pages: unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf, 83
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unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf | 83 | THE UNMASKING OF ROBERT-HOUDIN figure. About six years before his death he had his own theatre in James Street, near the Haymarket, in which he exhibited for months at a time before and after fairs. I reproduce a clipping from my collection showing Fawkes' last program. Here it will be seen that his first trick was causing a tree to grow up in a flower-pot on the table, and bear fruit in a minute's time. In The Gentle- men's Magazine, that oft-quoted and most reliable peri- odical, of February 15th, 1731, readers were informed that the Algerian Ambassadors witnessed Fawkes' per- We hear that young Fawkes and Pinchheck are now arrived in Town from the Bath and Saliabury; where they have, da the moft agreeable Mariger, entersained the Nobility and Quality with their very lurprieing and to whom the Tate Mr. Fawken, in his Life-tjme, had communicated all thofe wogder- fal Secrets which gave fuch univerfal Satisfaction to all his Specla tors : And we are likewife affored, that every Particular is preenvo in its utmoft Perfection, viz. His Artiticial View of the World his Turprizing Dexterity of Mand, in which he caufes a Tree to grow out of a Flower-Pot on the Table, which u Home and bears ripe Fruit in a Minute's Time; his famous little Pefture-Mafter of leven Years old, not to be equal'd in Europe, who likewile per- forms on the flack Rope to Admitation - his enternaining Muncal Clock, with two beautiful moving Piltures, and an Aviary of Bardr, ar natural as Life itlelf; alla a curious Venesian Maching, an w'i by all Artifis to be the fmefi Piece of Workmanfhip in the World; au which furgrizing Entersalnments we hear will be perf rm'd nex Week at the late Mr. Fawkes's Theatre, at the old Tennis-Court in James-fireet near the day-market. 1732 Clipping from the London Post, showing that young Fawkes collaborated with Pinchbeck and together they offered the orange-tree trick in 1739. From the Harry Houdini Collection. formance. At their request he showed them "a prospect of Algiers, and raised up an apple-tree which bore ripe fruit in less than a minute's time, which several of the company tasted of." Fawkes, too, had a son, and thus the partnership and the friendship which had existed between the elder Fawkes and the elder Pinchbeck were carried on by the second generation. All of the marvellous apparatus made [66] |