House of Deception - History of Magic, Pro Wrestling, Carnivals and Sideshows

Here is an overview of our contents:

The History of Magic (Stage Conjuring)

Magic History Books (Bibliography)
Magic History Links
Photos of Famous Golden Age Magicians, 1875-1948, including:
The Herrmanns
Fredrick Eugene Powell
Kellar
Houdini
Blackstone
T. Nelson Downs
Chung Ling Soo
Dante...and many more
An Article on Houdini's Handwriting and Collecting Houdiniana
A Tribute to James B. "Jimmy" Findlay, Renowned Collector and Historian
Magic in Works of Fine Art

The History of Pro Wrestling

Pro Wrestling History Books (Bibliography)
Pro Wrestling History Links
Cauliflower Alley Club
Sacramento Pro Wrestling History
Wrestling Promoter Roy Shire
Wrestling Announcer Hank Renner
Wrestler Gorgeous George
Wrestler and author Jack Laskin
Midget Wrestlers of the Golden Age
The History of British Pro Wrestling
Many Photos of Golden Age British Wrestlers
A Tribute to Kendo Nagasaki
Wrestling in Works of Fine Art
Contemporary Wrestler Artists

The History of Carnivals and Sideshows

Carnival and Sideshow History Books (Bibliography)
Carnival and Sideshow Links
Photo Gallery of Sideshow Book Covers
Sideshow Books by Categories
Sideshow Ballys and Banners
Pictures of Famous Sideshow Performers
An Article on P. T. Barnum's Handwriting and Signature
An Article on Buffalo Bill Cody's Handwriting and Signature
Carnivals and Sideshows in Fine Art

Swindles, Scams, Con Artists and Confidence Crime

Bunco, Swindles, Scams, Frauds, and Con Artist Books (Bibliography)
Photo Gallery of the Book Covers
Useful Links to Information about Frauds and Confidence Crime
Movies with Con Artist Themes
Television Shows with Con Artist Themes
Books and Short Stories with Con Artist Themes
Swindles, Scams, & Confidence Crime in Works of Fine Art

ABOUT US:

The House of Deception is a site for those who enjoy reading about show business.

We hope to encourage and facilitate the study of any performing art that employs
deception, including magic, pro wrestling, and sideshow. Our bibliographies and links will
guide you through a deeper appreciation of the rich traditions of deceptive entertainment
and of the performers who made the magic happen.

Our specialty is the rescue, preservation, and archiving of the physical artifacts of those
traditions: books, photos, magazines, scrapbooks, news clips, posters, programs,
letters--anything that needs and deserves special care and handling. We love to rescue and
preserve old paper from the bygone days of magic, professional wrestling, and circus &
carnival sideshows. We use archival methods recommended by the Library of Congress.

The owner and webmaster of The House of Deception is Duff Johnson, a professional
magician with many years and a wide range of performing experience in closeup, stage,
corporate, after dinner and nightclub entertainment, as well as magic sales.

In addition, he has had a lifelong appreciation for the world of carnivals, sideshow, and
professional wrestling performance, especially with their use of crowd psychology.

An Adjunct Professor and Lecturer in Communication Studies, he teaches public speaking
and communication courses at Sacramento City College and California State University,
Sacramento.

Screen Actors Guild (Eligible). Magic Collectors Association (since 1970). Cauliflower
Alley Club (Life Member). The Invisible Lodge International (Life Member). Sacramento
Dog Training Club (Life Member).