JAKS, Stanley (Herbert Siegbert Jaks, 1903 – 60). The Legendary Collected Mental Secrets of Doctor Jaks. 54 volumes. Custom clothbound books of varying sizes assembled by one of the last century's great mentalists and close-up magicians, Dr. Stanley Jaks.
The books contain a lifetime collection of manuscripts, catalogs, samples of props, mimeographed and offset-printed instructions, magazines, journals, correspondence both typed and in holograph, photographs, and well as Jaks's own handwritten notes and drawings explaining virtually every type of mind reading and mentalism effect in the published record spanning the 1890s – 1950s.
Virtually every significant contributor to the development, manufacture, and chronicling of mind reading in the twentieth century is represented, chief among them Theo Annemannn (including both his publications and original single-sheet releases), David Lustig (with nearly all of his publications represented, the bound book INSCRIBED to Jaks by Lustig on an endsheet), the Thayer publications of Dr. Q, Larsen and Wright, Robert Nelson, Burling Hull, Ovette, Chandu, Nelmar, U.F Grant, Alexander “The Man Who Knows,” Stewart James, Jack Dean, Rajah Raboid, and dozens and dozens more. Several complete publications in German, by Willmann, Conradi, and others, are also part of the collection; German was Dr. Jaks's native language.
Each book contains a handwritten index in the doctor's neat block capitals, some of which run to two or three pages. Many volumes include length hand-written explanations with neat drawings, also in the hand of Dr. Jaks, a noted illustrator who provided the explanatory sketches for the books of Bruce Elliott, among other authors. Additional information or notes frequently appear throughout, both in the hand of Jaks and those of others. Many publications and printed materials are INSCRIBED AND SIGNED to Jaks by their producers (one is inscribed to Bruce Elliott). Autographs and/or correspondents to Jaks include those of Eddie Clever, Milbourne Christopher, Jean Hugard, Eddie Joseph, Will Dexter, Peter Warlock, Stewart Judah, and a many more.
A portion of the collection is made up of magazine contributions collected by Jaks from various sources, primarily American, including the “Parade” columns from The Linking Ring, as well as articles extracted from British conjuring periodicals. Several books are made up entirely of the works by a single author (Nelson, Joseph, Lustig, etc.).
A separate 100+ page handwritten index by Jaks is also included, these entries made in a separate tab-cut address book. A note laid in indicates that Volume 29 from the series was kept by Jaks's sister.
Also included is Rober Blumele and Leo Behnke's 2014 work, The Incredible Dr. Jaks, both a biography of the magician and a chronicle of many of his effects. The book comes from the library of the consignor, The Amazing Kreskin, and bears his autograph on the flyleaf, as well as his inked marginalia throughout the book, including notes on several of the effects explained.
Primarily bound in blue buckram with gilt-numbered spines, some with marbled endsheets, mostly 4tos. A few scattered volumes bound in mismatched cloth or crafted from repurposed books of similar sizes. Condition of the contents is generally clean and attractive, with expected edgewear to pages from thumbing, offsetting from inks, and occasional staining from tape or mounting corners where present. In a few instances, cards or instruction sheets have become loose with time and have been laid in where appropriate; please note that not every volume has been checked for completeness, and one volumes is absent (vol. 29); this was not present when the books were purchased from Tannen's Magic Shop many decades ago.
Taken together, these volumes comprise an astonishing personal and professional record of mentalism — many, many thousands of pages in all — compiled by a master of the form. The notebooks have remained uncirculated almost entirely since the death of Dr. Jaks over sixty years ago.