.

I never was a very good amateur magician; I lacked the self-respect, the self-confidence needed, not knowing I was an aspie then, and didn't do very many shows during the time I spent actively with the hobby. Most of my "performing" was by myself, practicing in front of a full-length mirror. I did successfully perform a simple and baffling illlusion to an audience at a Grange Faire in my teens.

Over the years I developed a more scholarly interest in the art, and just after this New Years bought a new vol 1 of "The Course," and have begun re-reading it. I made an agreement with the dealer to buy the complete set, one book per month, as he has to buy them as sets, and they are not a high-traffic item, originally $7.50USD for Vol. 1 and $10 each for the rest, and now run around $30 USD per volume, slightly less by the set.

I was always more attracted by his artistic and philosophical expression than the "how it's done" aspects, and several of the volumes include his philosophically-oriented chapters, such as "Advice to Magicians.", found in later volumes, and within the posthumous publication of the 7th & 8th volumes that also include new material by contemporary entertainers such as David Copperfield.

His loving short story, found in one of the later volumes, of helping uplift the spirits of a grieving women's club who had just the day before attended a beloved fellow member's funeral is, by itself, worth the price of the volume in this Olde-Tyme Aspie philosophers heart.

Here is a list of topics found in Lesson 1, "THE HISTORY OF MAGIC":

Magicians in the Bible
Magi or Wise Men of the East
Zoroaster, the Magus
The Debt of Christianity to Zoroaster
Magic of Greece
Influence of Magic in Rome
New Era in Magic
Beginning of Records
Merlin at King Arthur's Court
Land of the Arabian Nights
The History of Sleight of Hand
Two Divisions of Magic
Ancient VS. Modern Magic
The Romans Versed in Conjuring
Sleight of Hand in the Middle ages
Forerunners of the Modern School
Modern School of Legerdemain
Necromancy and Divination
Among Wild Natives in Australia
Among Ancient Romans
Development of Superstitions
Divination, the Foundation for Superstitions
Magic in Savage Lands --Superstitions in Civilized
Incantations--Modern Curse
Charms--Mainstay of Sorcery
Charms Among Moderns
Spells to Overcome Evil Influences
Some Common Superstitions
Magic and Religion
Earliest Religion
Origin of Magic in Religion
"White" and "Black" Magic
Origin of Necromancy
Greek Oracles
Magic and Medicine
Origin of the Art of Healing
Inseparably Bound Up withMagic
Magic Influence of Planets
Methods of Earliest Doctors
Mystic Charms and Signs Used
The Relation of Magic to Other Sciences
Astrology--Foundation for Astronomy
Modern Devopment
Alchemy--Foundation for Chemistry
Science of Pharmacy
Science of Physics
Magic is Educational
Increases Thinking Powers

And the last topic of lesson 1, Modern Magic

"We have traveled far in this little history of magic. I wanted you to have it as a foundation for your study. I wanted you to know how ancient this art is and what its significance has been. I wanted you to understand the attitude of people toward it--how it has always held them in its spell and always will. You have watched with me its development through the ages up to the beginning of its present stage."

"Modern magic is a long step from the magic of old. We no longer regard it as supernatural or "black,", but we look upon it as a time honored art which has stood the test of centuries, undiscovered, and is now one of the most entertaining of arts."
-----------------"Doc" Tarbell

There are 19 lessons, over 410 pages, with 918 illustrations drawn by the author in volume 1 alone.

Volume 2 -- 14 Lessons -- 410 Pages -- 1087 Illustrations
Volume 3 -- 12 Lessons -- 418 Pages -- 1116 Illustrations
Volume 4 -- 13 Lessons -- 418 Pages -- 1140 Illustrations
Volume 5 -- 13 Lessons -- 418 Pages -- 1152 Illustrations
Volume 6 -- 10 Lessons -- 410 Pages -- 1200 Illustrations

I do not, of course, have later editons yet with the "specs" of vol. 7 & 8.

This is the classical literature of the amature and professional magician today, by one whose writing and philosophical style attracted me intensely, and who was likely an aspie, according to my feelings.