The Volta System by Burling Hull

The Volta System For The Feat Of Reading Sealed Messages ... says it all! Burling Hull’s personal verbosity shows up in this 16 page booklet of "the latest advances for the reading of sealed messages." In 1929, when this was released, it was the final word in sealed message reading. Today, it still ranks at the top of any list of secrets of this kind.

It covers: impromptu work with borrowed stationary; the first practical solution of what was once considered an impossible feat; the ability of this "Power" to always be available to the performer

These words from Burling Hull were used in his sales advertisement for the system. AND THEY ARE TRUE!

Originally the manuscript came with a bit of wax to be used as a gimmick (I’ve used candle wax and resin wax) and two fiber boards. (You can now get clipboards in any "dollar" store that may be used for this purpose.)

I watched Kreskin do his version of message reading and couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw, what to my mind was, one of the methods given in these instructions. The Volta System is definitely a derivative of Glenn Falkenstein’s work. There is a technique for reading messages when the audience is only a few feet from the performer as well as methods for club and stage work. Tips and procedures are noted throughout the treatise as suggestions to the improvement of the entertainer’s presentation.

All in all, there is gold in this manuscript for the magician / mentalist inclined to this type of entertainment. If I were still performing I would include an interlude of Sealed Message Reading in my act.

- C.D.S.

1st edition, 1929; 16 pages.
word count: 7762 which is equivalent to 31 standard pages of text