{"path": "practicalmagicia00harr.pdf", "page": 76, "folder": "", "text": "66\nTHE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN.\ndone so, remove the stopper at bottom of the large bottle as you\nplace it on its stand, and immediately place the large cover over\nit. The mixed liquid will gradually run out into the concealed\ncavity in the stand.\nYou must now talk a little magic nonsense, to draw off the at-\ntention, while you place the special covers over each of the\nsmall bottles, so that the descending pipes in the covers fit in\nthe necks of the bottles. Remove the tinfoil with which you\nhad covered the holes at A and B.\nWith a few magic waves of your wand, and words of art, say :\n\"I shall now cause the mixed liquids in the centre bottle to ap-\npear severally in their own original bottles.\" Let the covers re,\nmain a few seconds. Clap your hands. saying: \"Change, be-\ngone !\" Lift the centre cover : the large bottle will be seen to\nbe empty. Lift successively the covers from the small bottles :\nthey will be seen to have each their proper wine-one port, the\nother sherry.\nTRICK 29.-To Furnish a Treat to the Gentlemen.\nFor this th 3 magic bottle must be procured. One with three\nor four compartments is amply sufficient. In these placo gin,\nsherry, and port wine, respectively. The bottle will have three\nor four holes, on which you place your fingers as if stopping the\nholes of a flute. You may have a bucket of water and a com-\nmon bottle, resembling the magic one in size and appearance,\nnear your table. Havo ready also a tray of wine-glasses of thick\nglass, and holding only a very small quantity.\nExhibit the common lottle to the audience, and then place it\non your table, and direct attention to somo of the other articles\non your table. \"Now I must begin my experiment. I will\nwash and drain my bottle, that you may scc the experiment from\nthe beginning to the end.\" Place it in the bucket, and while\nshaking it about, and letting the water run out, exchange it for\nthe magic bottle lying by the bucket. Wipe that carefully with\na napkin, as if drying it, and calling two or three of the audi-\nence forward at a time, inquire which they prefer. Have the\nstops according to alphabetical order to prevent your mistaking\n-gin, port, sherry. Continue supplying the small glasses ase\ncalled for, till your bottle gets nearly empty, and then pour them\nout indiscriminately. Thero will havo been sufficient to satisfy\nthe most enger.\nBut if you wish to continue the trick, you may have a second\nmagic botile prepared in the same way, and you will casily, whilo\npropounding some magic charm and gesticulating, make some\npretence that will enable you to exchange the empty for the seo-\nond bottle, and so proceed."}
{"path": "practicalmagicia00harr.pdf", "page": 77, "folder": "", "text": "THE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN.\n67\nVENTRILOQUISM MADE EASY.\nWHAT IS VENTRILOQUISM?\nBEFORE we take the reader into the precise and minute instruc-\ntions which he will have to study and practice ere he can become\nthe possessor of the coveted art, it will be necessary to inform him\nwhat Ventriloquism* is, and in what it consists. In doing so, we\nshall endeavor to be as plain and clear as possible. Ventrilo-\nquism may be divided into two sections, or general heads, the\nfirst of which may be appropriately designated as Polyphonism,\nand consists of the simple imitation of the voices of human\ncreatures, of animals, of musical instruments, and sounds and\nnoises of every description in which no illusion is intended, but\nwhere, on the contrary, the imitation is avowedly executed by the\nmimic, amongst which we may classify sawing, planing, door-\ncreaking, sounds of musical instruments, and other similar imi-\ntations.\nSecondly, we have ventriloquism proper, which consists in the\nimitation of such voices, sounds, and noises, not as originating in\nhim, but in some other appropriate source at a given or varying\ndistance, in any or even in several directions, cither singly or to-\ngether-a process exciting both wonder and amusement, and\nwhich may be accomplished by thousands who have hitherto\nviewed the ventriloquist as invested with a power wholly denied\nby nature to themsclves. It is needless to observe, that when the\nlimitations are effected without a movement of mouth, features,\nor body, the astonishment of the audience is considerably en-\nhanced.\nThe terms polyphony, mimicry, or limitation, are employed\nto designate results obtained in reference to the first division of\nthe subject, where no illusion is intended while the term ven-\ntriloquism distinguishes those under the second division, where\nan illusion is palpably produced. The first is much more com-\nmon than the latter ; indeed, there is scarcely a public school\nwhich does not possess at least one boy capapble of limitating the\nmewing of a cat, the barking of a dog, or the squeaking voice of\n* Literally signifying belly-speaking, from venter, the belly, and loquor, I\nspeak."}
{"path": "practicalmagicia00harr.pdf", "page": 78, "folder": "", "text": "68\nTHE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN.\nan old woman. On the other hand, from a want of the know-\nledge of how to proceed, it is very seldom that even a blundering\nattempt at ventriloquism is heard, except from a public plat-\nform.\nThere have been many statements put forward defining ven-\ntriloquism, but we are decidedly of opinion that the theory of two\nof the most celebrated of foreign ventriloquists, Baron de Men-\ngen and M. St. Gille, who were sufficiently unselfish to avow the\nsecret of their art, is not only the most correct, but it is at once\nthe most reasonable and the most natural.\nFrom Baron de Mengen's account of himself, and the observa-\ntions made by M. de la Chapelle, in his frequent examinations of\nSt. Gille, whom weshall afterwards refer to, it seems that the\nfactitious ventriloquist voice does not (as the etymology of the\nword imports) proceed from the belly, but is formed in the in-\nner parts of the mouth and throat.\nThe art does not depend on a particular structure or organiza-\ntion of these parts, but may be acquired by almost any one ar-\ndently desirous of attaining it, and determined to persevere in\nrepeated trials.\nThe judgments we form concerning the situation and distance\nof\nbodies, by means of the senses mutually assisting and correct-\ning each other, seem to be entirely founded on experience ; and\nwe pass from the sign to the thing signified by it immediately, or\nat least without any intermediate steps perceptible to our-\nselves.\nllence it follows that if a man, though in the same room with\nanother, can by any peculiar modifications of the organs of\nspeech, produce a sound which, in faintness, tone, body, and\nevery othrer sensible quality, perfectly resembles a sound delivered\nfrom the roof of an opposite house, the ear will naturally, with-\nout examination, refer it to that situation and distance ; the\nsound which he hears being only a sign, which from infancy he\nhas become accustomed, by experience, to associate with the idea\nof a person speaking from a house-top. A deception of this kind\nis practised with success on the organ and other musical in-\nstruments.\nRolandus, in his Aglossostomographia,\" mentions, that if the\nmediastinum, which is naturally a single membrane, be divided\ninto tivo parts, the speech will seem to come out of the breast, so\nthat the bystanders will fancy the person possessed.\nMr. Gough, in the Manchester Memoirs,\" vol. V. part ii. p.\n633 London, 1802, investigates the method whereby men judge by\nthe car of the position of sonorous bodies relative to their own\npersons.\nThis author observes, in general that a sudden change in direc-\ntion of sound, our knowledge of which, he conceives, does not"}
{"path": "practicalmagicia00harr.pdf", "page": 79, "folder": "", "text": "THE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN.\n69\ndepend on the impulse in the ear, but on other facts, will be per-\nceived when the original communication is interrupted, provided\nthere be a sensible ccho. This circumstance will be acknowl-\nedged by any person who has had occasion to walk along a valley,\nintercepted with buildings, at the time that a peal of bells is ring-\ning in it. The sound of the bells, instead of arriving constantly at\nthe cars of the person so situated, is frequently reflected in a short\ntime fron two or three difierent places. These deceptions are, in\nmany cases, so much diversified by the successive interpositions\nof fresh objects, that the steeple appears, in the hearer's judgment,\nto perform the part of an expert ventriloquist on a theatre-the\nextent of which is adapted to its own powers, and not to those of\nthe human voice.\nThe similarity of effect which connects this phenomenon with\nventriloquism, convinced the author, whenever he heard it, that\nwhat we know to be the cause in one instance, is also the cause in\nthe other, viz., that the echo reaches the ear, while the original\nsound is intercepted by accident in the case of the bells but by\nart, in the case of the ventriloquist.\nIt is the business of the ventriloquist to amuse his admirers\nwith tricks resembling the foregoing delusion; and it will be read-\nily granted that he has a subtle sense, highly corrected by exper-\nience to manage, on which account the judgment must be cheated\nas well as the car.\nThis can only be accomplished by making the pulses, constitu-\nting his words striike the heads of his hearers, not in the right\nlines that join their persons and his. He must therefore, know\nhow to disguise the true direction of his voice; because the arti-\nfice will give him an opportunity to substitute almost any ccho he\nchoses in the place of it. But the superior part of the human body\nhas been already proved to form an extensive seat of sound, from\nevery point of which the pulses are repelled as if they diverge from\na\ncommon centre. This is the reason why people, who speak\nin the usual way, cannot conceal the direction of their voices,\nwhich in reality fly off towards all points at the same insiant. The\nventriloquist, therefore, by some means or other, accquires the\ndifficult habit of contructing the field of sound within the compass cf\nhis lips, which enables him to confine the real path of his voice to\nnarrow limits. For he who is master of his art has nothing to\ndo but to place his mouth obliquely to the company, and to\ndart his words out of his mouth-if the expression may be used\n-whence they will then strike the cars of the audience as that\nfrom an unexpected quarter. Nature seems to fix no bounds to\nthis kind of deception, only care must be taken not to let the\npath of the direct pulses pass too near the head of the person who\nis played upon, but the divergency of the pulses make him per-\nceive the voice itself. Our readers will, therefore, not be sur-"}
{"path": "practicalmagicia00harr.pdf", "page": 80, "folder": "", "text": "70\nTHE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN.\nprised that the French Academy adopted this view of the subject,\nand laid down that the art consists in an accurate imitation of any\ngiven sound (IS it reachis the car. In conformity with a thcory so\nincontrovertible, physiologists have suggested a varicty of\nmovements of the vocal organs to explain still further the ori-\nginating cause; and some have gone so far as to contend for a\npeculiarity of structure in these organs as an essential require-\nment but they have wisely omitted to specify what. Noth-\ning, however, can be more accurate than the description of\n\"therssence\" of ventriloquy in the \"English Cyclopadia --name-\nly, that it \"consists in creating illusions as to the distance and direc-\ntion whence a sound has travelled.\" How those sounds are pro-\nduced, we shall show in another chapter,\nVENTRILOQUISM AMONGST THE ANCIENTS.\nCharles Lamb gave utterance to the thouglit that it was\n\" pleasant to contemplate the head of the Ganges,\" but tho\nstudent of ventriloquism finds it difficult to obtain a view of\nthe source of his art. In the dim and misty ages of antiquity,\nhe may trace under various guises the practice of it. Many of\nthe old superstitions were fostered by its neans ; from the cra-\ndle of mankind to the birthplace of idolatry, we incidentally\nlearn of the belief in a familiar spirit-a second voice, which\nafterwards took the form of divination.\nThe various kinds of divination amongst the nations of an-\ntiquity which were stated by the priesthood to be by a spirit, a\nfamiliar spirit, cr a spirit of divination, are now supposed to have\nbeen effected by means cf ventriloquism. Divination by a fam-\niliar spirit can be tracked through a long period of time. By\nreference to Leviticus XX. 27 it will be seen that the Mosaic law\nforbade the Hebrews to consult those having familiar spirits, and\nto put to death the possessor. The Mosaic law was given about\nfifteen hundred years before Clirist. Divining by a familiar\nspirit was, however, so familiar to the Jews, that the prophet\nIsaiah draws a powcrful illustration from the kind of voice heard\nin such divination, see Isaiah xxix. 4.\nThere can be little doubt but the Jews became acquainted with\nthis voice during their compulsory captivity in Egypt. In many\nof the mysteries which accompanied the worship of Osiris, the\nuncarthly voice speaking from hidden depths of unknown heiglits\nwas common. Some philosophers have imagined that a series of\ntubes and acoustical appliances were used to accomplish these\nmysterious sounds. The statute of Memnon will instantly sug-\ngest itself as a familiar instance. The gigantic stone-head was"}
{"path": "practicalmagicia00harr.pdf", "page": 81, "folder": "", "text": "THE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN.\n71\nheard to speak when the first rays of the worshipped sun glanced\non its impassive features. The magic words were undoubtedly\npronounced by the attendant priest, for we find a similar trick\nprevalent throughout the whole history of ventriloquism, and\neven now the public professors of the art know how much dc-\npends on fixing the attention of their audience on the object or\nplacc from whence the sound is supposed to proceed. The Jews\ncarried the art with them into Palestine, for we tracce the agency\nthroughout their history.\nThe Grecks practised a mode of divination termed gastromancy,\nwhere the diviner replied without moving his lips, so that the\nconsulter believed he heard the actual voice of a spirit speaking\nfrom its residence within the priest's belly.\nIn the Acts of the Apostles (xvi. 16), mention is made of\na\nyoung woman with a familiar spirit meeting the Apostles in the\ncity of Philippi, in Macedonia, - St. Chrysostom and other early\nFathers of the Christian Church mention divination by a familiar\nspirit as practised in their day. The practice of similar divina-\ntion is still common in the East ; it lingers on the banks of the\nNile, and is even practised among the Esquimaux. This divina-\ntion by a familiar spirit has been practised upwards of three\nthousand years.\nMODERN PROFESSORS OF THE ART.\nThe earliest notice of ventriloquial illusion, as carried out in\nmodern times, has reference to Louis Brabant, valet-de-chambre of\nFrancis I., who is said to have fallen in love with a beautiful and\nrich heiress, but was rejected by the parents as a low, unsuitable\nmatch. However, the father dying, he visits the widow ; and on\nhis first appearance in the house she hears accosted in a\nvoice resembling that of her dead husband, and which seemed to\nproceed from above. Give my daughter in marriage to Louis\nBrabant, who is a man of great fortune and excellent character.\nI now endure the inexpressible torments of purgatory, for having\nrefused her to him ; obey this admonition and I shall soon bc\ndelivered ; you will provide a worthy husband for your daugh-\nter, and procure everlasting repose to the soul of your poor hus-\nband.\"\nThe dread summons, which had no appearance of proceeding\nfrom Louis, whose countenance exhibited no change, and whose\nlips were close and motionless, was instantly complied with ; but\nthe deceiver, in order to mend his finances for the accomplish-\nment of the marriage contract, applies to one Cornu, an old and\nrich banker at Lyons, who had accumulated immense wealth by"}
{"path": "practicalmagicia00harr.pdf", "page": 82, "folder": "", "text": "72\nTHE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN.\nusury, and extortion, and was haunted by remorse of conscience.\nAfter some conversation on demons and spectres, the pains of pur\ngatory, &c., during an interval of silence, a voice is heard, like\nthat of the banker's deceased father, complaining of his dreadful\nsituation in purgatory, and calling upon him to rescue him from\nthence, by putting into the hands of Louis Brabant, then with\nhim, a large sum for the redemption of Christians in slavery with\nthe Turks ; threatening him at the same time with eternal damna-\ntion if he did not thus expiate his own sins. Upon a second in-\nterview, in which his ears were saluted with the complaints and\ngroans of his father, and of all his deceased relations, imploring\nhim, for the love of God, and in the name of every saint in the\ncalendar, to have mercy on his own soul and others, Cornu\nobeyed the heavenly voice, and gave Louis 10,000 crowns, with\nwhich hc returned to Paris, and married his mistress.\nThe works of M. L'Abbe La Chapelle, issued 1772, and be-\nfore alluded to, contain descriptions of the ventriloquial achieve-\nments of Baron Mengen at Vienna ; and those of M. St. Gille,\nnear Paris, are equally interesting and astonishing. The former\ningeniously constructed a doll with moveable lips, which he\ncould readily control by a movement of the fingers under the\ndress ; and with this automaton he was accustomed to hold hu-\nmorous and satirical dialogues. He ascribed proficiency in his\nart to the frequent gratification of a propensity for counterfeiting\nthe cries of the lower animals, and the voices of persons with\nwhom he was brought in contact. So expert, indeed, had prac-\ntice rendered him in this way, that the sounds uttered by him did\nnot seem to issue from his own mouth. La Chapelle, having\nheard many surprising circumstances related concerning one M.\nSt. Gille, a grocer at St. Germainen-Laye, near Paris, whose powers\nas a ventriloquist had given occasion to many singular and divert-\ning scenes, formed the resolution of seeing him. Being seated\nwith him on the opposite side of a fire, in a parlor on the ground\nfloor, and very attentively observing him, the Abbe, after half an\nhour's conversation with M. St. Gille, heard himself called, on a\nsudden, by his name and title, in a voice that seemed to come from\nthe roof of a house at a distance ; and whilst he was pointing to\nthe house from which the voice had appeared to him to proceed,\nhe was yet more surprised at hearing the words, \"it was not\nfrom that quarter, \" apparently in the same kind of voice as be-\nfore, but which now seemed to issue from under the earth at one\nof\nthe corners of the room. In short, this factitious voice played,\nas it were, everywhere about him, and seemed to proceed from\nany quarter or distance from which the operator chose to trans-\nmit it to him. To the Abbe, though conscious that the voice pro-\nceeded from the mouth of M. St. Gille, he appeared absolutely\nmute while bre was exercising his talent ; nor could any change"}
{"path": "practicalmagicia00harr.pdf", "page": 83, "folder": "", "text": "THE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN.\n73\nin his countenance be discovered. But he observed that M.\nSt. Gille presented only the profile of his face to him while he\nwas speaking as a ventriloquist.\nOn another occasion, M. St. Gille sought for shelter from a\nstorm in a neighboring convent ; and finding the community in\nmourning, and inquiring the cause, he was told that one of their\nbody, much esteemed by them, had lately died. Some of their rc-\nligious attended him to the church, and showing him the tomb of\ntheir deceased brother, spoke very feelingly of the scanty hon-\nors that had been bestowed on his memory, when suddenly, a\nvoice was heard, apparently proceeding from the roof of the\nchoir, lamenting the situation of the defunct in purgatory, and\nreproaching the brotherhood with their want of zeal on his ac-\ncount. The whole community being afterwards convened in the\nchurch, the voice from the roof renewed its lamentations and rc-\nproaches, and the whole convent fell on their faces, and vowed a\nsolemn reparation. Accordingly, they first chanted a De profun-\ndis in full choir ; during the intervals of which the ghost occa-\nsionally expressed the comfort he received from their pious\nexercises and ejaculations in his bchalf. The prior, when this\nreligious service was concluded, entered into a serious conversa-\ntion with M. St. Gille, and inveighed against the .incredulity of\nour modern sceptics and pretended philosophers on the article of\nghosts and apparitions ; and St. Gille found it difficult to convince\nthe fathers that the whole was a deception.\nM. St. Gille, in 1771, submitted his attainments in this direction\nto several experiments before MM. Leroy and Fouchy, Commis-\nsioners of the Royal Academy of Sciences, and other persons of\nexhalted rank, in order to demonstrate that his mimicry was so\nperfect as to reach the point of complete illusion. For this purpose\na report was circulated that a spirit's voice had been licard at\ntimes in the envions of St. Germain, and that the commission was\nappointed to verify the fact. The company, with the exception\nof one lady, were apprised of the real nature of the case, the in-\ntention being to test the strength of the illusion upon her. The\narrangement was that they should dine together in the country, in\nthe open air ; and while they were at table, the lady was ad-\ndressed in a supernatural voice, now coming from the top of\nadjoining trees, then descending until it approached her, next re-\nceding and plunging into the ground, wherei it ceased. For up-\nwards of two hours was this startling continued\nwith such adroitness that she was convinced the voice belonged\nto a person from another world, and subsequent explanation\nfailed to convince her to the contrary.\nM. Alexandre, the famous ventriloquist, had an extraordinary\nfacility in counterfeiting all the expressions of countenance and\nbodily conditions common to humanity. When in London,\nhis mimetic powers, which he was fond of exercising both in pub-"}
{"path": "practicalmagicia00harr.pdf", "page": 84, "folder": "", "text": "74\nTHE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN.\nlic and private, made his company in high request among the up-\nper circles. The Lord Mayor of the City, in particular, received\nthe ventriloquist with great distinction, and invited him several\ntimes to dine at the Mansion House. But it unluckily happened\nthat on every occasion when M. Alexandre dined there, le could\nnot stay to spend the evening, having contracted engagements\nelsewhiere. The Lord Mayor expressed much regret at this, and\nthe ventriloquist himself was annoyed on the same account, being\nwilling to do his best to entertain the guests whom the Lord May-\nor had asked each time to meet him.\nAt last, on meeting M. Alexandre one day, the Lord Mayor en-\ngaged him to dine at the Mansion House on a remote day. 'I fix\nit purposely, \" said his lordship, \"at so distant a period, because\nI wish to make sure this time of your remaining with us through\nthe evening. Through fear of seeming purposely to slight his\nlordship, M. Alexandre did not dare to tell the Mayor that on\nthat very morning he had accepted an invitation from a noble-\nble man of high rank to spend at his house the evening of the\nidentical day so unfortunately pitched on by the civic dignitary.\nAll the ventriloquist said in reply was, \"I promise, my lord to\nremain at the Mansion House, till you, yourself think it time for\nme to take my leave.\" Ah, well,\" said the Lord Mayor, and\nhe went off perfectly satisfied.\nAt the appointed day Alexandre sat himself down at the mag-\nistrate's board. Never had the ventriloquist comported himself\nwith so much spirit and gaiety. He insisted on devoting bumpers\nto each and every lady present.\nThe toasts went round, the old port flowed like water, and the\nartiste in particular seemed in danger of loosing his reason under\nits potent influence. When others stopped, he stopped not, but\ncontinued filling and emptying incessantly. By and-by, his eyes\nbegan to stare, his visage became purple, his tongue grew con-\nfused, his whole body seemed to steam of wine, and finally he\nsank from his chair in a state of maudlin, helpless insensibil-\nity.\nRegretting the condition of his guest, the Lord Mayor got him\nquietly lifted, and conveyed to his own carriage, giving orders for\nhim to be taken home to his lodgings. As soon as M. Alexandre\nwas deposited there, he became a very different being. It was\nnow ten o'clock, and but half an hour was left to him to prepare\nfor his appointed visit to the Duke of- suree. The ventrilo-\nquist disrobed himself, taking first from his breast a quantity of\nsponge which he had placed beneath his waiste oat, and into the\npores of which he had, with a quick and dexter ous hand, poured\nthe greater portion of the wine which he had apparently swal-\nlowed.\nHaving washed from his person all token of his simy ated in-"}
{"path": "practicalmagicia00harr.pdf", "page": 85, "folder": "", "text": "THE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN.\n75\ntoxication, and dressed himself anew, M. Alexandre then betook\nhimself. himself to the mansion of the nobleman to whom he had engaged\nOn the following day the fashionable newspapers gave a de-\ntailed account of the grand party at his Grace the Duke of----'s,\nand culogized to the skies the entertaining performances of M.\nAlexandre, who, they said, had surpassed himself on this occas-\nsion. Some days afterwards, the Lord Mayor encountered M.\nAlexandre. Ah, how are you?\" said his lordship. \" Very\nwell, my lord,\" was the reply. \" Our newspapers are pretty\npieces of veracity, said his lordship. \"Have you seen the\nCourier of the other day? Why, it makes you out to have cxhibit-\ncd in great style last Thursday night at his Grace of- \"It\nhas but told the truth, \" said the mimic. 'What? impossible!\"\ncried the Mayor. \" You do not remember, then, the state into\nwhich you unfortunately got at the Mansion House? And\nthereupon the worthy magistrate detailed to the ventriloquist the\ncircumstances of his inotxication, and the care that had been\ntaken with him, with other points of the case. M. Alexandro\nheard his lordship to an cnd, and then confessed the stratagem\nwhich he had played off, and the cause of it.\n\" I had promised,\" said Alexandre, \"to be with his Grace at\nhalf-past ten. I had also promised not to leave you till you your-\nself considered it fit time. I kept my word in both cases-you\nknow the way.' The civic functionary laughed heartily, and on\nthe following evening Alexandre made up for his trick by making\nthe Mansion House ring with laughter till daylight.\nMany anecdotes are told respecting M. Alexandre's power of\nassuming the faces of other people. At Abbotsford, during a\nvisit there, he actually sat to a sculptor five times in the char-\nacter of a noted clergyman, with whose real features the sculp-\ntor was well acquainted. When the sittings were closed and\nthe bust modelled, the mimic cast off his wig and assumed dress,\nand appeared with his own natural countenance, to the terror\nalmost of the sculptor, and to the great amusement of Sir\nWalter and others who had been in the secret.\nOf this most celebrated ventriloquist it is related that on\none occasion he was passing along the Strand, when a friend de-\nsired a specimen of his abilities. At this instant a load of hay\nwas passing along near Temple Bar, when Alexandre called atten-\ntion to the suffocating cries of a man in the centre of the hay.\nA crowd gathered round and stopped the astonished carter, and\ndemanded why he was carrying a fellow-creature in his hay.\nThe complaints and cries of the smothered man now became\npainful, and there was every reason to believe that he was dying.\nThe crowd, regardless of the stoppage to the traffic, instantly\nproceeded to unload the hay into the street, The smothered"}
{"path": "practicalmagicia00harr.pdf", "page": 86, "folder": "", "text": "76\nTHE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN.\nvoice urged them to make haste, but the feelings of the people\nmay be imagined when the cart was empty and nobody was found,\nwhile Alexandre and his friend walked off laughing at the unex-\npected results of their trick.\nIt would be obviously invidious to compare the merits of liv-\ning professors. Mr. Maccabe, Mr. Gallagher, Mr. Thurton and\nMr. Macmillan have long been favorites with the public.\n--\nTHE THEORY OF VENTRILOQUISM.\nMany physiologists aver that ventriloquism is obtained by\nspeaking during the inspiration of air. It is quite possible to ar-\nticulate under these circumstances, and the plan may with advan-\ntage be occasionally adopted; but our own practical experience\nand close observation of many public performers, and of not\na few private friends who have attained distinctness and no\nsmallamount of facility in the art, convince us that-the general\ncurrent of utterance is, as in ordinary speech, during oxpiration\nof the breath. Some imagine that the means of procuring the\nrequired imitation are comprised in a thorough management of\nthe echoes of sound. Unfortunately, however, for this theory,\nan ccho only repeats what has been already brought into cxist-\nence. Several eminent ventriloquists, including the late Mr.\nMatthews, have displayed the vocal illusion while walking in\nthe streets. Baron Mengen describes as follows his mode of\nspeaking, when he desired the illusion to take the direction\nof a voice emanating from the doll : \"I press my tongue against\nthe tecth, and then circumscribe a cavity between left check and\nteeth, in which the voice is produced by the air held 723 receive in the\npharynx. The sounds thus reccive a hollow and muffled tonc,\nwhich causes them to appear to come from a distance.\" The\nBaron furthermore mentions that it is essential to have the breath\nwell under control, and not to respire more than can be avoided.\nM. St. Gille was scen to look somewhat exhausted when the vo-\ncal illusion grew less perfect. Wc ourselves, and all ventrilo-\nquists with whom we have conferred, have acknowledged that\nthey have experienced fatigue in the chest, and have attributed\nit to the slow expiration of the breath. M. St. Gille, with the\nmajority of ventriloquists, was often compelled to cough during\nthe progress of his exercitation.\nTo attain an exact and positive knowledge of the modifications\nof voice specified as ventriloquism, it is important to be familiar\nwith the distinctions of the sounds uttered by the mouth ; and to\nascertain how the organs act in producing those vocal modifica-\ntions, it is necessary to know how the breath is vocalized in all"}
{"path": "practicalmagicia00harr.pdf", "page": 87, "folder": "", "text": "THE PRACTICAL MAG:CIAN.\n77\ndistinctions of pitch, loudness, and quality, by the ordinary ac-\ntions of the vocal organs. In ordinary language, we speak of\nnoise, of common sound, and of musical sound-terms employed\nby Dr. Thomas Young in illustrating the mechanical agencies of\narticulation A quill striking against a piece of wood causes a\nnoise, but striking successively against the teeth of a wheel, or of\na comb, a continued sound, and, if the teeth of the wheel are at\nequal distances, and the velocity of the rotation is constant, a\nmusical sound. The general terms-pitch, loudness, quality, and\nduration, embrace all the distinctions with which the musician\nhas to deal, and which he uses in his art.\"\nThe distinguishing feature of musical sound is its uniform\npitch througliout its duration, and acoustically musical sound is\ncomposed of an equal number of impulses or noises produced in\nequal tones.\nThe general terms-pitch, loudness, quality, and duration, also\nembrace all the distinctions heard in ordinary sounds. These\nsounds differ from the musical in the pitch constantly varying\nthroughout their duration, as the human voice in speaking, and\nthe voice of quadrupeds. Acoustically such sounds are composed\nof an unequal number of impulses or noises produced in equal\ntones. And from this circumstance pitch, in the strictly musical\nsense, is not a property of ordinary sound.\nThe general erms-loudness and quality, embrace all the dis-\ntinctions heard in a noise, as in the collision of two unclastic\nsticks. Pitch and duration can scarcely be considered as belong-\ning to common noise. Thus we have-(1) noise whose audible\ndistinctions are comprehended under the general terms loudness\nand quality ; (2) common sound, whose audible distinctions are\ncomprehended under the general erms-loudness, quality,\nduration, and every varying pitch (3) musical sound, whose\naudible distinctions are comprehended under the general terms-\nloudness, quality, duration, and uniform pitch.\nPhonation, or the production of voice, is a result of actions\ntaking place under two distinct classes of laws-namely, the or-\ndinary mechanical laws of acoustics, and the physiological laws\nof muscular movement. Tbe adjustment of the vocal mechanism\nto be brought into operation by the current of air, is made by\nactions under the latter laws and phonation is the result of the\nreaction of the mechanism on the current of air, by mechanical\nmovements under the former laws Now, the pitch of the voice\nessentially depends on the tension of the vocal ligaments ; the\nloudness or the extent of the excursion of these ligaments in their\nvibration ; the duration on the continuance of the vocalizing\ncauses ; the quality on the organization of the larynx, and also\non the form and size of the vocal tube. The form and size of\nthis tube can be altered in various ways-for instance, by dilating"}
{"path": "practicalmagicia00harr.pdf", "page": 88, "folder": "", "text": "78\nTHE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN.\nor contracting the pharynx; by dilating or contracting the\nmouth ; by contracting the communication between the pharynx\nand mouth, so as to constitute them distinct chambers, or by dila-\nting the opening so as to throw them into one, which is chiefly\nattained by movements of the soft palate and by altering- the\nform of the mouth'scavity, which is effected by varying the position\nof the tongue. Each of these modifications of the vocal tube con-\nveys a peculiarity of quality to the voice,-all however, being\nlocal or laryngeal sounds. Moreover, sounds can be produced in\nthe vocal tube, apart from the larynx. These, strictly speaking,\nare not vocal sounds, though some of them may be of a definite and\nuniform pitch, while others are mere noises-as rustling, whisper-\ning, gurgling, whistling, snoring, and the like. Now, as every-\nthing audible comes under the classes of noise, sound, or musical\nsound, and as each variety originates in the vocal apparatus of man,\nit is obvious that an ordinary vocal apparatus is all that is required foi\nthe achicvement of the fents of ventriloquism.\nA person having an ear acutely perceptive to the nice distinc-\ntions of sounds, may, by a little practice, imitate many sounds\nwith accuracy. Those persons, however, who are highly endow-\ned with the mental requisites, which consist of an intense desire\nto mimic, coupled with the ability to originate mimetic ideas, are\nable to imitate sounds at first hearing.\nWe next proceed to treat of those illusions, where the voice so\nperfectly counterfeits the reality intended, that it appears not to\nissue from the mimic, but from an appropriate source, in what-\never direction, and at whatever distance the source may be. Wo\ndo not hear the distance which a sound has travelled from its\nsource, but we judge the distance from our former experience, by\ncomparing the loudness which we hear with the known distance\nand known loudness of similar sounds heard on former occasions.\nCommon experience will prove that we oftener err in estimating\nthe distance of uncommon tuan of familiar sounds. In apology\nfor such an error, the ordinary language is, \"It seemed too loud\nto come so far,\" or \" It seemed too near to be so faint a sound,\nas the case may be, -both of which are apologies for an erroneous\njudgment, and not for faulty hearing. Near sounds are louder\nthan distant ones. Now, by preserving the same pitch, quality, and\nduration, but with an accurately graduated reduction of loudness, a series\nforming a perspective of sounds may be created, which, falling in\nsuccession on the car, will suggest to the mind a constantly in-\ncreasing distance of the sound's source. The estimate, then,\nwhich is formed of the distance which a sound has travelled be-\nfore reaching the car is a judgment of the mind formed by com-\nparing a present perception (by hearing) with the remembrance of\na former loudness in connection with its known distance. With\nregard to direction, it is observed; \"The direction whencea sound"}
{"path": "practicalmagicia00harr.pdf", "page": 89, "folder": "", "text": "THE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN.\n79\ncomes seemas to be judged of by the right or left ear receiving the\nstronger impression, which, however, can only take place when\nthe sound's source is in a planc, or ncarly so, with a line passing\nthrough both ears. It is familiarly known that a person in a\nhouse cannot by the noise of an approaching carriage judge with\ncertainty whether it is coming from the right or left. lic accu-\nrately judges it to bc approaching, passing, or receding, as the\ncase may be, by the gradations of loudness, but is unable to de-\ncide with certainty whether its approach or recession is from up\nOr down the street. Enough has been stated to show that we do\nnot hear, but that we judge the direction a sound has travilicd from its\nsource on reaching the car.\" The ventriloquist indicates, either di-\nrectly or indirectly, the direction from which he wishes his\naudience to believe the sound is coming. Thus he directly indi-\ncates it by words, such as- Arc you up there?\" \"He is up the\nchimney, \" He is in the cellar,\" \" Are you down there?' &c.,\nns illustrated in the various examples. He indirectly indicates it\nby some suggestive circumstance, as an action or gesture, which\nis so skilfully unobtrusive and natural as to effect its object with-\nout being discovered. Thus, when the ventriloquist looks or\nlistens in any direction, or even simply turns towards any point,\nas if he expected sound to come thence, the attention of 7722 auaience\nis by that means anstantly directed also to the same place. Thus, before\na\nsound is produced, the audience expect it to come in the suggestcd\ndirection ; and the ventriloquist has mercly, by his adjustment of\ntocal loudness, to indicate the necessary distance, when a misjudg-\nment of the undienre will complite the illusion which he has begun.\"\nThe effect which 1S produced on sound by its travelling from a\ndistance, is observed to be :-\n(1) That its loudness is reduced in proportion to its dis-\ntance.\n(2) That its pitch remains unaltered.\n(3) That its quality or tone is somewhat altered.\n(1) That its duration remains unaltered.\n(5) That the human speech is somewhat obscurcd, chiefly in the\n(O nonant sounds.\nIt must be remembered that the ventriloquist makes the sound,\nno' as it is heard at its source, but as it is heard after travelling from a\ndist ince.\nTHE MEANS BY WHICH IT IS EFFECTED.\nBeforc entering upon the first and easy lessons, it will be as well\nto consider the means by which the effect is produced. The Stu-\ndent is supposed to have made himself thoroughly acquainted"}
{"path": "practicalmagicia00harr.pdf", "page": 90, "folder": "", "text": "80\nTHE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN.\nwith the previous chapter, as to the effect to be produced, not on\nhimself, but on the spectators and audience. And we may assure him,\nthat if he has a fair range of voice, a dilligent observance of the\nrules which we are about to lay down, coupled with attention to\nthe nature of sound as it falls upon the ear, will lead him to such\ntriumphs as, in all probability, he never imagined he could have\nattained-ar assurance which we are emboldened to offer from\nour own pursuit and practical realization of the art.\nThe student must bear in mind that the means are simply natural\nones, used in accordance with natural laws. We have given him\nthe acoustical theory of the effect on the auric nerve, and the\nmeans are the organs of respiration and sound, with the adjoining\nmuscles. They are the diaphragm, the lungs, the trachea, the\nlarynx, the pharynx, and the mouth. The diaphragm is a very\nlarge convex muscle, situated below the lungs, and having full\npower over respiration. The lungs are the organs of respiration,\nand are seated at each side of the chest ; they consist of air-tubes\nminutely ramified in a loose tissue, and terminating in very small\nsacs, termed air-cells. The trachea is a tube, the continuation of\nthe larynx, commonly called the windpipe : through this the air\npasses to and from the lungs. Iti formed of cartilaginous rings,\nby means of which it may be clongated or shortened. The larynx\nis that portion of the air-tube immediately above the trachea : its\nposition is indicated by a large projection in the throat. In the\ninterior of this part of the throat are situated the vocal chords.\nThey are four bands of clastic substance somewhat similar to\nIndia-rubber. The cavity, or opening between these vocal\nchords is called the glottis : it possesses the power of expanding\nor contracting under the influence of the muscles of the larynx\nThe pharynx is a cavity above the larynx, communicating with\nthe nasal passages : it is partially visible when the mouth is\nopened and the tongue lowered. Near this part of the root of the\ntongue is situated the epiglottis, which acts as a lid or cover in\nclosing over the air-tube during the act of swallowing. The mouth\nforms a cavity to reflect and strengthen the resonance of the vi-\nbrations produced in the air-tube ; it also possesses numberless\nminute powers of contraction and modification.\nWe now proceed to give the instructions to which we have re-\nferred-instructions guaranteed by a proficiency which we are\never ready to submit to the ordeal of a critical examination, ci-\nther in private or in public.\nIf the student will pay strict attention to the parts printed in\nitalics, and will practice the voices here specified, he will find that\nthey are the key to all imitative sounds and vorces ; and, according to\nthe range of his voice and the capabilities of his mimetic power,\nhe will be enabled to imitate the voices of little children, of old\npeople, and, in fact, almost every sound which he hears."}
{"path": "practicalmagicia00harr.pdf", "page": 91, "folder": "", "text": "THE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN.\n81\nToo much attention cannot be bestowed on the study of sound as\nit falls on the car, and an endeavor to imitate it as it is heard-\nfor the \"secret\" of the art 1S, that as perspective is to the eye so is\nventruloquism to the car. When we look at a painting of a land-\nscape, some of the objects appear at a distance ; but we know\nthat it is only the skill of the artist which has made it appear as\nthe eye has seen it in reality. In exactly the same manner a ven-\ntriloquist acts upon and deceives the ear, by producing sounds as\nthey are heard from any known distances.\nPRACTICAL ILLUSTRATIONS.\nNo. I.\nTHE VOICE IN. THE CLOSET\nThis is the voice in which Mr. Frederic Maccabe, the celebra-\nted mimic and ventriloquist, excels, and the clever manner in\nwhich he can adapt it off-hand, as it were, will be best illustrated\nby the fact mentioned to us by the gentleman in question, whom\nwe call Mr. B. in Mr. Maccabe's presence. Mr. B., who was an\ninvalid, suffering from some nervous disorder, originating by over-\nwork and anxiety, was travelling in Ireland in search of health,\nand when on his way from Dublin to Cork, lic lay exhausted in a\ncorner of a railway-carriage, muflled up in cloaks and wrap-\npers in a paroxysm of pain. At Mallow, two gentlemen entered\nthe carriage, one of whom was in exuberant spirits, and commenc-\ned telling some amusing anecdotes. At length the porter came\nto collect the tickets. They were all handed in but one, when the\nfollowing colloquy ensued :-\nl'orter.- gentleman hasn't given me his ticket.\nGentleman.-Bill, in the next compartment, has the ticket, (tap-\nping at the partition). Haven't you, Bill ?\nThe imaginary Bill, who appeared to be suffering from a se-\nvere cold, replied that he had, and the porter would not take\nit. The official went off to find the ticket, but Bill, in the\nmean time had vanished. Back came the porter and indig-\nnantly demanded the ticket. He was interrupted by a shrill\nvoice in the opposite compartment, crying,- Porter ! porter !\nwhy don't you come and take the ticket ! There's some ono\ninsulting ne!\" Away went the chivalric porter, to come back\npuzzled and chafed to receive the ticket, which was handed to\nhim. His hand had not reached the coveted piece of pasteboard,\nere the yell of a terrier under the wheels caused the porter to\ndraw back, amid bursts of laughter, during which the ticket"}
{"path": "practicalmagicia00harr.pdf", "page": 92, "folder": "", "text": "82\nTHE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN.\nwas thrown out, and the train moved on. And Mr. Frederic\nMaccabe stood confessed, but not penitent.\nVoice No 1. .-To acquire this voice, which we so name for dis-\ntinction's sake, speak any word or sentence in your own natural\ntones ; then open the mouth and fix the jaws fast, as though you\nwere trying to hinder any one from opening them farther or shut-\nting them ; draw the tongue back. in a ball ; speak the same\nwords, and the sound, instcad of being formed in the mouth will\nbe formed in the pharynx. Great attention must be paid to\nholding the jaws rigid. The sound will then be found to imi-\ntate a voice heard from the other side of a door when it is\nclosed, or under a floor, or through a wall. To ventriloquize\nwith this voice, let the operator stand with his back to the au-\ndience against a door. Give a gentle tap at the door, and call\naloud in a natural voice, inquiring \"Who is there ?\" This will\nhave the effect of drawing the attention of the audience to a\nperson supposed to be outside. Then fix the jaw as de-\nscribed, and utter in voice No. 1, any words you please, such as\n\"I want to come in.' Ask quostions in the natural voice and\nanswer in the other. When you have done this, open the door\na little, and hold a conversation with the imaginary person. As\nthe door is now open, it is obvious that the voice must be altered,\nfor a voice will not sound to the car when a door is open the\nsame as when closed. Therefore the voice must be made to ap-\npear face to face, or close to the ventriloquist. To do this the\nvoice must not be altered from the original tiote or pitch, but be\nmade in another part of the mouth. This is done by closing the\nlips tight and drawing onecorner of the mouth downwards, O)\ntowards the ear. Then let the lips open at that corner only, the\nother part to remain closed. Next breathe, as it were, the worde\nout of the orifice formed. Do not speak distinctly, but expcl tho\nbreath in short puffs at each word, and as loud as possible.\nBy\nso doing you will cousc the illusion in the mind of the listeners,\nthat they hear the same voice which they heard when the door\nwas closed, but which is now heard more distinctly and nearer\non account of the door being open. This voice must always be\nused when the ventriloquist wishes it to appear that the sound\ncomes from some one close at hand, but through an obstacle.\nThe description of voice and dialogue may be varied as in the fol-\nlowing examples- -\nEx. 1. THE SUFFOCATED VICTIM.-This was a favoite illus-\ntration of Mr. Love, the polyphonist. A large box or close cup-\nboard is used indiscriminately, as it may be handy. The student\nwill rap or kick the box apparently by accident. The voice will\nthen utter a hoarse and subdued groan, apparently from the box\nor closet."}
{"path": "practicalmagicia00harr.pdf", "page": 93, "folder": "", "text": "THE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN.\n83\nSTUDENT (pointing to the box with an air of astonishment) : What\nis that ?\nVOICE: 1 won't do so any more. I am nearly dead.\nSTUDENT : Who are you How came you there ?\nVOICE : I only wanted to see what was going on. Let me\nout, do.\nSTUDENT : But I don't know who you are.\nVOICE : Oh yes, you do.\nSTUDENT : Who are you ?\nVOICE : Your old schoolfellow, Tom,\n.\nYou know me.\nSTUDENT : Why, he's in Canada.\nVOICE (sharply) : No he aint, he's here ; but be quick,\nSTUDENT (opening the lid) Perhaps lic's come by the under-\nground railroad ? Hallo !\nVOICE (not so muffled as described in direction) : Now then, give us\na hand.\nSTUDENT (closing the lid or door sharply) : No, I wont.\nVOICE (ns before) : Have pity (Tom, or Jack, or Mr. , as the\ncase may be), or I shall be choked.\nSTUDENT : I don't believe you are what you say.\nVOICE : Why don't you let me out and see before I am dead ?\nSTUDENT (opening and shutting the lid or door and varying the\nvoice accordingly) : Dead ! not you. When did you leave Can-\nada ?\nVOICE : Last week. Oh ? I am choking.\nSTUDENT : Shall I let him out ? (opening the door). There's no\none here.\n2. THE MILKMAN AT THE DOOR.-TI affords a capital op-\nportunity of introducing a beggar, watercress or milkman, and\nmay be varied accordingly. We will take Skyblue, the milkman;\nand we would impress on the student, that, although we give\nthese simple dialogues, they are merely intended as illustrations for the\nmodest tyro, not to be implicitly followed when greater confidence\nand proficiency are attained.\nVOICE : Milk below !\nSTUDENT : Is it not provoking that a milkman always comes\nwhen he is not wanted, and is absent when we are waiting for\nthe cream ?\nVOICE : (whistling a bar of 11 Shoo Fly\").\nSTUDENT : Oh, yes, always the broken-hearted milkman as if\nhe was not as happy as a king.\nVOICE (nearer) : Milk below ! Why, Sally, where's the can ? ]\nSTUDENT : Sally will be long in answering, I think.\nVOICE : Sally's gadding with the police. Milk below !\nSTUDENT (slightly opening the door.) : We don't want any milk, ny\ngood man.\nVOICE : No skim milk for the sat, or cream for ten ?"}
{"path": "practicalmagicia00harr.pdf", "page": 94, "folder": "", "text": "84\nTHE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN.\nANOTHER VOICE : Watercresses !\nSTUDENT : Really, this is too bad. Go away.\nVOICE : You owe mc ten cents for last week's milk; I was to\nwait.\nSTUDENT : This is intolerable. I'll send for the police.\nVOICE [ironically] ; Send for Sally and p'lice, l'll foller.\nSTUDENT ; Impudent rascal :\nVOICE ; Keep your compliments at home, Master Idlebones.\nSTUDENT [opening the door]: I'll report you to your master.\nVOICE [louder, as the door is opened] ; Will you, young Whipper-\nsnapper, pay us the dime, and let us go?\nSTUDENT offers to pay, while the voice gets weaker in the dis-\ntance with Milk below !\" until it becomes inaudible.\nA conversation may be held in a similar strain with thecellarman :\nand, as a rule, the lowernotes of the voice will be best for voices\nin the basement, and formed as low in the chest as possible.\nSTUDENT : Thomas, are you coming?\nVOICE BELOW [grufty] ; I should think I was.\nSTUDENT ; We are waiting for the beer.\nVOICE [partly aside]: The longer you wait, the greater our honor.\nMary, have another drop.\nSTUDENT ; Why, the scamp is drinking the beer ! Thomas\n!\nWho's there with you?\nVOICE : Myself. [Aside] Make haste with the pot, Mary ; he's\nin such a hurry.\nSTUDENT ; You drinking rascal, how dare you !\nVOICE : Coming, sir. The barrel's nearly empty.\nSTUDENT : I should think so, tippling: as you are at it.\nVOICE ; Now don't be saucy.\nSTUDENT : The fellow is getting intoxicated. Thomas !\nVorca ; Wait till I come. I have waited for you many times.\nSTUDENT : I suppose it is of no use hurrying you?\nVOICE ; No, it isn't, my young tippler. I'm COMING ! coming ! !\ncoming ! ! !\nFrom this illustration the student may proceed to try the second\nvoice.\nNo. II.\nVoice No. 2. - -This is the more easy to be acquired. It is the\nvoice by which all ventriloquists make a supposed person speak\nfrom a long distance, or from, or through the cciling. In the\nfirst place, with your back to the audience, direct their attention to\nthe ceiling by pointing to it or by intently nt it. Call loudly,\nand ack some question, as though you believed some person to\nbe concealed there. Make your own voice very distinct, and as\nnear the lips as possible, inasmuch as that will help the illusion,"}
{"path": "practicalmagicia00harr.pdf", "page": 95, "folder": "", "text": "THE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN.\n85\nThen in exactly the same tone and pitch answer ; but, in order that the\nsame voice may seem to proceed from the point indicated, the words must\nbe formed at the back part of the roof of the mouth. To do this the lower\njaw must be drawn back and held there, the mouth open, which\nwoll, cruse il.c palate to be devated (in il 10\nand the sound will be reflected in that cavity, and appear 1,0 come\nfrom the roof. Too much attention cannot be paid to the man-\nner in which the breath is used in this voice. When speaking to\nthe supposed person, expel the words with a deep, quick breath.\nWhen answering in the imitative manner, the breath must be\nheld buck and exp. lled very slowoly, and the voice will come i? a\nsubducd and muffled manner, little above a whisper, but so as to be\nwell distinguished. To cause the supposed voice to come nearer\nby degrees, call loudly, and say, I want you down here,'\nor\nwords to that effect. At the same time make a motion dounwar is with\nyour hand Hold some conversation with the voice and cause it\nto say, I am coming,\" or, \"Ilcre I am, each time indienting the\ndescunt with the hand (scecramples). When the voice is supposed\nto\napproach nearer, the sound must alter, to denote the progress of\nthe movement. Therefore let the voice at every suppcsed step,\nroll, as it were, by degrees, from thepharynx more into the cavily of the\nmouth, and at each supposed stcp, contracting the opening of the mouth,\nuntil the lips are drawn up as if you were whistling. By so doing\nthe cavity of the mouth will be very much enlarged. This will\ncause the voice to be obscurid, and so \"ppear to come nearer by de-\ngrees. At the same time, care must be taken not to articulate the\nconsonant sounds plainly, as that would cause the disarrangement\nof the lips and cavity ofthe mouth ; and in all imitation roicis the\nconsonants must scarcely bc articulated at all, especially if the t'ent-\nriloquist facis the audience. For cxample ; suppose the imitative\nvoice i3 made to say, \"Mind what you are doing, you bad boy,\nit must be spoken as if it were written \"ind 'ot you're doing,\nyou 'ad whoy. \" This kind of articulation may be practised\nby forming the words in the pharynx, and then sending thim\nout of the mouth by sudden expulsions of the breath clean\nfrom the lungs at every word. This is most useful in ventril-\noquism, and to illustrate it we will take the man on the roof as an\nillustration. This is an cxample almost invariably successful,\nand is constantly used by skilled professors of the art As we\nhave beforc repeatedly intimated, the cyes and attention of the\naudience must be directed to the supposed spot from whence the\nillusive voice is supposed to proceed.\nSTUDENT: Arc you up there, Jcm?\n* It is TCRT rarely that a ventriloquist shoms a full face to his au-\ndiener: it is only dine when he is at a great d:stance from them, and is\npronouncing the labial sounds, in the manner given, for any movement\nof the jaws would holp to destroy the illusion."}
{"path": "practicalmagicia00harr.pdf", "page": 96, "folder": "", "text": "86\nTHE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN.\nVOICE : Hallo ! who's that?\nSTUDENT ; It's I ! Are you nearly finished?\nVOICE : Only three more slates to put on, master.\nSTUDENT ; I want you here, Jem.\nVOICE ; I am coming directly.\nSTUDENT : Which way, Jem?\nVOICE : Over the roof and down the trap. (Voice is supposed\nto be moving as the student turns and points with his finger.)\nSTUDENT Which way?\nVOICE (nearcr) Through the trap and down the stairs.\nSTUDENT : How long shall you be?\nVOICE : Only a few minutes. I am coming as fast as I can.\nThe voice now approaches the door, and is taken up by the\nsame tone, but produced as in the first voice. As another illus-\ntration, we will introduce the reader to\nTHE INVISIBLE SWEEP.-This is a striking example of the\nsecond voice. Let the student pretend to look up the chimney,\nand rehearse the following or some similar colloquy :-\nSTUDENT : Are you up there?\nVOICE : Yes. Chimley want sweep?\nSTUDENT : Really, it is extraordinary.\nWhat are you\ndoing?\nVOICE : Looking for birds'-nests.\nSTUDENT : Birds'-nests ! There are none there.\nVOICE : Dick says there be.\nSTUDENT : Come down !\nVOICE : I shan't.\nSTUDENT : (stirring the fire) ; I'll make you show yourself.\nVOICE : I say, don't ; it's so hot.\nSTUDENT ; Come down, then.\nVOICE ; Don't be so stupid. Let I alone.\nSTUDENT ; Will you come down?\nVOICE : Yes, I will.\nSTUDENT : What's your name?\nVOICE (much nearer) : Sam Lillyvite. I sdy, what do you want\nmc for among company?\nSTUDENT : To show yourself.\nVOICE (nearer) : What for?\nSTUDENT : To let these ladies and gentlemen see that there are\nmany strange things between heaven and carth, but not Sam\nLillyvite, the sweep.\nAnother good illustration is to hold a conservation with a\nfriend wholives on the first floor, and with whom you can con-\nverse on any subject-as the retired and mystcrious student-but the\nmoment the student can master the elementary sounds, he will\nnot need our assistance in providing him with dialogues, which,\nhowever simple they may be to rend, have an extraordinary effect\nwhen properly spoken.\""}
{"path": "practicalmagicia00harr.pdf", "page": 97, "folder": "", "text": "THE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN.\n87\nPOLYPHONIC IMITATIONS.\nThe TORMENTING BEE.- is related that Mr. Love, when\nyoung, took great delight in imitating the buzzing of insects and\nthe cries of animals ; indeed, it is difficult to decide whether he\nor Mr. Thurton most excelled in this particular species of mimetic\nillusion. In all limitations of insect noises, the, bee should be\nheard to hum gently at first, so as in a private party not likely to\nattract attention till the right pitch is obtained, and be it remem-\nbered that the sound, without being particularly loud, can be\nmade to penetrate every corner of a large room. The illusion\nis\ngreatly increased by pretending to catch the offending and intru-\nsive insect. The humble bee, the wasp, and the bluebottle fly are\nbest to imitate, and afford an agreeable relief to the other exerci-\nses of ventriloquial power. To imitate the tormenting bec, the\nstudent must use considerable pressure on his chest, as if he was\nabout to groan suddenly, but instead of which, the sound must be\nconfined and prolonged in the throat the greater the pressure,\nthe higher will be the faint note produced, and which will per-\nfectly resemble the buzzing of the bee or wasp.\nNow, toimitate the buzzing of a bluebottle fly, it will be neces-\nsary for the sound to be made with the lips instead of the throat ;\nthis is donc by closing the lips very tight, except at one corner,\nwhere: small aperture is left, fill that cheek full of wind, but not\nthe other, then slowly blow or force the wind contained in the\ncheek out of the aperture : if this is done properly, it will cause a\nsound exactly like the buzzing of a bluebottle fly. These two in-\nstances will show how necessary it is for the ventriloquist to\nstudy minutely the different effects of sound upon his hearers in\nall his exploits. And to make the above properly effective, he\nshould turn his face to a wall ; with a handkerchief strike at the\npretended bee or fly, at the same time pretend to follow his victim\nfirst this way and then that, and finally to\" dab \" his pocket-\nhandkerchief on the wall as though he had killed it ; the sounds\nshould be at times suddenly louder and then softer, which will\nmake it appear asit is heard in different parts of the room.\nTire SPECTRE CARFENTER.-Th noise caused by planing and\nsawing wood can also be imitated without much difficulty, and it\ncauses a great deal of amusement. The student must, however,\nbear in mind that every action mist be initated as well as the\nnoise, for the cye assists to delude the car. We have even seen\nventriloquists carry this cyc-deception so far as to have a few\nshavings to scatter as they proceed, and a piece of wood to fall\nwhen the sawing is ended. To imitate planing, the student must\nstand at a table a little distance from the audience, and appear to\ntake hold of a plane and push it forward : the sound as of a"}
{"path": "practicalmagicia00harr.pdf", "page": 98, "folder": "", "text": "88\nTHE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN.\nplane is made as though you were dwelling on the last part of the\nword hush-dwell upon the sh a little, as tsh, and then clip it\nshort by, causing the tongue to close with the palate, then over\nagain. Letters will not convey the peculiar sound of sawing-it\nmust be studied from nature.\nA MOUNTAIN ECHO.\nSome persons imagine ventriloquism to be an echo ; but, as wo\nhave said, an echo only repeats what has been said before-it\ncould not answer a question.\nAn echo is reflected sound, and the reflecting body must be at\nsuch a distance that the interval between the perception of the\noriginal and reflected sounds may be sufficient to prevent them\nfrom being blended together. No reflecting surface will produce\na distant echo, unless its distance from the spot where the sound\nproceeds is at least 562 feet, because the shortest interval sufficient\nto render sounds distinctly appre\u00e7iable by the ear is about onc-\ntenth of a second ; therefore, if sounds follow at a shorter inter-\nval, they will form a resonance instead of an echo ; and the time\na sound would take to go and return from a reflecting surface, 561\nfeet distance, would be onc-tenth of a second.\nIt would, therefore, be impossible for a ventriloquist to produce\nan echo in a room of ordinary size, as the walls, being so near,\nwould cause the sounds to be blended, and would only produce\none impression on the car ; and yet the skilled ventriloquist can\nwith case imitate, in a room, a mountain ccho. We will give the\ninstructions, as it is very amusing.\nTurn your back to the listeners ; whistle loud several short,\nquick notes, just as if you were whistling for a dog then, as\nquick as possible, after the last note, and as softly and subdued as\npossible to be heard, whistle about a third the number of notes,\nbut it must be in the same note 01\u00b0 pitch ; this will cause the last\nwhistle to appear just like an echo at a great distance. This im-\nitation, if well donc, never fails to take the listeners by surprise,\nand causes astonishment. The same thing can be donc by shout-\ning. Call aloud any sentence, such as- 'Holloa, you there !\"'\nLet your voice bc formed close to the lips ; then quickly, and\nmind in the same pitch 01\u00b0 note, speak the same words very subdued\nand formed at the back of the mouth. This is not difficult, and\nis very effective.\nPOINTS TO BE REMEMBERED.\nIn giving the succeeding instructions, it must bo bornc in mind"}
{"path": "practicalmagicia00harr.pdf", "page": 99, "folder": "", "text": "THE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN.\n69\nthat the power and acuteness of hearing is possessed in ,\nveater\nor less degree by different individuals, and depends upon the sen-\nsibility of the auric nerves. It will not be out of place nor unin-\nteresting to show the effect of sound and the manner in which it\nis heard by the organs of the car. It is said that the human car is\ncapable of appreciating as many as twenty-four thousand vibra-\ntions ina sccond, and that the whole range of human liearing,\nfrom the lowest note of the organ to the highest known cry of in-\nsects, as of the cricket, includes ninc octaves.\nSound first strikes the drum or tympanum, a thin membrane\nwhich closes the aperture of the car ; when this drum vibrates by\nthe sonorous undulations of the external air ; the vibrations are\ncommunicated by minute bones, muscles, and fluid in the cavity\nof the car, and are then conveyed to the brain ; and to show how\nabsolutely necessary it is that all the organs of the would-be ven-\ntriloquist should be entire and without fault to succeed well, we\nwill show how the ventriloquist makes that nice distinction of the\ngradation of sound, and by which he is cnabled to judge whether\nlic is causing his voice to \"ppcar at the proper distance from his\naudience or not.\nLet any one firmly closc both cars by stopping them, then speak\na few words: now, as the cars are stopped, the sound cannot\nenter immediately to the drum of the car, but it takes cognizance\nof the sound by a passage called the custachian tube, which ex-\ntends from the back part of the mouth to the cavity immediately\nbehind the drum of the car.\nThe sound vibrations made in the mouth are transmitted along\nthis tube to the interior part of the organs of hearing. Now it is\nby a nice judgment of sound by this tube that the profes-\nsional ventriloquist judges the majority of his voices, especially\nthosc greatly obscured or mufiled. Not only must the auric nerves\nof the would-be ventriloquist be perfect, but he will become more\nproficient as he is able to study and understand the human voice.\nThere is the laneuage of emotion, or natural language. When\nwe say natural, we mean the language by which the feelings mani-\nfest themselves without previous teaching, and which is recogniz-\ned and felt without teaching. Some of them are the scream of\nterror, the shout of joy, the laugh of satisfaction, laugh of sarcasm,\nridicule, &c., which are made by man, and understood by fellow-\nmen, whatever may be the speechi or country of the other.\nThere are also distinct qualities of voice, peculiar to each per-\nson, both in tone and quality, and the best practice is to try and\nimitate three or four people's voices, and let them be of a different\ntonc and pitch.\nThe ordinary compass of the voice is about twelve notes, and a\nvery good practice to the attainment of the art is to call aloud in\na certain note, and then in the octave to that note ; do this several times"}
{"path": "practicalmagicia00harr.pdf", "page": 100, "folder": "", "text": "or at a distance. Ample directions have been given how all this is\ndonc, but let it be understood that it is most essential. The stu-\ndent may then practice before a friend, and he will be astonished\nto find that he can deceive any listener, as to the point from which\nthe sound comes ; and will be gratified that he has become the\nsource of great amusement to himself as well as in the circle in\nwhich he moves.\nThus we have acquired a working power in the art which, we\ntrust, we have now explained to the satisfaction of the reader.\nThe progress of the student will, of course, be facilitated by an\ninherent propensity of mimicry, which often approaches some of\nthe minor attainments of ventriloquism. In every company some\nperson may be found who, without any professional instruction,\ncan give admirable limitations, of the voice, gait, and peculiarities\nof a frient or acquaintance; thus proving that Nature, to some\nextent, supplies the basis upon which, if we may use the phrase,"}
{"path": "practicalmagicia00harr.pdf", "page": 101, "folder": "", "text": "THE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN.\n91\nthe complete superstructure of vocal illusion may be raised. The\npossession of this quality would amount, comparatively, to little,\nwithout instruction and perseverance. Here, as in other respects,\npractice makes perfect ; and, more than that, a dilligent applica-\ntion of our rules will invest the originally defective ainateur with\nan attainment which the ignorant will attribute to the possession\nof a supernatural gift.\nAll we need say in conclusion is, that the rules propounded will\nnot only clear away imaginary difficulties from the path of the\nstudent, but entitle him, like ourselves, to an acquirement more\nor less near perfection, according to a natural gift of mimicry, and\nto the zeal with which he may study and practice the art.\nTHE MAGIC WHISTLE.\nIt will be pleasant when the wind is howling without, among\nthe snow-laden limbs of the trees, to be reminded of the gay sum-\nmer by the counterfeit notes of the woodland songsters ; or, wan-\ndering among the woods and fields in spring or summer time,\nhow glorious to challenge the feathered musicians to a contest of\nskill with you in their own sweet language. Wc propose to in-\nstruct the reader in the manufacture of a little instrument by\nwhich the notes of birds, voices of animals, and various peculiar\nsounds may bc imitated.\nFirst, look at the annexed diagram, and then procure a leek and\ncut off from the green leaf thereof a piece about the size of the\ndiagram ; then lay it on a smooth table, and with the thumb-nail\ndelicately scrape away a small semi-circular patch of the green\npulpy substance of the leaf [as represented in the diagram], being\ncareful to leave the fine membrane of outer skin of the leaf un-\ninjured-and there is the instrument complete. It may require\nseveral experimens to make the first onc, but once having discov-\ncred the right way, they are very casily manufactured. The\nreader may not be aware of the fact that the leaf of the leck has a\nfine transparent outer skin, which is quite tough, but by breaking\nand carefully examining one or two leaves, he will soon find out\nwhat weallude to.\nThe way of using this instrument is to place it in the roof of the\nmouth with the side on which is the membrane downwards ; then\nplace it gently in its place with the tongue, and blow between the\ntongue and the upper teeth. After the first two or three attempts,\nyou will bc able to producc a slight sound like a mild grunt ; then\nas you practice it you will find you can prolong and vary the\nsound somewhat, so that in the course of a couple of days you can"}
{"path": "practicalmagicia00harr.pdf", "page": 102, "folder": "", "text": "92\nTHE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN.\nimitate the barking of a dog and the neighing of a horse. With\ntwo or three weeks' practice, you will be able to imitate some of\nthe song birds ; but to produce exact counterfeits of the best sing-\ning birds will probably require months of study ; the result, how-\never, will reward you for all your pains, for certainly to be able\nto carry a mocking bird, canary, thrush, cat-bird and sucking-pig\nin your vest pocket, is no small accomplishment.\nWhen not using the instrument, it should be kept in a glass of\nwater to prevent its drying."}
{"path": "practicalmagicia00harr.pdf", "page": 103, "folder": "", "text": "THE\nHunters' and Trappers'\nCOMPLETE GUIDE.\nA MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION IN THE ART OF\nHUNTING, TRAPPING AND FISHING.\nThis book will be found very valuable to those who have not had exporience\nin these healthy, manly and profitable pursuits. The book is thorough in\ndetail in every respect. The young sporteman can learn bow to use the Guu\nor Rifle with earc and precision. and become an unerring shot. The mystery\nof making, setting and baiting Traps successfully, is shown.\nThe Best Methods of Catching all kinds of Fish,\nEither in the Sca, Lake or River, is told practically and understandingly. The\nwhole\nArt of Managing and Training Dogs for Spcrting Purposes,\nand all about the care of Skins and Furs, so that they will fetch the highest\nmarket price, is given, with a vast amount of other valuable information\nrelating to the Hunters Craft.\nABOUT GUNS.\nTRAPPING.\nHow TO SELECT A GUN.\nHow TO MARE Trars.\nBREECH-LOADERS.\nSETTING AND BAITING Trars.\nllow TO LOAD A GUN.\nPROPER SEASON FOR TRAPPING.\nThe ART OF GUNNING.\nHINTS TO TRAPPERS.\nTHE RIFLE, AND How TO Use IT.\nSPECIFIC DIRECTIONS FOR Trap-\nABOUT Dogs.\nring AND SNAREING ALL KINDS\nMANAGEMENT OF Dogs.\nOF BIRDS AND ANIMALS.\nTRAINING OF DoGs.\nFISHING.\nBEST Dogs FOR SHOOTERS.\nBAITS. Hooks, Lines, Rods, &c.\nHUNTING, GUNNING AND SHOOTING.\nHIow TO CATCH VARIOUS KINDS or\nRABEIT SHOOTING.\nFISII.\nSNIPE SHOOTING.\nTHE ART OF STRETCEING AND\nPARTRIDGE SHOOTING,\nCURING SKINS,\nWOODCOCK SUOOTING.\nDRESSING AND TANNING SKINS AND\nWILD Fowl SHOOTING.\nFuns.\nDEER HUNTING.\nCOLORING AND Dreing SKINS AND\nBUFFALO HIUNTING.\nFrns.\nThe Book is indispensable to all who delight to Fish, llunt or Trap, either\nfor sport or profit. The instructions will enable anyone to become thoroughly\nexpert in the Sports and Pastimes of the River, Field or Forest. Illustrations\nare given, where needed, to clucidate matters, as in the construction of traps,\n&c.\nThis book will place many in a position to turn their spare time to a very\nprofitable account. Furs and Skins are always in demand, and if properly\ncaught and managed, sell for large prices.-Price 25 Cents.\nAddress all orders to\nHURST & Co., 75 Nassau Street, N. Y."}
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{"path": "practicalmagicia00harr.pdf", "page": 106, "folder": "", "text": "Fortlune Telling Made Easy;\nOR,\nTHE DREAMERS' SURE GUIDE.\nCONTAINING PLAIN, CORRECT AND CERTAIN RULES FOR FORETELLING WHAT\nIS GOING TO HAPPEN.\nBY THE CELEBRATED GABRIEL,\nThe Astrologer of the 19th Century.\nA Complete Oracle of Destiny.\nIn this Book yon have all that was ever made known by the ancient Egyp.\ntians, Assyrians, Persians, Grecks, Chinese and Hindoos relating to the occult\nsciences. Much has been procured from overlooked sources, and transcribed\nfrom the original hieroglyphies. The substance, also. of all that has been\nbrought to light by the researches and investigations of modern Astrologers\nand Professors is here laid before the reader in a plain and intelligible manner.\nThis Book contains\nThe celebrated Grecian Oracle of Destiny.- -The renowned Egyptian Fortune\nTelling Tablets.-Th Great Hindoo Trial of Destiny.-Palmistry the art\nof telling fortunes by the lines on the hand.-Fity-two Grecian observations\non moles.-Hlow - to make the Dumb Cake.-The - birth of children, and forc-\ntelling other events by the moon's age and the days of the week.-Tc know\nif yourlovcofa person will be mutual.-Charms, Spells and Incantations,\nTo procure Dreams, Tokens, and other insights inio futurity.-Fast of St.\nAgnes -The Nine Keys. Magic Rose.-Cupid's Nosegay.- - The Ring and\nthe Olive Branch.-Love's Cordial.-TheWitches Chain.-Love Letters.-\nStrange Bed. - To see a uturehusband.- - Toknow whatfortune your future\nhusband will have.-The Lovers'Charm.-Ilymenial Charm. -For a girl to\nascertain if she willsoon arry.-Physiognomy: the art of discovering a\nperson's disposition by their features.- -How to tcll a person's character by\nmeans of Cabalistic calculations.- -Fortune-telling by means of a tea or cof-\nfec cup-How to read your fortune by the white of an egg.-To chcose a\nhusband by the hair.-Lucky day8.-Fortune telling by dice. -Fortune tell-\ning by cards.-Dreams and their interpretation.-s complete dictionary of\ndreams.\nThis Book will acquaint you truthfully about\nWhat your pertico in life will be.\nWhether you will dio an cli maii.\nWhat you will b3 successful iz.\nWhether you will have nomey left you.\nWhit you 273 adapted for.\nWhether your marriage will be hagpy.\nyour abcent wife is delac.\nWhether you will be successful ia your\nhucband is oscupied with.\nlove affairs.\nWitt your future partner will bc.\nWhether you will be a widow.\nThat your destizy is.\nWhether you will get a divorce.\nWhother yeur intendei is true to you.\nWhether you will b6 disappointed in no-\nWhether yeu will be childless.\nney matters.\nThe book is, in fact, n perfect Oracle of Fate, and may be consulted with\ncertainty upon all matters that relate to your present or future prospects.\nPrice 25 Cents.\nSent by Mail to any address, on receipt: of Price.\n/"}
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{"path": "practicalmagicia00harr.pdf", "page": 109, "folder": "", "text": "5"}
{"path": "practicalmagicia00harr.pdf", "page": 114, "folder": "", "text": "AR\n2\n-"}
{"path": "practicalmagicia00harr.pdf", "page": 115, "folder": "", "text": ". 06\nA\nA\nAAA"}
{"path": "practicalmagicia00harr.pdf", "page": 116, "folder": "", "text": "020 237 539 A"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 1, "folder": "", "text": "Google\nThis is a digital copy of a book that was preserved for generations on library shelves before it was carefully scanned by Google as part of a\nproject\nto make the world's books discoverable online.\nIt has survived long enough for the copyright to expire and the book to enter the public domain. A public domain book is one that was never subject\nto\ncopyright\nor\nwhose legal copyright term has expired. Whether a book is in the public domain may vary country to country. Public domain books\nare our gateways to the past, representing a wealth of history, culture and knowledge that's often difficult to discover.\nMarks, notations and other marginalia present in the original volume will appear in this file - a reminder of this book's long journey from the\npublisher to a library and finally to you.\nUsage guidelines\nGoogle is proud to partner with libraries to digitize public domain materials and make them widely accessible. Public domain books belong to the\npublic\nand\nwe\nare\nmerely their custodians. Nevertheless, this work is expensive, so in order to keep providing this resource, we have taken steps to\nprevent abuse by commercial parties, including placing technical restrictions on automated querying.\nWe also ask that you:\n+ Make non-commercial use of the files We designed Google Book Search for use by individuals, and we request that you use these files for\npersonal, non-commercial purposes.\n+\nRefrain\nfrom\nautomated querying Do not send automated queries of any sort to Google's system: If you are conducting research on machine\ntranslation, optical character recognition or other areas where access to a large amount of text is helpful, please contact us. We encourage the\nuse of public domain materials for these purposes and may be able to help.\n+ Maintain attribution The Google \"watermark\" you see on each file is essential for informing people about this project and helping them find\nadditional materials through Google Book Search. Please do not remove it.\n+\nKeep\nit\nlegal\nWhatever your use, remember that you are responsible for ensuring that what you are doing is legal. Do not assume that just\nbecause we believe a book is in the public domain for users in the United States, that the work is also in the public domain for users\nin\nother\ncountries. Whether a book is still in copyright varies from country to country, and we can't offer guidance on whether any specific use of\nany specific book is allowed. Please do not assume that a book's appearance in Google Book Search means it can be used in any manner\nanywhere in the world. Copyright infringement liability can be quite severe.\nAbout Google Book Search\nGoogle's mission is to organize the world's information and to make it universally accessible and useful. Google Book Search helps readers\ndiscover the world's books while helping authors and publishers reach new audiences. You can search through the full text of this book on the web\nat http://books.google.com/"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 3, "folder": "", "text": "UNITED\nSTERARIES"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 6, "folder": "", "text": "THF UNMANKING\nROBER"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 8, "folder": "", "text": "8061\n'00 3H.L\nMEN\nINICHOH\n18\nNIGNOH -\nJO\nDNINSVINNO TH.L"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 9, "folder": "", "text": "313341\nCopyright, 1906\nCopyright, 1907\nCopyright, 1908\nBy HARRY HOUDINI\nEntered at Stationer's Hall, London, England\nAll rights reserved\nComposition. Electrotyping and Printing by\nThe Publishers Printing Company\nNew York, N. Y., U.S.A."}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 10, "folder": "", "text": "Dedication\nThis Book is affectionately dedicated to the memory of\nmy father,\nRev. M. S. Weiss, Ph.D., LL.D.,\nwho instilled in me love of study and patience in research"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 12, "folder": "", "text": "CONTENTS\nPAGE\nINTRODUCTION,\n7\nCHAPTER\nI. SIGNIFICANT EVENTS IN THE LIFE OF ROBERT-\nHOUDIN,\n33\nII. THE ORANGE-TREE TRICK,\n5I\nIII. THE WRITING AND DRAWING FIGURE,\n83\nIV. THE PASTRY Cook OF THE PALAIS ROYAL,\nII6\nV. THE OBEDIENT CARDS-THE CABALISTIC CLOCK-THE\nTRAPEZE AUTOMATON,\nI4I\nVI. THE INEXHAUSTIBLE BOTTLE,\n.\n176\nVII. SECOND SIGHT,\n. 200\nVIII. THE SUSPENSION TRICK,\n. 222\nIX. THE DISAPPEARING HANDKERCHIEF,\n245\nX. ROBERT-HOUDIN'S IGNORANCE OF MAGIC AS BE-\nTRAYED BY His OWN PEN,\n. 264\nXI. THE NARROWNESS OF ROBERT-HOUDIN'S \"MEMOIRS,\" 295\n[5]"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 14, "folder": "", "text": "INTRODUCTION\nT\nHIS book is the natural result of the moulding,\ndominating influence which the spirit and wri-\ntings of Robert-Houdin have exerted over my\nprofessional career. My interest in conjur-\ning and magic and my enthusiasm for Robert-Houdin\ncame into existence simultaneously. From the moment\nthat I began to study the art, he became my guide and hero.\nI accepted his writings as my text-book and my gospel.\nWhat Blackstone is to the struggling lawyer, Hardee's\n\"Tactics\" to the would-be officer, or Bismarck's life and\nwritings to the coming statesman, Robert-Houdin's books\nwere to me.\nTo my unsophisticated mind, his \"Memoirs\" gave to\nthe profession a dignity worth attaining at the cost of\nearnest, life-long effort. When it became necessary for\nme to take a stage-name, and a fellow-player, possessing\na veneer of culture, told me that if I would add the letter\n\"i\" to Houdin's name, it would mean, in the French\nlanguage, \"like Houdin,\" I adopted the suggestion with\nenthusiasm. I asked nothing more of life than to become\nin my profession \"like Robert-Houdin.\"\nBy this time I had re-read his works until I could re-\ncite passage after passage from memory. Then, when\nFate turned kind and the golden pathway of success\nled me into broader avenues of work, I determined that\nmy first tour abroad should be dedicated to adding new\n[7]"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 15, "folder": "", "text": "INTRODUCTION\nlaurels to the fame of Robert-Houdin. By research and\nstudy I would unearth history yet unwritten, and record\nunsung triumphs of this great inventor and artiste. The\npen of his most devoted student and follower would\nawaken new interest in his history.\nAlas for my golden dreams! My investigations brought\nforth only bitterest dis-\nappointment and sad-\ndest of disillusionment.\nStripped of his self-\nwoven veil of romance,\nRobert-Houdin stood\nforth, in the uncom-\npromising light of cold\nhistorical facts, a mere\npretender, a man who\nwaxed great on the\nbrainwork of others, a\nmechanician who had\nboldly filched the in-\nventions of the master\ncraftsmen among his\npredecessors.\n\"Memoirs of Robert-\nHoudin, Ambassador,\nRobert-Houdin in his prime, immedi-\nAuthor and Conjurer,\nately after his retirement. From the\nHarry Houdini Collection.\nWritten by Himself,'\nproved to have been\nthe penwork of a brilliant Parisian journalist, em-\nployed by Robert-Houdin to write his so-called auto-\nbiography. In the course of his \"Memoirs,\" Robert-\n[8]"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 16, "folder": "", "text": "INTRODUCTION\nHoudin, over his own signature, claimed credit for the\ninvention of many tricks and automata which may be\nsaid to have marked the golden age in magic. My in-\nvestigations disproved each claim in order. He had\nannounced himself as the first magician to appear in\nregulation evening clothes, discarding flowing sleeves and\nheavily draped stage apparatus. The credit for this revo-\nlution in conjuring belonged to Wiljalba Frikell. Robert-\nHoudin's explanation of tricks performed by other\nmagicians and not included in his repertoire, proved so\nincorrect and inaccurate as to brand him an ignoramus\nin certain lines of conjuring. Yet to the great charm of\nhis diction and the romantic development of his personal\nreminiscences later writers have yielded unquestioningly\nand have built upon the historically weak foundations of\nhis statements all the later so-called histories of magic.\nFor a time the disappointment killed all. creative\npower. With no laurel wreath to carve, my tools lay idle.\nThe spirit of investigation languished. Then came the\nreaction. There was work to be done. Those who had\nwrought honestly deserved the credit that had been taken\nfrom them. In justice to the living as well as the dead\nthe history of the magic must be revised. The book,\naccepted for more than half a century as an authority\non our craft, must stand forth for what it is, a clever\nromance, a well-written volume of fiction.\nThat is why to-day I offer to the profession of magic,\nto the world of laymen readers to whom its history has\nalways appealed, and to the literary savants who dip into\nit as a recreation, the results of my investigations. These,\nI believe, will show Robert-Houdin's true place in the\n[9]"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 17, "folder": "", "text": "INTRODUCTION\nhistory of magic and give to his predecessors, in a pro-\nfession which in each generation becomes more serious\nand more dignified, the credit they deserve.\nMy investigations cover nearly twenty years of a busy\na\nor\nfocus\nb2\nthe\nFrontispiece of \"Hocus Pocus,\" Second Edition, 1635, one of the earliest\nworks on magic. From the Harry Houdini Collection.\nprofessional career. Every hour which I could spare\nfrom my professional work was given over to study in\nlibraries, to interviews with retired magicians and col-\nlectors, and to browsing in old bookstores and antique\n[10]"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 18, "folder": "", "text": "INTRODUCTION\nshops where rare collections of programs, newspapers,\nand prints might be found.\nIn order to conduct my researches intelligently, I was\ncompelled to pick up a smattering of the language of\nJOH BAPT PORTA\nCa Philosoph, Madamatitor and Atrologic zus\ngovo. on\nJohn Baptist Porta, the Neapolitan writer on magic. From an old woodcut\nin the Harry Houdini Collection.\neach country in which I played. The average collector\nor proprietor of an old bookshop is a canny, suspicious\nindividual who must accept you as a friend before he\nwill uncover his choicest treasures.\nAs authorities, books on magic and kindred arts are\npractically worthless. The earliest books, like the magi-\ncian stories written by Sir John Mandeville in 1356, read\nlike prototypes of to-day's dime novels. They are thrill-\n[ II ]"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 19, "folder": "", "text": "INTRODUCTION\ning tales of travellers who witnessedmagical performances,\nbut they are not authentic records of performers and\ntheir work.\nOne of the oldest books in my collection is \"Natural\nand Unnatural Magic\" by Gantziony, dated 1489. It\nis the author's script, exquisite in its German chirography,\nartistic in its illuminated illustrations, but worthless as an\nhistorical record, though many of the writer's descriptions\nand explanations of old-time tricks are most interesting.\nEarly in the seventeenth century appeared \"Hocus\nPocus,\" the most widely copied book in the literature of\nmagic. The second edition, dated 1635, I have in my\nlibrary. I have never been able to find a copy of the\nfirst edition or to ascertain the date at which it was\npublished.\nA few years later, in 1658, came a very important con-\ntribution to the history of magic in \"Natural Magick in\nXX. Bookes,\" by John Baptist Porta, a Neapolitan.\nThis has been translated into nearly every language.\nIt was the first really important and exhaustive work on\nthe subject, but, unfortunately, it gives the explanation\nof tricks, rather than an authentic record of their in-\nvention.\nIn 1682, Simon Witgeest of Amsterdam, Holland,\nwrote an admirable work, whose title reads \"Book of\nNatural Magic.\" This work was translated into German,\nran through many an edition, and had an enormous sale\nin both Holland and Germany.\nIn 1715, John White, an Englishman, published a\nwork entitled \"Art's Treasury and Hocus Pocus; or a\nRich Cabinet of Legerdemain Curiosities.\" This is\n[iz]"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 20, "folder": "", "text": "INTRODUCTION\nHet Natuurlijk\nTOVER-BOECK\nof\nSPEEL =TONEEL\nder\nKONSTEN\nFrontispiece from Simon Witgeest's \"Book of Natural Magic\" (1682),\nshowing the early Dutch conception of conjuring. From the Harry Houdini\nCollection.\n[*3]"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 21, "folder": "", "text": "INTRODUCTION\nfully as reliable a book as the earlier \"Hocus Pocus\"\nbooks, but it is not so generally known.\nRichard Neve, who was a popular English conjurer\njust before the time of Fawkes, published a book on\nsomewhat similar lines in I715.\nGermany contributed the next notable works on magic.\nFirst came Johann Samuel Halle's \"Magic or the Magical\nPower of Nature,\" printed in Berlin, in 1784. One of\nhis compatriots, Johann Christian Wiegleb, wrote eighteen\nbooks on \"The Natural Magic\" and while I shall\nalways contend that the German books are the most\ncomplete, yet they cannot be accepted as authorities save\nthat, in describing early tricks, they prove the existence\nof inventions and working methods claimed later as\noriginal by men like Robert-Houdin.\nEnglish books on magic were not accepted seriously\nuntil the early part of the ninetcenth century. In Vol.\nIII. of John Beckmann's \"History of Inventions and\nand Discoveries,\" published in 1797, will be found a\nchapter on \"Jugglers\" which presents interesting matter\nregarding magicians and mysterious entertainers.\nI\nquote from this book in disproving Robert-Houdin's\nclaims to the invention of automata and second-sight.\nAbout 1840, J. H. Anderson, a popular magician,\nbrought out a series of inexpensive, paper-bound vol-\numes, entitled \"A Shilling's Worth of Magic,\" \"Parlor\nMagic,\" etc., which are valuable only as giving a glimpse\nof the tricks contemporary with his personal successes.\nIn 1859 came Robert-Houdin's \"Memoirs,\" magic's\nclassic. Signor Blitz, in 1872, published his reminis-\ncences, \"Fifty Years in the Magic Circle,\" but here\n[14 ]"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 22, "folder": "", "text": "INTRODUCTION\nC\nJOHN WHITE, Autbor of\nART's Treafury, and Hocus\nPocus ; or a Rich Cabinet of\nLegerdemain Curiofities.\nJohn White, an English writer on magic and kindred arts in the early part\nof the eighteenth century. Only portrait in existence and published for the\nfirst time since his book was issued in 1715. From the Harry Houdini Col-\nlection.\n[\n15"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 23, "folder": "", "text": "INTRODUCTION\nagain we have a purely local and personal history, without\ngeneral value.\nThomas Frost wrote three books relating to the history\nof magic, commencing about 1870. This list included\n'Circus Life and Circus Celebrities,' \"The Old Show-\nmen and the Old London Fairs,\" and \"Lives of the\nConjurers.\" These were the best books of their kind up\nto the time of their publication, but they are marked by\nglaring errors, showing that Frost compiled rather than\ninvestigated, or, more properly speaking, that his in-\nvestigations never went much further than Morley's\n\"Memoirs of Bartholomew Fair.\"\nCharles Bertram who wrote \"Isn't it Wonderful?\"\nclosed the nincteenth-century list of English writers on\nmagic, but his work is marred by mis-statements which\neven the humblest of magicians could refute, and, like\nFrost, he drew heavily on writers who preceded him.\nSo far, in the twentieth century, the most notable con-\ntribution to the literature of magic is Henry Ridgely\nEvans' \"The Old and the New Magic,\" but Mr. Evans\nfalls into the error of his predecessors in accepting as\nauthoritative the history of magic and magicians fur-\nnished by Robert-Houdin. He has made no effort\nwhatever to verify or refute the statements made by\nRobert-Houdin, but has merely compiled and re-written\nthem to suit his twentieth-century readers.\nThe true historian does not compile. He delves for\nfacts and proofs, and having found these he arrays his\nindisputable facts, his uncontrovertible proofs, to refute\nthe statements of those who have merely compiled. That\nis what I have done to prove my case against Robert-\n[r6 ]"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 24, "folder": "", "text": "INTRODUCTION\nFrontispiece from Richard Neve's work on magic, showing him performing\nthe egg and bag trick about 1715. Photographed from the original in the\nBritish Museum by the author.\n2\n[ (17 ]"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 25, "folder": "", "text": "INTRODUCTION\nHoudin. I have not borrowed from the books of other\nwriters on magic. I have gone to the very fountain head\nof information, records of contemporary literature, news-\npapers, programmes and advertisements of magicians who\nSignor Antonio Blitz, author of \"Fifty Years in the Magic Circle\" (1872).\nOriginal negative of this photograpli is in the Harry Houdini Collection.\npreceded Robert-Houdin, sometimes by a century. It\nwould cost fully a million dollars to forge the collection\nof evidence now in my hands. Men who lived a hundred\nyears before Robert-Houdin was born did not invent\n[ 18]"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 26, "folder": "", "text": "INTRODUCTION\nposters or write advertisements in order to refute the\nclaims of those who were to follow in the profession of\nmagic. These programmes, advertisements, newspaper\nnotices, and crude cuts trace the true history of magic as\nPhilip Astley, Esq.\nRuc. by Alex. Bogg. & c. Aug 1.1806.\nPhilip Astley, Esq., an historical circus director, a famous character of\nBartholomew Fair days, and author of \"Natural Magic\" (1784). From the\nHarry Houdini Collection.\nno romancer, no historian of a single generation possibly\ncould. They are the ghosts of dead and gone magicians,\nrising in this century of research and progress to claim\nthe credit due them.\n[r9]"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 27, "folder": "", "text": "INTRODUCTION\nOften when the bookshops and auction sales did not\nyield fruit worth plucking, I had the good fortune to\nmeet a private collector or a retired performer whose\nassistance proved invaluable, and the histories of\nCharles Bertram (James Bassett), the English author and conjurer, who\nwrote \"Isn't it Wonderful ?\" Born 1853, died Feb. 28th, 1907. From the\nHarry Houdini Collection.\nthese meetings read almost like romances, so skilfully\ndid the Fates seem to juggle with my efforts to secure\ncredible proof.\nTo the late Henry Evans Evanion I am indebted for\n[20]"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 28, "folder": "", "text": "INTRODUCTION\nmany of the most important additions to my collection\nof conjuring curios and my library of magic, recog-\nnized by fellow-artistes and litterateurs as the most\ncomplete in the world.\nEvanion was an Englishman, by profession a parlor\nmagician, by choice and habit a collector and savant.\nHe was an entertainer from 1849 to the year of his death.\nFor fifty years he spent every spare hour at the British\nMuseum collecting data bearing on his marvellous col-\nlection, and his interest in the history of magic was shared\nby his excellent wife who conducted a \"sweet shop\"\nnear one of London's public schools.\nWhile playing at the London Hippodrome in 1904 I\nwas confined to my room by orders of my physician.\nDuring this illness I was interviewed by a reporter who,\nnoticing the clippings and bills with which my room was\nstrewn, made some reference to my collection in the\ncourse of his article. The very day on which this inter-\nview appeared, I received from Henry Evanion a merc\nscrawl stating that he, too, collected programmes, bills,\netc., in which I might be interested.\nI wrote at once asking him to call at one o'clock the\nnext afternoon, but as the hour passed and he did not\nappear, I decided that, like many others who asked for\ninterviews, he had felt but a passing whim. That after-\nnoon about four o'clock my physician suggested that, as\nthe day was mild, I walk once around the block. As\nI\nstepped from the lift, the hotel porter informed me that\nsince one o'clock an old man had been waiting to see\nme, but so shabby was his appearance, they had not dared\nsend him up to my room. He pointed to a bent figure,\n[ 2I ]"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 29, "folder": "", "text": "H Eranion\nLast photograph of Henry Evans Evanion, conjurer and collector, taken\nespecially for this book in which he was deeply interested. Died June 17th.\n1905. From the Harry Houdini Collection.\n[ 22]"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 30, "folder": "", "text": "INTRODUCTION\nclad in rusty raiment. When I approached the old man\nhe rose and informed me that he had brought some\nclippings, bills, etc., for me to see. I asked him to be\nas expeditious as possible, for I was too weak to stand\nlong and my head was a-whirl from the effects of\nla grippe.\nWith some hesitancy of speech but the loving touch of\na collector he opened his parcel.\n\"I have brought you, sir, only a few of my treasures,\nsir, but if you will call-\n\"\nI heard no more. I remember only raising my hands\nbefore my eyes, as if I had been dazzled by a sudden\nshower of diamonds. In his trembling hands lay price-\nless treasures for which I had sought in vain-original\nprogrammes and bills of Robert-Houdin, Phillippe, Ander-\nson, Breslaw, Pinetti, Katterfelto, Boaz, in fact all the\nconjuring celebrities of the eighteenth century, together\nwith lithographs long considered unobtainable, and news-\npapers to be found only in the files of national libraries.\nI felt as if the King of England stood before me and I\nmust do him homage.\nPhysician or no physician, I made an engagement\nwith him for the next morning, when I was bundled into\na cab and went as fast as the driver could urge his horse\nto Evanion's home, a musty room in the basement of\nNo. I2 Methley Street, Kennington Park Road, S.E.\nIn the presence of his collection I lost all track of\ntime. Occasionally we paused in our work to drink tea\nwhich he made for us on his pathetically small stove.\nThe drops of the first tea which we drank together can\nyet be found on certain papers in my collection. . His\n]"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 31, "folder": "", "text": "INTRODUCTION\nVery rare and extraordinarily fine lithograph of Robert-Houdin, which he\ngave only to his friends. It depicts him among his so-called inventions. His\nson, Emile, doing second siglit, is behind him. The writing and drawing\nfigure is on his left. On his right under the clockwork is a drawing which,\non close examination of the original, shows the suspension trick. From the\nHarry Houdini Collection.\n[ 24]"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 32, "folder": "", "text": "his chief anxiety was for the future of his wife and then\nfor his own decent burial. When these sad offices had\nbeen provided for, he became more peaceful, and when\nI rose to leave him, knowing that we had met probably\nfor the last time, he drew forth his chiefest treasure, a\nsuperb book of Robert-Houdin's programmes, his one\n[25]"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 33, "folder": "", "text": "INTRODUCTION\nCorn Exchange, Maidstone,\nlegacy, which is now the\ncentral jewel in my col-\nFOR TWO NIGHTS ONLY.\nlection. Evanion died\nUNDER DISTINGUASHED PATRONAGE.\nTHEBAND\nten days later, June 17th,\nand within a short time\nor THE vertzun LIGET INFANTSY\nMILITIA\nhis good wife followed\nwn attend on each Erening by the tund cerminsion of Col. Ser Thos. M. Wilson, Bart.\nhim into the Great Un-\nknown.\nEven more dramatic\nwas my meeting with the\nwidow of Frikell, the\ngreat German conjurer.\nI had heard that Frikell\nand not Robert-Houdin\nSOIREES MYSTERIEUSES 1!\nwas the first magician\nMR. J. SAVREN,\nto discard cumbersome,\ndraped stage apparatus,\nArtist in Experimental Philosophy, and\nNatural Magic,\nSege . inform the - of thet\nof\nand to don evening\n.\nNovel - The te\ndeme by - - of the The MISTICAL\nILLUSTRATION will\nMODERN\nclothes, and I was most\nanxious to verify this\nMAGIC\nrumor, as well as to in-\nterview him regarding\nequally important data\nThe Illusionary of Natural Science, Egyptian Mystery, the Manipulation of\nthe Chinese, the greatest Recamotes in the World.\nPROGBAMME EXTRAORDINAIRR\nbearing on the history of\nPARE L\nThe Obediees Carde and theie Eccestricities\nLe Mouchod- de confocum, \" What wit be\nThe Croutal Torala, its Divination, ne the Oracle\nHundred Yeare?\nmagic. Having heard\nof Fomale Destiny\nThe Grand Escomotago, the Mireculous Pre-\nThe VANGAL of VENUS is the Prisco of\nsectasion to the\nBacchue\nThe Bassers of - - Molti-\nThe Wateh Mascrovre, or the Wooders of Magical\nfarione Production in of the\nthat he lived in K\u00f6tchen-\nManipsiation\nALLIES\nPART IL\nA Night is the PALACE of NANKIN, or Novel\nThe Coffers of the Stores\nRepresvetation of the Wonder Working\nbroda, a suburb of Dres-\nand Spint like Tou de phymique\nMagie of the great Celestial Empire of\nThe Evenoncent Powers of Bodino\nCHINA\nFiora's Tree . Minatore and CONE\na Liquid Metamorphosi and reprodection of the\nLe Estraordisaire, les Bonlots des Allies\nColdee Circled in Peratorial\nThe CHINESE CREATION, the mout Brilliant\nden, I wrote to him from\nThe Mesallic Currency, ita Trassitory Motion and\nand Jorsplicable Toare over\nFinal imperceptible Joursey to the Crystal\nAscient or Modern Magle, parely\nCabset\nof Chinese Origle\nCologne, asking for an\nedome OPEN AT SEVES TO AT e'creca.\ninterview. I received\nPoster used by James Savren. From\nthe Harry Houdini Collection.\nin reply a curt note:\n[ 26  ]"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 34, "folder": "", "text": "INTRODUCTION\n\"Herr verreist,\" meaning \"The master is on tour.\"\nThis, I knew, from his age, could not be true, SO\nI took a week off for personal investigation. I ar-\nrived at K\u00f6tchenbroda on the morning of April 8th,\n1903, at 4 o'clock, and was directed to his home, known\nas \"Villa Frikell.\" Having found my bearings and\nstudied well the exterior of the house, I returned to the\ndepot to await daylight. At 8:30 I reappeared at his\ndoor, and was told by his wife that Herr Frikell had\ngone away.\nI then sought the police department from which I\nsecured the following information: \"Dr.\" Wiljalba Frikell\nwas indeed the retired magician whom I was so anxious\nto meet. He was eighty-seven years old, and in 1884 had\ncelebrated his golden anniversary as a conjurer. Living in\nthe same town was an adopted daughter, but she could not\nor would not assist me. The venerable magician had suf-\nfered from domestic disappointments and had made a VOW\nthat he would see no one. In fact he was leading a\nhermit-like life.\nArmed with this information, I employed a photog-\nrapher, giving him instructions to post himself opposite\nthe house and make a snap shot of the magician, should\nhe appear in the doorway. But I had counted without\nmy host. All morning the photographer lounged across\nthe street and all morning I stood bareheaded before\nthe door of Herr Frikell, pleading with his wife who leaned\nfrom the window overhead. With that peculiar fervency\nwhich comes only when the heart's desire is at stake, I\nbegged that the past master of magic would lend a help-\ning hand to one ready to sit at his feet and learn. I urged\n[27]"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 35, "folder": "", "text": "The Author standing in front of Villa Frikell at K\u00f6tohenbroda, Germany. where the master magician, Wiljalba Frikell,\nassent the yearn of his life. From the Harry Houdini Collection."}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 36, "folder": "", "text": "INTRODUCTION\nthe debt which he owed to the literature of magic and\nwhich he could pay by giving me such direct information\nas I needed for my book.\nFrau Frikell heard my pleadings with tears running\ndown her cheeks, and later I learned that Herr Frikell\nalso listened- to them, lying grimly on the other side of\nthe shuttered window.\nAt length, yielding to physical exhaustion, I went away,\nbut I was still undaunted. I continued to bombard Herr\nFrikell with letters, press clippings regarding my work,\netc., and finally in Russia I received a letter from him.\nI might send him a package containing a certain brand\nof Russian tea of which he was particularly fond. You\nmay be sure I lost no time in shipping the little gift, and\nshortly I was rewarded by the letter for which I longed.\nHaving decided that I cared more for him than did some\nof his relatives, he would receive me when next I played\nnear K\u00f6tchenbroda.\nWith this interview in prospect, I made the earliest\nengagement obtainable in Dresden, intending to give\nevery possible moment to my hardly-won acquaintance.\nBut Fate interfered. One business problem after another\narose, concerning my forthcoming engagement in Eng-\nland, and I had to postpone my visit to Herr Frikell\nuntil the latter part of the week. In the mean time, he\nhad agreed to visit a Dresden photographer, as I wanted\nan up-to-date photograph of him and he had only pictures\ntaken in his more youthful days. On the day when he\ncame to Dresden for his sitting, he called at the theatre,\nbut the attach\u00e9s, without informing me, refused to give\nhim the name of the hotel where I was stopping.\n[29]"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 37, "folder": "", "text": "[OE]"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 38, "folder": "", "text": "INTRODUCTION\nAfter the performance I dropped into the K\u00f6nig Kaffe\nand was much annoyed by the staring and gesticulations\nof an elderly couple at a distant table. It was Frikell\nwith his wife, but I did not recognize them and, not being\ncertain on his side, he failed to make himself known.\nThat was mid-week, and for Saturday, which fell on\nOctober 8th, 1903, I had an engagement to call at the\nVilla Frikell. On Thursday, the Central Theatre being\nsold out to Cleo de Merode, who was playing special\nengagements in Germany with her own company, I\nmade a flying business trip to Berlin, and on my return I\npassed through K\u00f6tchenbroda. As the train pulled into\nthe station I hesitated. Should I drop off and see Herr\nFrikell, or wait for my appointment on the morrow?\nFate turned the wheel by a mere thread and I went on to\nDresden. So does she often dash our fondest hopes!\nMy appointment for Saturday was at 2 P.M., and as my\ntrain landed me in K\u00f6tchenbroda a trifle too early I\nwalked slowly from the depot to the Villa Frikell, not\nwishing to disturb my aged host by arriving ahead of time.\nI rang the bell. It echoed through the house with pe-\nculiar shrillness. The air seemed charged with a quality\nwhich I presumed was the intense pleasure of realizing\nmy long cherished hope of meeting the great magician.\nA lady opened the door and greeted me with the words:\n\"You are being waited for.\"\nI entered. He was waiting. for me indeed, this man\nwho had consented to meet me, after vowing that he would\nnever again look into the face of a stranger. And Fate\nhad forced him to keep that VOW. Wiljalba Frikell was\ndead. The body, clad in the best his wardrobe afforded,\n[ 3I ]"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 39, "folder": "", "text": "INTRODUCTION\nall of which had been donned in honor of his expected\nguest, was not yet cold. Heart failure had come suddenly\nand unannounced. The day before he had cleaned up his\nsouvenirs in readiness for my coming and arranged a quan-\ntity of data for me. On the wall above the silent form\nwere all of his gold medals, photographs taken at various\nstages of his life, orders presented to him by royalty-\nall the outward and visible signs of a vigorous, active,\nand successful life, the life of which he would have told\nme, had I arrived ahead of Death. And when all these\nwere arranged, he had forgotten his morbid dislike of\nstrangers. The old instincts of hospitality tugged at his\nheart strings, and his wife said he was almost young and\nhappy once more, when suddenly he grasped at his heart,\ncrying, \"My heart! What is the matter with my heart ?\n\"\nThat was all!\nThere we stood together, the woman who had loved\nthe dear old wizard for years and the young magician who\nwould have been SO willing to love him had he been allowed\nto know him. His face was still wet from the cologne she\nhad thrown over him in vain hope of reviving the fading\nsoul. On the floor lay the cloths, used SO ineffectually\nto bathe the pulseless face, and now laughing mockingly\nat one who saw himself defeated after weary months\nof writing and pleading for the much-desired meeting.\nI feel sure that the personal note struck in these remi-\nniscences will be forgiven. In no other way could I\nprove the authoritativeness of my collection, the thorough-\nness of my research, and the incontrovertibility of the facts\nwhich I desire to set forth in this volume.\n[ 32 ]"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 40, "folder": "", "text": "THE UNMASKING OF\nROBER'T-HOUDIN -\nCHAPTER I\nSIGNIFICANT EVENTS IN THE LIFE OF ROBERT-EOUDIN\nR\nOBERT-HOUDIN was born in Blois, France;\nDecember 6th, 1805. His real name was\nJean-Eugene Robert, and his father was Prosper\nRobert, a watchmaker in moderate circum-\nstances.\nHis mother's maiden name was Marie Catherine\nGuillon. His first wife was Josephe Cecile Eglantine\nHoudin, whose family name he assumed for business rea-\nsons. He was married the second time to Fran\u00e7oise Mar-\nguerite Olympe Naconnier. His death, caused by pneu-\nmonia, occurred at St. Gervais, France, on June 13th, 1871.\nBarring the above facts, which were gleaned from\nthe register of the civil authorities of St. Gervais,\nall information regarding his life previous to his first\npublic appearance in 1844 must be drawn from his own\nworks, particularly from his autobigraphy, published in\nthe form of \"Memoirs.\" Because of his supreme egotism,\nhis obvious desire to make his autobiography picturesque\nand interesting rather than historically correct, and his\nutter indifference to dates, exact names of places, theatres,\nbooks, etc., it is extremely hard to present logical and con-\n3\n[33]"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 41, "folder": "", "text": "THE UNMASKING OF ROBERT-HOUDIN\nsistent statements regarding his life. Such discrepancies\narise as the mention of three chiklsen in one chapter and\nfour in another, while he does net give the names of either\nJean-Eugene Robert-Houdin. Photograph taken about 1868. From the\nHIarry Houdini Collection.\nwife, though he admits his obligation to both good\nwomen.\nAccording to his autobiography, Jean-Eugene Robert\nwas sent to college at Orleans at the tender age of eleven,\nand remained there until he was eighteen. He was then\nplaced in a notary's office to study law, but his mechanical\n[ 34]"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 42, "folder": "", "text": "EVENTS IN THE LIFE OF ROBERT-HOUDIN\ntastes led him back to his father's trade, watchmaking.\nWhile working for his cousin at Blois, he visited a book-\nshop in search of Berthoud's \"Treatise on Clockmaking,\"\nbut by mistake he was given several volumes of an old\nencyclopaedia, one of which contained a dissertation on\n\"Scientific Amusements,\" or an exposition of magic.\nThis simple incident, he asserts, changed the entire\ncurrent of his life. At eighteen, he first turned his atten-\ntion to magic. At forty, he made his first appearance\nas an independent magician or public performer.\nOn page 44 of his \"Memoirs,\" American edition, Robert-\nHoudin refers to this book as an encyclopaedia, but several\ntimes later he calls it \"White Magic.\" In all probability\nit was the famous work by Henri Decremps in five vol-\numes, known as \"La Magie Banche D\u00e9voil\u00e9e,\" or \"White\nMagic Exposed.\" This was written by Decremps to\ninjure Pinetti, and it exposed all the latter's tricks, in-\ncluding the orange tree, the vaulting trapeze automaton,\nand in fact the majority of the tricks later claimed by\nRobert-Houdin as his own inventions.\nIn 1828, while working for M. Noriet, a watchmaker in\nTours, Jean-Eugene Robert was poisoned by improperly\nprepared food, and in his delirium started for his old home\nin Blois. He was picked up on the roadside by Torrini,\na travelling magician, who nursed him back to health\nin his portable theatre. Just as young Jean recovered\nTorrini was injured in an accident, and his erstwhile\npatient remained to nurse his benefactor and later to help\nTorrini's assistant present the programme of magic by\nwhich they made their living. His first public appearance\nas the representative of Torrini was made at Aubusson.\n[ 35 ]"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 43, "folder": "", "text": "THE UNMASKING OF ROBERT-HOUDIN\n-\n[36]"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 44, "folder": "", "text": "To=bay, Thursbay, July 3, 1845,\nfirst Representation\nOF\nThe fantastic Goirces\nOF\nRobert-Toubin,\nAutomata, Sleight-of-Hand, Magic.\nThe Performance will be composed of entirely\nnovel Experiments invented by\nM. ROBERT-HOUDIN,\nAmong them being :\nThe Cabalistic Clock\nObedient Cards\nAuriol and Debureau\nThe Miraculous Fish\nThe Orange-Tree\nThe Fascinating Owl\nThe Mysterious Boquet\nThe Pastrycook of the\nPierrot in the Egg\nPalais Royal\nTo Commence at Cight o'clocli.\nopen at balf:past beurn.\nPrice of Places: Upper Boxes, I fr. 50 C.; Stalls, 3 fr.;\nBoxes, 4 fr.; Dress Circle, 5 fr.\nProgramme for the opening of Robert-Houdin's theatre in Paris. Repro-\nduced from the American edition of his *Memoirs.\"\n[ 37]"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 45, "folder": "", "text": "THE UNMASKING OF ROBERT-HOUDIN\nTorrini was an Italian whose real name was Count\nEdmond de Grisy. He was a contemporary of Pinetti.\nIn all probability, during the long summer of their inti-\nmate companionship, Torrini not only initiated his fas-\ncinated young guest into his own methods of performing\nILLUSIONS.\nIVE A G x E.\nRobert-Houdin's favorite lithograph for advertising purposes. Used on\nthe majority of his posters and in the original edition of his \"Memoirs.\" From\nthe Harry Houdini Collection.\ntricks, but also into the secrets of Pinetti's tricks. In\nhis \"Memoirs,\" Robert-Houdin makes no secret of the\nfact that both Comus and Pinetti, together with their\ntricks, were topics of conversation between himself and\nTorrini.\nWhen Torrini was able to resume his performances,\n[38]"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 46, "folder": "", "text": "EVENTS IN THE LIFE OF ROBERT-HOUDIN\nRaser \" esprees Datrensge e\nGracess\nTHE QUEEN,\nHIS ROYAL HIOHNESS THE PRINCE ALBERT.\nHEA ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUCEESS OF KENT,\nTHEIR ROYAL HIGHNESSES THE DUEE & DUCHESS OF CAXBRIDO&,\nKEA ROYAL HIOHNESS THE DUCHESS OF OLOUCESTEL\nA GRAND\nMORNING FETE,\nA CONCERT & DANCING,\n\"\nBatts and for the Labouting Classes,\nIN COULSTON\nPLACE\nOx WEDNESDAY, JULY TR$ 19ta,\nUnder the above exalted Patronage,\nAT\nThe Residence of ARTSUR Esq.\nWaich Ass most hindly placed et the dispesal the Ledies\nTEE CONCERT\nsan sombine sminent et the tollsting use babe most estigingis\nassistants\nMADAME GRISI,\nMADAME CASTELLAN,\nMADLLE ALBONI,\nMARIO, M. ROGER, sto. TAMBURINI, a SIG. LABLACHS.\nCONDUOTOR\nSIGNOR COSTA.\nA\nTENT WILL BE ERECTED IN THE GROUNDS,\n\"\nROBERT-HOUDIN.\nwhe Ase .... -\nThe Grounds will be open from One o'Clock untu Sigbs.\nTICKETS FOR THE TETE,\nTHE or WHICN will et LIMITED,\nCan only be procured on the presentitation of Vouchers from the following\nLADIES\nDecesse or\nos\nes Ricameyo.\nor\nVIMCUNTEN ******\nor\n(revers os\nes\nor\nos\nances.\nOrcatse or Stocistom.\nor\nLeav Acasa:\nbecusss or\nor\nLADT as &suse.\nor Mostross.\n\"\nLADT Stamist.\no\nor\nDecuses or\nos\nLem\nos\nCocatus Gast.\nLeot\nos\nor\nor WATEAPORN\nLaos\no\n\" PROUNADA.\nCOFNTESS os\nor\nCor>rase\nLare Gastam.\nos\nBases,\nos\nLAM Jewn\nMabast V. as\nor\nLIONEL Da\nor\nTes L.DT\nor Ducomes,\nNow *** Nuarom.\nNas. Nims.\nSingle Tickete\n22 2s. esch.\"\ndetional for comorried Sons and Deughters of the same Pamily. 21 1. -\nN\u00b0\nVenchers will be exchanged at Mr. MITCHELL' Zoyal Libras, 33, O14 Sond Street\non TN& tava, lern. - tare JULV.\nRobert-Houdin's first appearance before Queen Victoria, July 19th, 1848.\nA very rare, and possibly the only, programme in existence, chronicling\nThe original, now in the Harry Houdini Collection, was presented to James\nSavren by Robert-Houdin.\n[39]"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 47, "folder": "", "text": "THE UNMASKING OF ROBERT-HOUDIN\nJean-Eugene returned to his family in Blois. During\nthe next few years he mixed amateur acting with his\ndaily labor, leaning more and more toward the profes-\nsion of public entertainer. But his ambitions along this\nline were nipped in the bud by\nST. JAMES'S THEATRE\nmarriage. Mademoiselle Houdin,\nMenday, March 28,\nAnd Curing the Week.\nwhose father was a celebrated\nGREAT FREACN CONJOREA,\nwatchmaker in Paris, visited old\nfriends in Blois, their native town,\nand became the fianc\u00e9e of young\nRobert. As the new son-in-law\nwas to share the elder Houdin's\nbusiness and naturally wished to\nsecure such benefits as might ac-\ncrue from SO celebrated a family\n-\n-\nsy\nMest Gracions Majesty\n\"\nof watch and clock makers, he\n--\n- mas - -\n-\nvamar, masom se, sessy\nat THEE ABOVE DURING SASTER wase.\napplied to the council of state\nSVERY\n- - \u00e0\nDAY PERFORMANCE\nand secured the right to annex\nMESBAY & SATURBAY\n\"Houdin\" to his name, Jean-\nmasom so APRIL\n\"\nEugene Robert, and thereafter was\nvervass\nknown only as Robert-Houdin.\nHis life between 1838 and 1844\nPoster used by Robert-\nHoudin during an Easter\nwas divided between reading every\nengagement at the St.\nJames Theatre, London.\nwork obtainable on magic, and his\nFrom the Harry Houdini\nduties in his father-in-law's shop,\nCollection.\nwhere he not only made and re-\npaired clocks, but built and repaired automata of various\nsorts. His family shared with him many financial vicissi-\ntudes, and about 1842-43 his first wife died, leaving him\nwith three young children to raise. Earlier in his \"Mem-\noirs\" he speaks of having four children, so it is more\n[40]"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 48, "folder": "", "text": "EVENTS IN THE LIFE OF ROBERT-HOUDIN\nthan likely that one died before his wife. He married\nagain soon, and though he gives his second wife great\ncredit as a helpmate he does not state her name.\nBy this time he had acquired more than passing fame\nRobert-Houdin as he appeared to the English critics. Reproduced from the\nIllustrated London News, December 23d, 1848.\nas a repairer of automata, and in 1844 he mended Vau-\ncanson's marvellous duck, one of the most remarkable\nautomata ever made. Doubtless other automata found\n[ 4I ]"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 49, "folder": "", "text": "THE UNMASKING OF ROBERT-HOUDIN\ntheir way to his workshop and aided him in his study of\na profession which he still hoped to follow. During these\ndiscouraging times he was often assisted financially by\nST,\n-\nregest\nENTERTAINMENT\nTuesday. Thursday\nSaturday Evenings,\nDAY.\nPERFORMANCE\n90\nWednesday\nMorning.\nat\nPoster used in 1848 in London by Robert-Houdin. From the Harry Houdini\nCollection.\none Monsieur G-- who either advanced money on\nhis automata or bought them outright. In the same\nyear, 1844, he retired to a suburb of Paris, and there,\n[42]"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 50, "folder": "", "text": "EVENTS IN THE LIFE OF ROBERT-HOUDIN\nhe asserts, he built his famous writing and drawing\nfigure.\nThe next year, 1845, he was assisted by Count de\nL'Escalopier, a devotee of conjuring and automata, who\nadvanced the money to fit up\nand furnish a small theatre\nST JAMES'S THEATR\u00c9\nSaturday Evening, Aug. 19.\nin the Palais Royal. Robert-\nPOSITIVELY THE\nHoudin went about the work\nLAST\nNIGHT\nof decorating and furnishing this\nOF THE SEASON.\ntheatre with a view to securing\nBENEFIT OF\nthe most dramatic and brilliant\nMILE-HOUDIN\neffects, surrounding his simple\nROBERT\ntricks with a setting that made\nHOUDIN\nthem vastly different from the\nwill POSTIVELY MAEE ats\nsame offerings by his predeces-\nLast Appearamce in Lendon\nNaturday Evening, Aug. 19,5'\nsors. He was what is called to-\nOutes to Nio Eagagement et the Theatre Reyal, Mascheath.\nwhich Tuesday Evening aexi, Arges $2.\nTHE PROGRAMNE\nday an original producer of old\nBITS & INVENTIONS\nTHE avexava\nideas. On June 25th, 1845, he\nMILE-HOUDIN Me ,\nSECOND SIGNT,\nus\ngave his first private perform-\n\"\nINVISIBILETE,\"\nESCAMOTAGE EXTRAORDINAIRE,\nance before a few friends. On\nAMILK-HOUDIN\nSuspension Ethereenne,\nBY UGENE-BOUDIN.\nJuly 3d of the same year his\naoxgs, da. PIT, GAL STALLS, la se.\nPRIVATE BUXES ... STALLS\n-\nSOVAL sa,\ntheatre of magic was opened\nformally to the public. The\nprogramme of this performance\nPoster for theEmile-Houdin\nbenefit at St. James's Thea-\nis shown on page 37.\ntre in 1848. From the Harry\nHoudini Collection.\nIt will be noted that the famous\nwriting and drawing figure was not then included in Robert-\nHoudin's r\u00e9pertoire, nor does it ever appear on any of his\nprogrammes. He exhibited it at the quinquennial exhibi-\ntion in 1844, received a silver medal for it, and very soon\nsold it to the late P. T. Barnum, who exported it to America.\n[43]"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 51, "folder": "", "text": "THE UNMASKING OF ROBERT-HOUDIN\nThis question naturally arises: If Robert-Houdin built\nthe original writing and drawing figure, why could he not\nmake a duplicate and include it in his programme? Surely\nSadier's \"Wells\nPOSITIVE NIGETS\nROBERT\nSERIES of MAGICAL\nILLUSIONS\nMONDAY, MAY 9th, 1853. and Every During the Woek.\nThe Entreptd Soldier.\nThe Produstion of Flowers.\nThe Animated Oards.\nThe Instantaneous Transpesition\nThe Marvellous Oraage Tree.\nThe Golden Shower.\nThe Mephistepheles Telescope.\nThe Enchanted Garland of Flowerte\nThe Traveiling Turtile Devea.\nA Wonderfal Surprise fer the Sadies.\nThe Transparent Oryatal Eex.\nvarmo PART.\nThe Confectioner.\nThe Taeshaustible Sowl of\nSECOND PABT.\nThe Orystal Balle, or Great Series\nBobert Mondia's Portfelle\nof stight et Hand Wricks.\nastonishing Envisibility.\nPress Circie,\n.\nSa.\nBexes,\n-\nSa.\nPII, - Is.\nGallery .\nPRIVATE soxma\nas, - as N. su.\n. of The -\n-\n-\nPoster used by Robert-Houdin when he played at Sadler's Wells, London,\nin 1853. He never refers to this engagement in his writings because he was\nnot proud of having appeared in a second-class theatre, while his rival, ,Anderson,\nheld the fashionable audiences at the St. James's, where Robert-Houdin had\nworn out his welcome. From the Harry Houdini Collection.\nit was one of the most remarkable of the automata which\nhe claims as the creations of his brain and hands.\n[44]"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 52, "folder": "", "text": "EVENTS IN THE LIFE OF ROBERT-HOUDIN\nIn 1846 he claims to have invented second sight, and\nat the opening of the season in 1847 he presented as his\nown creation the suspension trick. During the interim\nhe played an engagement in Brussels which was a finan-\ncial failure.\nIn 1848 the Revolution closed the doors of Parisian\ntheatres, Robert-Houdin's among the rest, and he re-\nturned to clockmaking and automata building, until he\nreceived from John Mitchell, who had met with great\nsuccess in managing Ludwig D\u00f6bler and Phillippe, an\noffer to appear in London at the St. James's Theatre.\nThis engagement was a brilliant success and for the first\ntime in his career Robert-Houdin reaped big financial\nreturns.\nLater Robert-Houdin toured the English provinces\nunder his own management and made return trips to\nLondon, but his tour under Mitchell was the most notable\nengagement of his career.\nIn 1850, while playing in Paris, he decided to retire,\nand to turn over his theatre and tricks to one Hamilton.\nA contemporary clipping, taken from an English news-\npaper of 1848, goes to prove that Hamilton was an\nEnglishman who entered Robert-Houdin's employ. Ham-\nilton signed a dual contract, agreeing to produce Robert-\nHoudin's tricks as his acknowledged successor and to\nmarry Robert-Houdin's sister, thus keeping the tricks\nand the theatre in the family. During the next two years\nRobert-Houdin spent part of his time instructing his\nbrother-in-law in all the mysteries of his art. In July,\n1852, he played a few engagements in Germany, including\nBerlin and various bathing resorts, and then formally\n[45]"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 53, "folder": "", "text": "THE UNMASKING OF ROBERT-HOUDIN\nretired to his home at St. Gervais. Here he continued\nto work along mechanical and electrical lines, and in 1855\nhe again came into public notice, winning awards at the\nExhibition for electrical power as applied to mechanical\nuses. In 1856, according to his autobiography, he was\nRobert-Houdin's grave, in the cemetery at Blois, France. From a photo-\ngraph taken by the author, especially for this work, and now in the Harry\nHoudini Collection.\nsummoned from his retirement by the Government to\nmake a trip to Algeria and there intimidate revolting\nArabsby1 the exhibition of his sleight-of-hand tricks. These\nwere greatly superior to the work of the Marabouts or\nArabian magicians, whose influence was often held re-\nsponsible for revolts. What Robert-Houdin received for\n[ 46 ]"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 54, "folder": "", "text": "EVENTS IN THE LIFE OF ROBERT-HOUDIN\nperforming this service is not set forth in any of his works.\nHe spent the fall of 1856 in Algeria.\nFrom the date of his return to St. Gervais to the time\nof his death, June 13th, 1871, Robert-Houdin devoted\nhis energies to improving his inventions and writing his\nR\nBas-relief on Robert-Houdin tombstone. From a photograph taken by the\nauthor, especially for this work, and now in the Harry Houdini Collection.\nbooks, though, as stated before, it was generally believed\nby contemporary magicians that in the latter task he\nentrusted most of the real work to a Parisian journalist\nwhose name was never known.\nHe was survived by a wife, a son named Emile, and\na step-daughter. Emile Houdin managed his father's\ntheatre until his death in 1883, when the theatre was\n[ 47 ]"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 55, "folder": "", "text": "THE UNMASKING OF ROBERT-HOUDIN\nsold for 35,000 francs. The historic temple of magic\nstill stands under the title of \"Th\u00e9\u00e2tre Robert-Houdin,\"\nunder the management of M. Mclies, a maker of mo-\ntion picture films.\nDuring my investigations in Paris, I was shocked to\n-\nThe last photograph taken of Robert-Houdin and used as the frontispiese for\nthe original French edition of his \"Memoirs,\" published in 1868.\nfind how little the memory of Robert-Houdin was revered\nand how little was known of France's greatest magician.\nIn fact, I was more than once informed that Robert-\nHoudin was still alive and giving performances at the\ntheatre which bears his name.\n1 48 ]"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 56, "folder": "", "text": "EVENTS IN THE LIFE OF ROBERT-HOUDIN\nContemporary magicians of Robert-Houdin and men\nof high repute in other walks of life seem to agree that\nRobert-Houdin was an entertainer of only average merit.\nAmong the men who advanced this theory were the late\nHenry Evanion of whose deep interest in magic I wrote\nin the introduction, Sir William Clayton who was Robert-\nHoudin's personal friend in London, Ernest Basch who\nsaw Robert-Houdin in Berlin, and T. Bolin of Moscow,\nRussia, who bought all his tricks in Paris and there saw\nRobert-Houdin and studied his work as a conjurer.\nRobert-Houdin's contributions to literature, all of\nwhich are eulogistic of his own talents, are as follows:\n\"Confidence et R\u00e9v\u00e9lations,\" published in Paris in\n1858 and translated into English by Lascelles Wraxall,\nwith an introduction by R. Shelton Mackenzie.\n\"Les Tricheries des Grecs\" (Card-Sharping Exposed),\npublished in Paris in 1861.\n\"Secrets de la Prestidigitation\" (Secrets of Magic),\npublished in Paris in 1868.\n\"Le Prieur\u00e9\" (The Priory, being an account of his\nelectrically equipped house), published in Paris in 1867.\n\"Les Radiations Lumineuses,\" published in Blois in\n1869.\n\"Exploration de la R\u00e9tinue,\" published in Blois, 1869.\n\"Magic et Physique Amusante\" (\u0153uvre posthume),\npublished in Paris in 1877, six years after Robert-Houdin's\ndeath.\nIn his autobiography, Robert-Houdin makes specific\nclaim to the honor of having invented the following\ntricks: The Orange Tree, Second Sight, Suspension,\nThe Cabalistic Clock. The Inexhaustible Bottle, The\n4\n[ 49 ]"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 57, "folder": "", "text": "THE UNMASKING OF ROBERT-HOUDIN\nPastry Cook of the Palais Royal, The Vaulting Trapeze\nAutomaton, and the Writing and Drawing Figure.\nHis fame, which has been sung by writers of magic\nwithout number since his death, rests principally on the\ninvention of second sight, suspension, and the writing and\ndrawing automaton. It is my intention to trace the true\nhistory of each of these tricks and of all others to which\nhe laid claim as inventor, and show just how small a\nproportion of the credit was due to Robert-Houdin and\nhow much he owed to magicians who preceded him\nand whose brain-work he claimed as his own.\n[50]"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 58, "folder": "", "text": "CHAPTER II\nTHE ORANGE-TREE TRICK\nR\nOBERT-HOUDIN, on page I79 of the American\nedition of his \"Memoirs,\" thus describes the\norange-tree trick, which he claims as his inven-\ntion: \"The next was a mysterious orange-tree,\non which flowers and fruit burst into life at the request of\nthe ladies. As the finale, a handkerchief I borrowed\nwas conveyed into an orange purposely left on the tree.\nThis opened and displayed the handkerchief, which two\nbutterflies took by the corners and unfolded before the\nspectators.\"\nOn page 245 of the same volume he presents the\nprogramme given at the first public performance in the\nTh\u00e9\u00e2tre Robert-Houdin, stating:\n\"The performance will be composed of entirely novel\nExperiments invented by M. Robert-Houdin. Among\nthem being The Orange-Tree, etc.\"\nNow to retrace our steps in the history of magic as set\nforth in handbills and advertisements of earlier and con-\ntemporaneous newspaper clippings describing their in-\nventions.\nUnder the title of \"The Apple-Tree\" this mechanical\ntrick appeared on a Fawkes programme dated I730. This\nwas II5 years before Robert-Houdin claimed it as his\ninvention. In I732, just before Pinchbeck's death, it\n[ 51 ]"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 59, "folder": "", "text": "THE UNMASKING OF ROBERT-HOUDIN\nappeared on a programme used by Christopher Pinchbeck,\nSr., and the younger Fawkes. In 1784 it was included in\nthe r\u00e9pertoire of the Italian conjurer, Pinetti, in the guise\nof \"Le Bouquet-philosophique.\" In 1822 the same\ntrick, but this time called \"An Enchanted Garden,\"\nwas featured by M. Cornillot,\nwho appeared in England as the\npupil and successor of Pinetti.\nThe trick was first explained\nin public print by Henri De-\ncremps in 1784 when his famous\nexpos\u00e9 of Pinetti was published\n0\nunder the title of \"La Magie\nBlanche D\u00e9voil\u00e9e,\" and in 1786-\n87 both Halle and Wiegleb ex-\nposed the trick completely in\ntheir respective works on magic.\nThat Robert-Houdin was an\nDiagram of the orange-tree\nomnivorous reader is proven by\ntrick, from Wiegleb's The\nNatural Magic,\" published in\nhis own writings. That he knew\n1794.\nthe history and tricks of Pinetti\nis proven by his own words, for in Chapter VI. of his\n\"Memoirs\" he devoted fourteen pages to Pinetti and the\nlatter's relations with Torrini.\nNow to prove that the tree tricks offered by Fawkes,\nPinchbeck, Pinetti, Cornillot, and Robert-Houdin were\npractically one and the same, and to tell something of\nthe history of the four magicians who featured the trick\nbefore Robert-Houdin had been heard of:\nUnquestionably, the real inventor of the mysterious\ntree was Christopher Pinchbeck, who was England's\n[52]"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 60, "folder": "", "text": "Pinchestic\nstopher Pinchbeck, Sr. This is the oldest and rarest authentic mezzotint in the\norld pertaining to the history of magic. From the Harry Houdini Collection.\n[ 53 ]"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 61, "folder": "", "text": "THE UNMASKING OF ROBERT-HOUDIN\nleading mechanical genius at the close of the seventeenth\ncentury and the beginning of the eightcenth. He was a\nman of high repute, whose history is not that of the\ncharlatan, compiled largely from tradition, but it can be\nAt YOUNGS Gront Riem, the of unite\nMall, faring de Hay-Market, feem The\nGAAND TREATHE of the MUSES, jaft\nfind Mr. PINCHBECK,\nTHIS wonderful Machine is the Altonifh-\nmen et of that fee it. the Magnificra\u00e7e of bs\nthe Deliescy of the Painitag und Seulprure, and the\ngreat variety of moving Figures makes it the moit fur-\npriling Piece of An thaz has ever yer appear'd in Europe.\nIt regrefenta a Landfeape, witha view of the Sea. termina-\nsing infentibly NE 4 vall wich Shipsfailing, plying\nto doubling Capes, and diminithing by degrees\nan des difappear, Swans in . River filling and pluming\nDuck Hunring to Perfection, and grest variety\nMotions Likewife Pi\u00e9ture, re-\nOEPUTUS in playing amang rhe Bealts\nfiere the very T res, as well du Bnnes, are feea 10 move,\nas if animared and compell'd by the Hamony of bia Harp.\nIt allo perfoins on feveral Infrumenta great variety of moit\nexcellent Pieces of Mulick compos'd by Mr. HANDRE, Co-\nRELET Bosescims, and orher celebtated\nwich fuch wonderful Exa\u00e4nel, that fearce any Hand em\nequal. It liacwife imitates the fwee Hamony of any Avi-\nary of Birds, wherein the refpeltive Notes of the Nightin-\ngale, Woodfark, Cuckoo, &c. are performed 10 to gieat a\nPerfebtion, as not to be dillioguillid from Nature it felf.\nWirh feveral other grand 100 dious to men-\ntiow, Prices rs. 25, 6 d. and To be feem from to\nin the Morning rill To Nighr, by two, or more, without\nlofe of Time.\nNate, This curious Machine will be removed ia a few\nDays next Deas but oxie to the Leg Tavem in Fleetflieet,\nClipping from the London Daily Post of November 30th, 1798. Used by\nChristopher Pinchbeck before he joined Fawkes. From the Harry Houdini\nCollection.\ncorroborated by court records, biographical works, and\nencyclopaedias, as well as by contemporaneous newspaper\nclippings.\nAccording to Vol. XLV. of the \"Dictionary of National\nBiography,\" edited by Sidney Lee and published in 1896\nby Smith, Elder & Co., 15 Waterloo Place, London:\n\"Christopher Pinchbeck was born about 1670, possibly\n[ 54 ]\n1"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 62, "folder": "", "text": "THE ORANGE-TREE TRICK\nin Clerkenwell, London. He was a clockmaker and\ninventor of the copper and zinc alloy called after his name.\nHe invented and made the famous astronomico-musical\nclock. In Appleby's Weekly Journal of July 8th, I721,\nAt FAWKFS's THEATRE,\nIn near the Hay-market, will\nbe prefentedite following Entertaimments.\nFirtt,\nH IS Diverting and Incomparable\nfeveral Thingscatirely new.\nof HAND, in whichie performe\nN. n. In particular be caufera Tree to grow up in a Flower-\nPot upon the Table, which will blow and bear ripe Fruit in.a\nMinute's Time,\nSecond, His Famous linde\nThind, The CLOCN, with two moving Pilures\nTascly made b, Mr. Pinchbeck.\nFourth, The Vest TIAN MACKINE, being the huen Piece\net Workmaufhip in the World, for moving other\nCariofities.\nFifth, The ANTIFICIAL Vrow of the wherein\nis very nateraly imitared the Formament fpangled with Multitude\nof Stari; the Moon's Increale and D\u00e9create the Pawa of Day il\nthe diffufing his Lightar has Rifing : the beautiful Redneis of\nthe Horizin at hts a in a fine Summer Evening, The\nOccait it alfo repreferred, with Ships under Sail,\nMiles the Water, Difance; and their others they pafs B near by that Fort, their Shadows as &cc, the' are they at leea levent lis\n28 muy\neach other with Guits, the Report anddeccho of which are as\nplaialy heard as the from Places they Anpear to be.\nEvery Weck are diffevent\nNore, Every Night tlats Week will be\nfollowing\n1. The Ciry of Granz In the Drifredom of Stirla in Germany.\n11. The Clry of Autwerp Nin Brabant in\nIII. The City of Grand Cairo in Egres.\nIV The City of Africa.\nevery Evening precifely ar SFx n\u00b0 Clock.\nPic AL Middle Upper 64\nAnd thanhe Company may not be with Coll, theve\nis Contrivanzes TO keep der Warn.\nNote, Gendeaco and may have a privale Performance,\ngiving Noute the Sight befort.\nAdvertisement from the London Daily Post during 1730, showing the orange\ntree as offered by the senior Fawkes, just previous to his death. From the\nHarry Houdini Collection.\nit was announced that Christopher Pinchbeck, inventor\nand maker of the astronomico-musical clock, is removed,\nfrom St. George's Court (now Albion Place) to the sign\nof the \"Astronomico-Musical Clock\" in Fleet Street, near\nthe Leg Tavern. He maketh and selleth watches of all\nsorts and clocks as well for the exact indication of the\n[55]"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 63, "folder": "", "text": "THE UNMASKING OF ROBERTT-HOUDIN\ntime only as astronomical, for showing the various\nmotions and phenomena of planets and fixed stars.'\nMention is also made of musical automata in imitation of\nsinging birds and barrel organs for churches, as among\nPinchbeck's manufactures.\n\"Pinchbeck was in the habit of exhibiting collections\nof his automata at fairs, sometimes in conjunction with a\njuggler named Fawkes, and he entitled his stall \"The\nTemple of the Muses,' 'Grand Theatre of the Muses,\nor 'Multum in Parvo.' The Daily Journal of August\n27th, 1729, announced that the Prince and Princess of\nWales went to the Bartholomew Fair to see hisexhibition,\nand there were brief advertisements in The Daily Post of\nJune 1 2th, 1729, and the Daily Journal of August 22d\nand 23d, I729. There is still a large broadside in the\nBritish Museum (1850 C. 10-17) headed 'Multum in\nParvo,' relating to Pinchbeck's exhibition, with a blank\nleft for place and date, evidently intended for use as a\nposter. Ile died November 18th, 1732; was buried No:\nvember 2ist, in St. Denison's Church, Fleet Street.\n\"In a copy of the Gentlemen's Magasine, printed 1732\npage 1083, there is an engraved portrait by I. Faber,\nafter a painting by Isaac Wood, a reproduction of which\nappears in 'Britten's Clock and Watch Maker,' page I22.\nHis will, dated November roth, 1732, was proved in\nLondon on November 18th.\"\nDuring one of his engagements at the Bartholomew\nFair, Pinchbeck probably met Fawkes, the cleverest\nsleight-of-hand performer that magic has ever known,\nand the two joined forces. Pinchbeck made all the auto-\nmata and apparatus thereafter used by Fawkes, and, in\n[56]"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 64, "folder": "", "text": "A very rare mezzotint of Christopher Pinchbeck, Jr., combining the work\nof Cunningham, the greatest designer, and William Humphrey, the greatest\nportrait etcher of his day. From the Harry Houdini Collection.\n[57]\n:"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 65, "folder": "", "text": "THE UNMASKING OF ROBERT-HOUDIN\nsold for 35,000 francs. The historic temple of magic\nstill stands under the title of \"Th\u00e9\u00e2tre Robert-Houdin,\"\nunder the management of M. Melies, a maker of mo-\ntion picture films.\nDuring my investigations in Paris, I was shocked to\n-\nThe last photograph taken of Robert-Houdin and used as the frontispiese for\nthe original French edition of his \"Memoirs,\" published in 1868.\nfind how little the memory of Robert-Houdin was revered\nand how little was known of France's greatest magician.\nIn fact, I was more than once informed that Robert-\nHoudin was still alive and giving performances at the\ntheatre which bears his name.\n1 48 ]"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 66, "folder": "", "text": "EVENTS IN THE LIFE OF ROBERT-HOUDIN\nContemporary magicians of Robert-Houdin and men\nof high repute in other walks of life seem to agree that\nRobert-Houdin was an entertainer of only average merit.\nAmong the men who advanced this theory were the late\nHenry Evanion of whose deep interest in magic I wrote\nin the introduction, Sir William Clayton who was Robert-\nHoudin's personal friend in London, Ernest Basch who\nsaw Robert-Houdin in Berlin, and T. Bolin of Moscow,\nRussia, who bought all his tricks in Paris and there saw\nRobert-Houdin and studied his work as a conjurer.\nRobert-Houdin's contributions to literature, all of\nwhich are eulogistic of his own talents, are as follows:\n\"Confidence et R\u00e9v\u00e9lations,\" published in Paris in\n1858 and translated into English by Lascelles Wraxall,\nwith an introduction by R. Shelton Mackenzie.\n\"Les Tricheries des Grecs\" (Card-Sharping Exposed),\npublished in Paris in 1861.\n\"Secrets de la Prestidigitation\" (Secrets of Magic),\npublished in Paris in 1868.\n\"Le Prieur\u00e9\" (The Priory, being an account of his\nelectrically equipped house), published in Paris in 1867.\n\"Les Radiations Lumineuses,\" published in Blois in\n1869.\n\" \"Exploration de la R\u00e9tinue,\" published in Blois, 1869.\n\"Magic et Physique Amusante\" (\u0153uvre posthume),\npublished in Paris in 1877, six years after Robert-Houdin's\ndeath.\nIn his autobiography, Robert-Houdin makes specific\nclaim to the honor of having invented the following\ntricks: The Orange Tree, Second Sight, Suspension,\nThe Cabalistic Clock. The Inexhaustible Bottle, The\n4\n[ 49 ]"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 67, "folder": "", "text": "invention of second sight, suspension, and the writing and\ndrawing automaton. It is my intention to trace the true\nhistory of each of these tricks and of all others to which\nhe laid claim as inventor, and show just how small a\nproportion of the credit was due to Robert-Houdin and\nhow much he owed to magicians who preceded him\nand whose brain-work he claimed as his own.\n[50]"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 68, "folder": "", "text": "CHAPTER II\nTHE ORANGE-TREE TRICK\nR\nOBERT-HOUDIN, on page I79 of the American\nedition of his \"Memoirs,\" thus describes the\norange-tree trick, which he claims as his inven-\ntion: \"The next was a mysterious orange-tree,\non which flowers and fruit burst into life at the request of\nthe ladies. As the finale, a handkerchief I borrowed\nwas conveyed into an orange purposely left on the tree.\nThis opened and displayed the handkerchief, which two\nbutterflies took by the corners and unfolded before the\nspectators.\"\nOn page 245 of the same volume he presents the\nprogramme given at the first public performance in the\nTh\u00e9\u00e2tre Robert-Houdin, stating:\n\"The performance will be composed of entirely novel\nExperiments invented by M. Robert-Houdin. Among\nthem being The Orange-Tree, etc.\"\nNow to retrace our steps in the history of magic as set\nforth in handbills and advertisements of earlier and con-\ntemporaneous newspaper clippings describing their in-\nventions.\nUnder the title of \"The Apple-Tree\" this mechanical\ntrick appeared on a Fawkes programme dated 1730. This\nwas 115 years before Robert-Houdin claimed it as his\ninvention. In 1732, just before Pinchbeck's death, it\n[ 51 ]"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 69, "folder": "", "text": "THE UNMASKING OF ROBERT-HOUDIN\nappeared on a programme used by Christopher Pinchbeck,\nSr., and the younger Fawkes. In 1784 it was included in\nthe r\u00e9pertoire of the Italian conjurer, Pinetti, in the guise\nof \"Le Bouquet-philosophique.\" In 1822 the same\ntrick, but this time called \"An Enchanted Garden,\"\nwas featured by M. Cornillot,\nwho appeared in England as the\npupil and successor of Pinetti.\nThe trick was first explained\nin public print by Henri De-\ncremps in 1784 when his famous\nexpos\u00e9 of Pinetti was published\nB\nunder the title of \"La Magie\nBlanche D\u00e9voil\u00e9e,\" and in 1786-\n87 both Halle and Wiegleb ex-\nposed the trick completely in\ntheir respective works on magic.\nThat Robert-Houdin was an\nDiagram of the orange-tree\ntrick, from Wiegleb's The\nomnivorous reader is proven by\nNatural Magic,\" published in\nhis own writings. That he knew\n1794.\nthe history and tricks of Pinetti\nis proven by his own words, for in Chapter VI. of his\n\"Memoirs\" he devoted fourteen pages to Pinetti and the\nlatter's relations with Torrini.\nNow to prove that the tree tricks offered by Fawkes,\nPinchbeck, Pinetti, Cornillot, and Robert-Houdin were\npractically one and the same, and to tell something of\nthe history of the four magicians who featured the trick\nbefore Robert-Houdin had been heard of:\nUnquestionably, the real inventor of the mysteriot\ntree was Christopher Pinchbeck, who was England\n[52]"}
{"path": "unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf", "page": 70, "folder": "", "text": "and\n-\nPinchester\nChristopher Pinchbeck, Sr. This is the oldest and rarest authentic mezzotint in the\nworld pertaining to the history of magic. From the Harry Houdini Collection.\n[ 53"}