Erdnaseum

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You can’t be a magician or cardist and not know your Erdnase, the iconic, pseudonymous author of 1902’s The Expert at the Card Table, the sleight-of-hand how-to that’s often referr ed to as just “the Bible.” But because Erdnase sought to avoid prosecution for writing about illegal card playing, the real man behind the pseudonym has never been known for sure. The “Erdnaseum” pays homage to this great name of legerdemain with a winking reference to Erdnase’s most likely real identity, mining engineer W. E. Sanders (an anagram for S.W. Erdnase). The signature on the card backs is a cleverly stylized ambigram that can read either “Sanders” or “Erdnase” depending on how the card is held. The jokers pay homage to the Bee playing cards of Erdnase’s day, and the tuck box is an exact replica of a turn-of-the-century design. Printed by the USPCC. Show more