Hello everyone, I remember browsing through an old Abbotts catalog ( I believe it was an Abbotts.) There was a section that contained illusions that were odd e.g. a girl's head on a sword. Are any of these 'back of book'illusions being performed today?

The old Tannen's catalog had a similar section with that type of illusion too. While you might rarely see these in a show, the head on sword and the like are more often seen in haunted attractions as displays, or even in the occasional carnival freak show. Although I suppose they don't call it that anymore...

David Copperfield has in fact the head on the sword set up in his museum and it is performed on his tours.

Radamwarner ...
Mark Wilsons "complete course in magic" has a great section on stage magic.

My favourite is "Farmer and the Witch" which - by any other name - still plays well.

Wulfie

The “Head on Sword” was more of a display illusion and also used in sideshows as a follow up to the guillotine.

Paul Osborne published a book about sideshow illusion plans:

https://www.osborneillusionsystems.com/books/p/steprightup

- Donald

Osburne has this as a single plan, but the book isa much better deal. It's in several of the old books, a fairly simple build. I remember a talker on the old RAS having one set up on the bally platform, he would vanish the sirls head in a dove net and tell the tip that hewould show everyone how it wa done. As they passed the platform going in, they could see the back of the illusion. Ofcoure the breaf peak made people thing they saw the secret, they really did but they could not really dicribe it two minutes later, so nothin was really exposed. You can also get a passable plane much cheaper by sarching for A.K. Brill building plans.

Years ago on British TV there was a bizarre magic show fronted by Simon Drake called 'The Secret Cabaret'. Jim Steinmeyer was a major consultant on the show and it featured many classic sideshow illusions. A DVD of both series was produced though I suspect it is long out of production.
https://youtu.be/J3WPftPSfuo

Here is the head on sword thing I uploaded for you guys.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-_6G3G3zbI

Magic; stage illusions and scientific diversions by Hopkins is a great source for old illusions.

Beautiful plates, and some clever ideas which aren't thought about anymore.

Jim talked about this on his Vanishing Inc Masterclass Q&A.

Interesting stuff about how they did the lighting for all these old illusions which were all on stage together...