1st DJ LEARNED PIGS & FIREPROOF WOMEN Ricky Jay Magic Freaks Conjuring Circus

by Ricky Jay

$54 · At auction with eBay

First edition

Title: Learned Pigs & Fireproof Women Author: Ricky Jay Publisher: Villard Books Description: A cult classic book and highly collectable. Scarce first edition and a beautiful copy of this oversize illustrated history of unusual entertainment; human oddities, magic, sideshows, freaks circuses, conjuring, and so much more. Swallowers of electric light bulbs and swords, surpassing powers of celebrated leaping and diving, intrepid female horsewomen, Max Mallini, Robert Heller (pianist and prestidigitator), pig-faced ladies and porcine prophets. There is no end to the strange, doubtful and downright charlatan ladies and gentlemen who wished to entertain you sometimes it may be that they had no other means of living, some of them were hilariously dodgy. Wonderfully illustrated with posters and playbills and portraits. A brilliantly researched book with wonderful illustrations. About the book from the dj flaps: There is no other book in the world quite like LEARNED PIGS & FIREPROOF WOMEN. There couldn’t be. There is no other author like Ricky Jay, “scholar of the unusual.” And there certainly are no other people like the ones who populate this incredible history of the world’s most extraordinary entertainers. Only in these pages can you meet, among many others: Harry Kahne, the Multiple Mental Marvel, who could write five words simultaneously with pieces of chalk held in each hand, each foot, and in his mouth. Matthew Buchinger, a sharpshooting marksman, a magnificent artist, and a

• Publisher: Villard Books
• Year: 1986
• Condition: Fine

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