Hello, I'm interested in the subject of the magic square and I wondered what is the first known reference of this type of effect in magical literature. More specifically about the magic square resulting in a number chosen by the spectator. Thank

James J. Solberg - author of the books "Magic Square Methods and Tricks" and "More Magic Square Methods and Tricks" gives a chapter "History". He wrote that in the late nineteen and early twentieth century magic suare feates were demonstrated in the magic circles.The usual way was to let the audience choose the magic sum.
For example the memory expert David Roth did it with any even total for 4x4 squares in the 1920th years. Royal V. Heath - author of the chapter "Magic Squares" in "Greater Magic" credited his methods to Harold Adrian Smith of New York (Harold Adrian Smith, „Master Mysteries of 1933”). Robert Nelson of Columbus Ohio sold his method for totals greater 35 in the April 1929 issue of the Sphinx.
1931 published Theodore Annemann his method in "The book without a name".

In "Euphoria" I provide my secret method to swiftly construct a 4x4 magic square for any magic sum and any cell for the lowest or highest number selected by a spectator, using a CONSECUTIVE sequence of 16 numbers and skipping only ONE single number in the case of a doubly-even or odd total! There are NEVER duplicate numbers! I'm able to do it in less than 45 seconds asking a person for his height in cm.

Thank you for the clarification.

I saw the preview of Euphoria in Melencholia, the result is excellent. Unfortunately I am struggling with a step of the methods that lead to this type of result (for those I know). Maybe yours uses another way, I'll see when you publish it (when's that for?).

I've taught it in a number of books and in APOCALYPSE - you guys have to start reading the good stuff! You can also see me demonstrate it on one of my DVD volumes - and also somewhere on the internet. Do some research.

The question was "what is the first known reference of this type of effect in magical literature. More specifically about the magic square resulting in a number chosen by the spectator."

Hello Harry, of course I read your good stuff! I have Classic Collection 2, Mathematical Wizardry and The Magic Book (and others). You are my starting point in the world of the magic square. And thank you for that! My question is about historical curiosity.

The oldest reference I can refer to in my library is W.S. Andrews - Magic Squares & Cubes (published in 1909).

You can find cheap paperbacks on amazon.

Roth Memory Course, 7.00 USD:

Lybrary.com
https://www.lybrary.com/roth-memory-course-p-57.html

David was a fan of mine. Used to call me every time I did a national TV show to rave and say that there's now way "I could have done that!" Told me he was "doing" a Rotary Club appearance at 95 years of age - and was remembering the pone numbers of everyone in his audience. Pleased to say that he told me he was using my variations on how to do so. He died at 96.

You guys have to start reading the good stuff!!

Yes, excellent book by the master himself! Partially a bit dated maybe but still a must-read.

Michael Vincent talking about one of my books on memory training: "I Found my first one when I was 15 years old and never looked back. Once you learn the Harry Lorayne system it’s yours for the rest of your life."

Very magic-squarish posts here! Even duplicates.

Some folks obviously need a memory course to remember what they've already written and when!

And some folks obviously need just plain out-and-out memory to remember that they're always ready to troll someone on a much higher level than then can ever be. Because anything is on a higher level than an obviously jealously-ridden troll.

Hello Mr. Lorayne.

I hope this brief email finds you well. Growing up in the Bronx, I remember seeing you on the Wonderama TV show.
You did that wonderful performance of remembering all the names of the
audience. It was very fun to watch.

I purchased your Memory Book. My grades improved in Social Studies and French, and in every other subject.
Then in the mid '70's, I met you at Tannens. I saw the HaLo move in action. I had begun practicing magic after seeing magicians appearing with Bob McAllister.

In college, I applied your memory systems especially for Biology.
In the 1980's, I worked in door-to-door sales in the Midwest. Remembering
the name of one prospect a week after meeting him, surely helped me earn his business. I am positive of that.

What prompted me to write you now? Last week, my 3rd grade son asked me how he could remember some facts about
each of the planets. I taught him just a bit of your amazing concepts.

Today, he received the grade on his test. He was so happy to earn an A!

Just wanted to share this with you. Thank you for your enthusiasm for people.
This is what makes you so loved wherever you go. (Except by Mr. Nicolino!! Ha.)
Sincerely,

Mike Bondi
14031 Mailer Blvd
Orlando, FL 32828

Out of obvious jealousy into obvious nonsense.

I am curious about the oldest magic source of "Simple Formula To Create A Magic Square Adding To A Specified Magic Total".

According to Mark Farrar the following three steps should be followed:
1. The first (n2 - n) numbers in the magic square may be written in straight away, where n is the number of cells on each side of the magic square, as per the basic magic square.
2. The next number is derived by subtracting the result of the difference between ((n2 - n) + 1) and the basic magic square’s magic total, from the required magic total.
3. The remaining numbers are successively increased by one, starting from the number derived in Step 2.

Older sources than Harry Lorayne's invention are unlikely, right?

Royal V. Heath presented the idea of asking for the required sum WHILE already filling the first numbers. Obviously, this is not possible by using the sequence 1, 2, ..., n^2 so some numbers had to be skipped ("A Mathemagical Magic Square", The Sphinx August 1936). This is not exactly the same algorithm as described, but it comes very close.

I would be surprised if there would be no older sources describing how to create a magic square for any given sum. Constructing magic squares for given year numbers was a popular recreation. In fact, Anneman, who is usually credited with the first publication of a magic square for any given sum in "The Book Without a Name" (1931) starts his chapter in this book with the words: "I do not wish to claim anything new for this centuries old feat" (As you can see, I followed the advice to read the good stuff ;-) )

Hermann Schubert's "Mathematical Essays and Recreations" (1899, available at archive.org) contain a section "Magic squares whose summation gives the number of a year". However, as the author restricted himself to magic squares containing successive numbers, not every sum was possible.
In a similar way, W. S. Andrews ("Magic Squares and Cubes", 1917) discusses the construction of magic squares for a given sum, but he restricts himself to using numbers following each other with uniform increments (i.e. in arithmetic progression).

Using only successive numbers was usually considered to be a constitutive characteristic of magic squares.
Consequently, Royal V. Heath suggested to ask a spectator for the STARTING number n before filling
a 4x4 magic square using the numbers n, n+1, ..., n+15 ("A Magic Square You Can Do", The Sphinx, December 1932)