The Lost Tapes by Earl Nelson (1-2)

Earl Nelson is widely regarded as one of the most skillful sleight-of-hand performers of this generation. A close friend and student of Dai Vemon, Earl’s slow, deliberate handlings and showstopper effects are pure poetry.

In 1984, Earl released four videotapes covering material from his acclaimed book, Variations, his notes, called The Workbook, as well as detailed, thoughtful instruction on several of the most important sleights in card magic. The tapes, shot in the Parlor of The Magic Castle, became instant classics. They were referred to numerous times in Darwin Ortiz’ book, The Annotated Erdnase. For many, they are still considered amongst the finest instructional tapes ever produced.

Unfortunately, in 1994, the Northridge earthquake hit Los Angeles, devastating Earl’s home. Amongst the missing items-the masters for Earl’s acclaimed tapes. Sadly, from that day forward, not a single copy was produced. In the intervening years, Earl’s rare videotapes have become highly sought-after underground favorites, selling for a small fortune to those lucky enough to find them.

That is where the story is supposed to end. Except that recently, Earl moved out of California, which required him to excavate and repack dozens of boxes of smashed and long-forgotten magical belongings. They were the last thing Earl expected to find, but there they were, tucked away in the debris-the lost masters. Dusty, the footage a bit darkened by time, but all in all, relatively unscathed. And so it is with great pleasure we are able to bring you the re-release of Earl Nelson’s legendary videos.

The Pass:
A performance of Cavorting Aces using passes to be taught
The Classic Pass
A Vernon rip
The Wrist Turn Pass
The Turnover Pass
The Jiggle Pass
The Stanyon Cover Pass
Explanation of Cavorting Aces

The Double Lift, The Palm:
Discussion of different techniques
Dribble Double
Push-off Double
Topping the Pack
Erdnase Bottom Palm
After the Riffle
Diagonal Palm Shift