S. W. Erdnase is a
pseudonym
A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...
used by the author of ''
The Expert at the Card Table
''The Expert at the Card Table'', is an extensive book on the art of sleight of hand published in 1902 by S. W. Erdnase, a pseudonymous author whose identity has remained a mystery for over a century. As a detailed manual of card sharps, the book ...
'', a book detailing
sleight of hand
Sleight of hand (also known as prestidigitation or ''legerdemain'' ()) refers to fine motor skills when used by performing artists in different art forms to entertain or manipulate. It is closely associated with close-up magic, card magic, card ...
,
cheating
Cheating generally describes various actions designed to subvert rules in order to obtain unfair advantages. This includes acts of bribery, cronyism and nepotism in any situation where individuals are given preference using inappropriate cr ...
and
legerdemain
Sleight of hand (also known as prestidigitation or ''legerdemain'' ()) refers to fine motor skills when used by performing artists in different art forms to entertain or manipulate. It is closely associated with close-up magic, card magic, card ...
using
playing card
A playing card is a piece of specially prepared card stock, heavy paper, thin cardboard, plastic-coated paper, cotton-paper blend, or thin plastic that is marked with distinguishing motifs. Often the front (face) and back of each card has a fi ...
s. Still considered essential reading for any card magician, the book (usually known as just ''Erdnase,'' ''Expert'', EATCT, or sometimes ''the Bible'') has been in publication since 1902. Erdnase's true identity is one of the enduring mysteries of the
magic
Magic or Magick most commonly refers to:
* Magic (supernatural), beliefs and actions employed to influence supernatural beings and forces
* Ceremonial magic, encompasses a wide variety of rituals of magic
* Magical thinking, the belief that unrela ...
community.
Identity
S. W. Erdnase was most likely a way for the author to conceal his real identity so he would not be arrested, since Federal laws at the time prohibited the publication and distribution of "obscene" material. In the late 19th and early 20th century, many judges considered books on gambling methods obscene (see
Comstock laws
The Comstock laws were a set of federal acts passed by the United States Congress under the Grant administration along with related state laws.Dennett p.9 The "parent" act (Sect. 211) was passed on March 3, 1873, as the Act for the Suppression of ...
).
S. W. Erdnase spelled backwards is "E. S. Andrews", leading many investigators to search for people named Andrews as possible candidates.
Milton Franklin Andrews
Martin Gardner
Martin Gardner (October 21, 1914May 22, 2010) was an American popular mathematics and popular science writer with interests also encompassing scientific skepticism, micromagic, philosophy, religion, and literatureespecially the writings of Lewis ...
has proposed that a small-time con man named
Milton Franklin Andrews
Milton may refer to:
Names
* Milton (surname), a surname (and list of people with that surname)
** John Milton (1608–1674), English poet
* Milton (given name)
** Milton Friedman (1912–2006), Nobel laureate in Economics, author of '' Free t ...
was the author. Another proponent who researched this theory was Barton Whaley, in his book ''The Man Who Was Erdnase,'' which contains eyewitness interviews from the 1940s. Andrews was wanted by police for questioning in relation to a murder inquiry. When the police found Andrews he shot himself dead after fatally shooting his female companion. Andrews was only 33, as stated in ''The Man Who was Erdnase''.
Others argue against Andrews being Erdnase because the known examples of his writing are very much inferior to the exceptional writing of ''The Expert at the Card Table''.
There has been newer evidence since the year 2000 that puts to rest the assumption that Milton Franklin Andrews was Erdnase. It is obvious that Andrews was a card cheat but that is as far as his connection goes. Other historians have also found other men that could have indeed been S.W. Erdnase.
Wilbur Edgerton Sanders
Some argue that Erdnase was probably a well-educated, locally prominent individual, hiding behind an alias to protect his social standing. The late David Alexander, a magician and private detective, did quite a bit of work to find a better and more possible candidate than Milton Franklin Andrews, and he proposed that Erdnase was a prominent mining engineer named
Wilbur Edgerton Sanders
Wilbur may refer to:
Places in the United States
* Wilbur, Indiana, an unincorporated town
* Wilbur, Trenton, New Jersey, a neighborhood in the city of Trenton
* Wilbur, Oregon, an unincorporated community
* Wilbur, Washington, a small farming t ...
; "S. W. Erdnase" is an anagram of "W. E. Sanders".
Since Alexander's death, others have researched Wilbur Edgerton Sanders.
[ ]Genii Magazine
''Genii, The Conjurors' Magazine'' is a magazine devoted to magic and magicians. It is a monthly magazine first published in September 1936, currently edited by Richard J. Kaufman and owned by Randy Pitchford. The magazine is based in Washington ...
devoted a large portion of its September 2011 issue to an exploration of Alexander's theory, providing substantial circumstantial evidence that links Sanders to Erdnase.
Edward Gallaway
Chris Wasshuber has identified the printer and circus performer (door talker, Punch and Judy, magic) Edward Gallaway as an extraordinary good match for Erdnase. Edward Gallaway worked at the time at the printer, James McKinney, the book was printed at. Later Gallaway published other books in remarkable similar fashion (self-published, copyright registered, contact address given as place of work, and price printed on the title page). A forensic linguistic analysis by Dr. John Olsson confirmed that the writing style of Gallaway and Erdnase are a very good match, and in particular a much better match than other possible candidates such as Wilbur Edgerton Sanders. Gallaway also matches the physical description provided by the illustrator M. D. Smith (identified and interviewed by Martin Gardner in 1947).
E. S. Andrews
Todd Karr has identified a Midwestern-based con artist and business swindler named E. S. Andrews who was active around the turn of the century and whose biography and range of known locations seems to fit Erdnase's. Also, E.S. Andrews spelled backwards is S.W. Erdnase.
L'Homme Masqué
Juan Tamariz
Juan Tamariz-Martel Negrón (born 18 October 1942, Madrid) known professionally as Juan Tamariz or just Tamariz, is a Spanish magician.
American stage magician Ricky Jay once said he considered Tamariz a magician people will remember. Tamari ...
has advanced the theory that Erdnase was written by the Peruvian magician named "L'Homme Masqué" (The Masked Man), who lived in Europe:
Others
Many other people have also been proposed, including James Andrews, James DeWitt Andrews, Robert Frederick Foster and Herbert Lee Andrews, which have been discussed and debated on the Erdnase topic on the Genii magazine forum since 2003.
Film adaptation
A film based on the life of the mysterious author, adapted by German director Hans-Joachim Brucherseifer, is in production. The magician Yann Yuro () plays the lead role of S.W. Erdnase. It is scheduled to be released in late 2022.
Bibliography
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*
References
External links
''Artifice, Ruse, and Subterfuge at the Card Table: a Treatise on the Science and Art of Manipulating Cards''
from th
in the Rare Book and Special Collection Division at the Library of Congress
The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...
Erdnase film
official movie website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Erdnase
American gambling writers
American magicians
Year of birth unknown
Year of death unknown
20th-century pseudonymous writers
Unidentified people