description Harlan Tarbell Overview
Harlan Tarbell (1890–1960) was an American magician, author, and illustrator who created the Tarbell Course in Magic. Originally developed in the 1920s as a mail-order correspondence course, the comprehensive multi-volume set covers a vast array of magic disciplines, including close-up, stage, and mental magic. The curriculum provided structured, foundational instruction that helped standardize magical education for aspiring performers. The course remains an essential, widely utilized resource for novice and intermediate magicians learning the mechanics of the craft.
insights Ranking position
Harlan Tarbell ranks #22 of 327 in the Magician ranking, behind Ricky Jay, ahead of Slydini.
help Harlan Tarbell FAQ
Was the Tarbell Course originally published as books?
No. Harlan Tarbell initially created it as a correspondence course during the 1920s, with illustrated lessons sent to students. The material was later collected and expanded into the multi-volume Tarbell Course in Magic.
What subjects does the Tarbell Course in Magic cover?
Its lessons range across cards, coins, rope, mentalism, stage illusions, apparatus, and showmanship. This breadth is why working magicians still treat it as a general reference rather than a book devoted to one trick category.
Did Harlan Tarbell invent every trick in the course?
No. Tarbell organized, illustrated, adapted, and explained a broad body of established magic alongside original material.
Why were Tarbell's illustrations important?
Tarbell was a trained commercial artist, and his sequential drawings made hand positions and apparatus construction easier to follow through correspondence. That visual clarity helped the lessons remain usable after they were republished as books.
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