Edwin Thomas Sachs

Edwin Thomas Sachs was an English writer born on April 9, 1850, and he died on September 26, 1910. Surviving reference material describes him as a sports writer and amateur magician, and later magic histories note that he became an Honorary Vice-President of the Magic Circle in 1906 and a member of the Inner Magic Circle in 1907.

He is chiefly known for Sleight of Hand: A Practical Manual of Legerdemain for Amateurs & Others. The book first appeared in 1877, and a greatly enlarged second edition followed in 1885. Written as a practical handbook rather than a showy memoir, it explains techniques, props, and performance ideas for readers who wanted to learn conjuring for themselves.

That book is the main reason Sachs is still remembered. It has stayed in circulation through later reprints and digital editions, giving modern readers a clear window into Victorian popular entertainment and the teaching of stage magic.