The Retreat Gift Pack (Washington D.C.)

When we first announced The Retreat: Washington, DC, a few people raised an eyebrow. A luxury magic retreat in the nation's capital? It wasn't the obvious choice. But by the end of the week, every doubt had disappeared. Between private experiences, incredible dining, fascinating history, and unforgettable magic, Washington proved to be one of our most rewarding Retreats yet.

A highlight of each Retreat is the gift sets. These bespoke boxes are filled with souvenirs from the trip, but also highly limited lecture notes from our performers, filled with rare, often unpublished material.

The material inside our Retreat: Washington DC gift set is phenomenal. It features Joshua Jay’s tribute to Darwin Ortiz, which includes a full, never-before-seen essay from Darwin, material from an almost forgotten British magician written by Andi Gladwin, Dani DaOrtiz’s takes on Hofzinser’s classics, and pieces directly out of Michael Vincent’s working repertoire.

When the final copies are gone, they're gone forever. These collectable sets are a snapshot of a one-of-a-kind trip, featuring exclusive material that can't be found anywhere else.

Our Retreat: Washington, DC Gift Pack includes four exclusive booklets from Joshua Jay, Andi Gladwin, Michael Vincent, and Dani DaOrtiz, along with a set of The Art of Magic postcards and an exclusive Retreat enamel pin. Inspired by the American flag, the pin features a striking red, white, and blue design created exclusively for this Retreat.

What's Included in The Retreat: Washington DC Gift Pack?

Art of Magic Postcards - Ken Trombly
One of the unforgettable highlights of our time in Washington was a private visit to Ken Trombly's extraordinary collection of vintage magic posters. Since published in The Art of Magic, this remarkable collection represents some of the finest magic artwork ever created. As a keepsake from the visit, guests received a beautiful set of postcards featuring several of Ken's favorite pieces.

The Life & Ideas of Darwin Ortiz by Joshua Jay
When we announced the Retreat: Washington DC, we planned to have Darwin Ortiz be one of our guests. Unfortunately, he passed away before the Retreat took place, but in his honor, Josh delivered a talk which you can watch for free here and put together this booklet on his legacy. Inside, you’ll read a touching tribute to Darwin from Josh, learn about who he was outside of magic, and read an annotated bibliography of what are, in our opinion, the best tricks from each of his releases. But the real highlight of this booklet is Next Book Syndrome, a previously unpublished essay from Darwin himself that he had planned to include in his third book on magic theory.

An Introduction to Gus Southall by Andi Gladwin
Gus Southall isn’t a name that most magicians have heard before. Born in 1901, Gus was a financial advisor by trade, and never went into magic full time. That didn’t stop him from developing incredibly strong card magic that, decades later, still feels modern. In this set of Retreat lecture notes, our very own Andi Gladwin shares four pieces of card magic and one move from Gus. While they’re all incredible, our favorite is Gus’s “Borrowed Cards from the Pockets Routine” in which the magician takes a borrowed, shuffled deck, splits it into four different pockets, and asks the audience to call out cards one at a time. As they do, the magician produces each named card from their pockets! It’s a super fooling routine that was almost lost to time, and is worthy of your study.

The Poetry of Magic by Dani DaOrtiz
We invited Dani on this Retreat for two reasons. Firstly, he’s generally just an amazing performer. But secondly, part of our trip to DC included a visit to the Library of Congress’ magic collection to see various relics from magic’s history, including some objects belonging to Johann Nepomuk Hofzinser. Dani is an expert on Hofzinser, and in this exclusive booklet, he shares his thoughts on several of Hofzinser's most fascinating ideas.

Tapestry by Michael Vincent
Having Michael Vincent on The Retreat: Washington DC was an absolute treat, as guests were treated to multiple close-up shows from a master. In his notes, Tapestry, he shares two powerful effects with a deck of cards. The first, “4 Play with FourSome,” is his handling of a Harry Loraine classic, made totally impromptu. While it’ll take a bit of practice, those who put in the effort will be heavily rewarded. The second effect is his “Triumphant Color Stunner” routine, a superb combination of two of the most powerful tricks in magic: Color Changing Deck and Triumph. Also included is a discussion on one of Michael’s favorite moves, the Top Change, which may change how you perform this invaluable sleight.

Even if you couldn't join us in Washington, this gift pack lets you experience some of the ideas, discoveries, and memorable moments that made the Retreat so special. With only a handful of sets remaining, this is one of your last opportunities to own this exclusive collection before it disappears forever.