The Cardistry Library is an archival project collecting and organizing cardistry moves. Initiated by Andrew Hsieh, the project aims to bring together the cardistry community’s collective knowledge through shared participation.

Methodologies

In order to collect historical material, the project sourced previous collections, including Jerry Cestkowski’s Encyclopedia of Playing Card Flourishes, The Cardistry Hub, and a Collector Playing Cards forum. For more recent entries, moves are selected and sourced through solo videos, instagram posts, and forums.

Difficulty is determined subjectively weighing personal experience, number of packets/movements, and community comments.

Tutorials taught by the creator of the moves are prioritized, as well as paid tutorials sold by the creator themselves. In cases where the original creator’s tutorial is deleted or not existent, third-party tutorials are sourced for accessibility.

History

“Cardistry” (card + artistry) is a performance art in which “cardists” (people who do cardistry) perform flourishes, maneuvers, and tricks with a deck of cards. Cardistry was born from card magicians who would use card flourishes in order to emphasize or glamorize certain parts of their tricks. Cardistry moves include varioius kinds of maneuvers that involve “the use of hands to create cuts, displays, fans, patterns and sequences.”

Early publications of cardistry include:

• 1902 – S. W. Erdnase’s The Expert at the Card Table discusses the use of flourishes in card magic.
• 1992 – Chris Kenner’s Totally Out of Control publishes one of the first card flourishes, “The Five Faces of Sybil.”
• 1997 – Brian Tudor’s three-volume VHS tape Show Off is one of the first only-flourish publications.
• 2001 – Dan and Dave Buck produce Pasteboard Animations another flourish-only instructional VHS tape.
• 2004 – Dan and Dave Buck’s instructional DVD The Dan and Dave System separates flourishes from card magic and defines cardistry.
• 2007 – Dan and Dave Buck’s three-disc DVD set The Trilogy showcases “some of the most comprehensive and difficult flourishes ever created.”

As the cardistry community grew, Dan and Dave Buck organized the inaugural Cardistry-Con in 2014. The conference was held in San Diego where cardists met up to give talks, showcase videos, present performances, participated in workshops, and other card-related activities. Since, the annual conventions have been held across the globe, accumulating more member