Conjuring Credits

The Origins of Wonder

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Progressive Anagram Principle

Max Maven has provided this history for the Progressive Anagram principle:

The principle would seem to have first seen use in “The Nonpariel Book Mystery”, a marketed item created by Stanley Collins in 1920. Edward Bagshawe applied the principle in his “Invisible Power”, 1934. Probably the first version to generate particular attention was Bertram Adams' “The Krazy Kode” in The Jinx, No. 31, Apr. 1937, p. 197.

Significant advances were made by Stewart James with his “Anagramatic Facsimile”, in Tops, Vol. 18 No. 3, Mar. 1953, p. 4, Howard Adams with “Words Of Wonda”, in Genii, Vol. 26 No. 11, Jul. 1962, p. 425, and Sam Schwartz with “Anagramatic”, The Linking Ring, Vol. 43 No. 1, Jan. 1963, p. 83. Schwartz's trick was also marketed as “Word-A-Matic”, 1972.

See also: Anagrams.