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practicalmagicia00harr.pdf,48 | practicalmagicia00harr.pdf | 48 | 38 THE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN. appear to have cut through the bridge of the nose. A cutler C. uld supply such knives, or they may be purchased at the de- pots for conjuring apparatus. Having placed out these articles on your table with serious- ness and imposing formality, show to the audience the knife that is whole, and call upon them to observe that it is sufficiently strong and sharp. The other knife must be placed somewhere near you, but where it is sheltered from the observation of the spectators. Ask some young friend to step forward, assuring him that you will not hurt him. Mako him sit down on a chair facing the au- dience. After having measured the real knife across his nose, say "But I may as well protect your clothes from being soiled, so I will put an apron round your neck." Goto the table to take up the apron, and, in doing so, placc down the real knife where it cannot be seen, and with your lef' and tako up the conjuror's knife, holding it by the blade, lest any one should cbserve the notch in it. Conceal at the same time also, in your left hand, the piece of sponge. Advancing to the chair, tuck, with your right hand, the apron round the youth's neck. Then pr SS the conjuror's knife firmly over the nose and leave il there, 2S if you had cut into the bridgo of the nose. At the same time gently ¿queeze the sponge, and a little of the liquid will make an alarming appearance on the face and on the apron; go on for a short time, covering the face and apron with (apparent) blood. When the audience have seen it long enough, seize up the apron, wipe the face of the youth quite clean, throw away the conjuror's knife, and exhibit your young friend to the audience all right, and dismiss him with some facetious remark on his courage in undergoing the alarm- ing operation. | |
practicalmagicia00harr.pdf,42 | practicalmagicia00harr.pdf | 42 | 3? THE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN. point of the stem within easy reach of your hand-about four inches below your chin. Then put your coat on. Commence the trick by borrowing a large silk handkerchief or cloth of the same size. Show it to be empty by holding out the two top corners in front of your breast, and shake the handker- chief while it falls loosely down over your vest. Then moving the handkerchief toward your left, catch hold (with your right thumb and finger) of the end of the stem "of the plume, No. 1, and draw it from under the left side of your vest. It will re- main concealed behind the handkerchief while you move your FIG. 8. Position 1., Position 2. two hands to the right, which will draw out the plume from un- der your vest, then over the centre of your chest. Then toss the handkerchief about, enveloping the first batch of feathers: say, "Handkerchief, you must supply me with some feathers. In a minute or so, take off the handkerchief, and display the plume to the spectators. Show the spectators again that the handkerchief is quite empty. Move your arms toward your right till your left hand comes just over the edge of the right side of your vest. With your left thumb and fore-finger catch hold of the stem of the feathers there concealed, and by moving your arms back to- wards the left, you can draw out without its being observed the plume that had been concealed under the right side of your vest. Toss about and display as before this second batch of feathers, and then place them aside. Then show to the company again that your handkerchief has nothing in it, and lay the handkerchief over both your hands, | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,20 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 20 | 4 LATEST MAGIC one upon the other, a couple of half-crowns, or coins of similar size.¹ When required for use, the coin mat is prepared, shortly beforehand, by rubbing the whole of the space within the ornamental border on one of its faces with diachylon, in the solid form. The FIG. 3 diachylon is used cold, the necessary rriction melt- ing it sufficiently, without any additional heating. This treatment renders the surface of the mat, for the time being, adhesive, without in any way alter- ing its appearance. To make sure of its being just right, press a half-crown or penny down firmly 1 Where coins of English denominations are referred to in the text, the American wizard will naturally replace them by corresponding coins of the U. S. currency. | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,56 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 56 | 40 LATEST MAGIC apart, as shown in Fig. 11, under which circum- stances they are invisible to the spectators at a few feet distance, and very nearly so to the performer, save that their white edges, turned towards him- self, furnish him with an exact guide to their posi- tion. On the top of the pack are laid, first the two knaves. On these the queen overlay, and upper- most the unprepared queen. Fig. 11 In presenting the trick the borrowed shilling is laid on the mat midway between the two overlays already on the table, and is covered with the top card of the pack, the third overlay being lifted off with it, and resting beneath it with its centre as nearly as possible over the coin. The two following cards are now laid one on each side of the first, as in Fig. 12, each on the corre- sponding overlay, the white edges of these, visible | |
practicalmagicia00harr.pdf,50 | practicalmagicia00harr.pdf | 50 | 40 THE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN. one hundred lamps at once. This has proved successful very on some occasions; but on others, notwithstanding the most care- ful preparation and the greatest precaution, it has been found that the apparatus would not act, and the impatient spectators have visited the disappointing failure with their indignant mur- murs. Other conjurors have become so attached to electric ex- periments, that they have proposed to regulate all the clocks of a large district by electricity, or have amused themselves by turning electric or galvanic currents to the door-handles of their houses, so that unsuspecting strangers, on touching them, were startled with electric shocks. There is also a trick for rendering one portion of a portrait electric by a metal plate concealed un- derit, and the spectators being invited to touch some part of the pieture, have, on touching the spots that were charged with electricity, received a shock or powerful blow, as if the portrait resented their touching it. Having briefly given the character of this class of tricks, and stated that they not only require expensive apparatus, but are attended with danger to the inexperienced, there still remains another serious objection, viz., that, like the experiments per- formed by automaton figures or complicated machinery, they are liable to fail, through any trifling disarrangement, just at the mo- ment when the performer is hoping that his audience will be de- lighted with his surprising exhibition. For these reasons I shall not stay to describe the more elabo- rate of these tricks, as, however interesting they may be to the scientific, they would not, in a youthful amateur's hands, be sure to produco the amusement which it is my primary object to sup- ply. The simpler experiments of magnetism and chemistry may well be regarded as recreations of science, interesting curiosi- ties, suitable enough to be exhibited by a professor of chemistry for amusement and instruction but even these can hardly be considered as belonging to "conjur… | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,58 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 58 | 42 LATEST MAGIC places under one of the thimbles, all three of which he then shifts about on the tray; inviting the spec- tators to bet with him as to which thimble the pea is under. He has two or three confederates, who bet, and naturally win, but if an outsider is rash enough to back his own supposed smartness he loses; for as a matter of fact the pea is not placed under either of the thimbles at all until after the bet is made, when it is skilfully introduced under whichever thimble best suits the performer. "The trick is in truth a mere affair of dexterity; the performer having acquired by long practise the power of placing the pea under any thimble he pleases. What I propose to show you is a sim- ilar effect, but more surprising, because, as you will see, there is no room for dexterity, or indeed any form of trickery; so that I have to depend entirely upon my magic power. I shall use a shilling, as being more easily seen than a pea, and three cards from this pack to represent the thimbles. "Will some gentleman oblige me with the loan of a shilling; marked in such a way that he may be sure of knowing it again." Receiving the coin in his right hand, the per- former makes believe to transfer it to his left; wherein he already has a shilling of his own. Surreptitiously depositing the coin lent to him behind the pack of cards on the table, he exhibits the substitute on the palm of the left hand and rubs it with the fingers of the right. | |
practicalmagicia00harr.pdf,52 | practicalmagicia00harr.pdf | 52 | 42 THE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN. one of their ears ; it will be heard "tic, tic; then holding it in his left hand and telling it to stop, they will also find that it does stop. You can pretend to doubt whether they are all deaf of one ear, but lastly may declare that this is caused by the obedi- ent disposition of the watch, which so orderly obeys your com- mand. Remind your audience that savages upon first seeing a watch believe it to be a living animal with power to think and act of itself 'At any rate," you may conclude, "the present watch seems to hear, to understand, and to obey my orders." : It will be an amusing addition to the above trick to say that you will now order the watch to fly away and conceal itself. You must for this purpose have provided yourself with an electro-plated locket resembling a lady's watch, and have two loaves ready in some convenient corner. When the watch has finished its "manual and platoon" exer- cise on the platform, you may say, "I will now place this watch visibly to all upon the table." Turn round to go to your table, and in walking to it, substitute the locket for the watch, and place the locket on some spot visible to all. It will not be dis- tinguishable from the watch by the spectators at six or eight yards' distance from them. Conceal the watch itself in the palm of your hand. You can now exclaim, "I require two loaves," and walking towards them, slip the watch into the one you have prepared with a slit in its side. Advancing to the audience, ask in which loaf they will prefer that you shall bid the watch fly. If they name the one in which you have concealed it, proceed to break open the loaf and find the watch. But suppose they name the wrong one: you then, remembering that the left hand of the spectators is your right hand, proceed with the true loaf, which- ever they have named, or manage to cross the position of the loaves as yon place them on the table. Then taking up the locket with your right hand, make Pass 1, as if transferring it to your left hand, but really retai… | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,60 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 60 | 44 LATEST MAGIC positions have been shown, the audience being allowed to say under which card the coin shall appear, and the last shift having been to one of the side positions, the performer says: "I should like you to be satisfied that it is really the marked coin and no other, that wanders about in this way. I will ask the gentleman who lent it to me to verify his mark." He picks up from one of the side positions the coin last uncovered and brings it forward, but in transit "switches" it for the borrowed coin, which he has a moment previously picked up from its resting place behind the pack. It is, of course, this last which he offers for identification, again exchanging it for The substitute before replacing this in its former position. The final reproduc- tion must be from under the centre card, the per- former again ringing the changes before returning the coin to the owner. At the close of the trick all three cards are placed on the pack, the centre over- lay going with them. The other two overlays are left on the mat, each still covering its own coin, and the whole being carried off together. If the mat is of the folding kind it can be closed before removal, effectually concealing the accessories used in the trick. Some amount of skill will be found necessary to pick up the card with or without the correspond- ing overlay, as may be desired. The difficulty however speedily disappears with practice.- On | |
practicalmagicia00harr.pdf,54 | practicalmagicia00harr.pdf | 54 | 44 THE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN. thanks, ask you to take a glass of wine. Do you like wine? Ah, I see by your smile you do." Pour out of bottle No. 1 half a glass, and, going towards him, stop short and say : "Ah, but I am afraid your mamma would bo di:pleased with me if I gave you wine so strong without any water, and I should be sorry to tempt you to drink what she would disapprove. Stay, I will mix a little water with it." Mix some of No. 2 bottle, so as to fill the wine-glass, and say : " Oh, never mind losing the pure wine; I dare say you will like it very well as it is, and make a few chatty remarks, to give the liquids time to mingle their effects in the glass; and after a minute or two say "Ah! I'll tell you what I am sure your mamma would like still better-if I could give you some calves'- foot jelly. Now, I really believe, if I were to stir it with this teaspoon, and try my magic wand over it, I can turn it to jelly. Let us try.' Occupy a little time while it is becoming like jelly, and go on with a little more talk till you see that it has become solid. Then say : "Well, after all, I will not deprive you of your wine so hereitis Please drink it." Putting it to his lips, he will find it has become so solid that he cannot drink it, but it can be turned out quite solid into the saucer, and a gen- eral laugh will greet him on the disrppointment of his wine. Having submitted a few remarks upon the class of tricks that are to be performed by help of the sciences, magnetism, chem- istry, etc., and having stated my reasons for my not more fully discussing them, I will now proceed to give an explanation of one or two more that are better suited for the practice of ama- teurs. TRICK 19.-To draw three spools off two tapes without those spools having to come off the ends of the tapes, and while the four ends of the tapes are held by four persons. PREPARATION. You must have two narrow tapes of about four feet long, bent as in Fig. 11. Red tape I prefer. You must next insert about half an inch of A through the loop of B, … | |
practicalmagicia00harr.pdf,56 | practicalmagicia00harr.pdf | 56 | 46 THE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN. You may move about the spools 2 and 3, to show how the tape runs through them, but you must not nove spool 1. You may then say that the puzzle is to get the spools of the tapes while the four ends are held firmly in the hands of four persons. Appoint four persons to hold them, and you may then say: "To make doubly sure, I will tie one of the ends at A to one of the ends at B with (the first half of) a knot." It does not signify which ends you take to do this, FO that you take ono A and one B. I will now pull these two ends so tight that it draw the three spools together, and also tighten all along one sido of them.' Then, while four persons hold firmly the extreme ends cf the Fig. 16. 2 3 B 1 A 13 tapes, you must take shorter hold of the two A's with your left hand, (where it is marked by a dottedline, Fig. 16,) and also take hold of the other tapes where a dotted line is marked on them towards B. Then drawing your arms wider apart, so as to pull the tapes steadily, the spools or balls will fall to the ground with- out passing over the ends of the tapes. TRICK 20.-To restore a tape whole after it has been cut in the middle. PREPARATION. Have five or six yards of tape about three-quarters of an inch broad. Take half the length in each hand. You will be able to show the audience that you are about to cut it in the middle, by hold- ing it in two loops of equal length. Call their attention point- edly to the equal division of the full length. The tape will thus appear to the performer in the position represented in Fig. 17. Observe the tape A crosses at Z the tape B on the side next to the performer, whereas the tape D is to cross the tape y on the side farthest from him. | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,64 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 64 | 48 LATEST MAGIC there are lot of clever people about, if you know where to look for them. "Now I want to show you that the cards know all about it themselves; in fact, they are just as clever at doing sums as we are. I will take these two cards and drop them into one of these pretty flower-pots. Let me show you first that it is quite empty." He lays the cards on the little mat while show- ing inside of flower-pot (the one with secret pocket), then picks up mat, and transfers it from hand to hand, showing, without remark, that the hands are otherwise empty, and lets the two cards slide off it into the flower-pot, the concealed cards naturally going with them. "Now, ladies and gentlemen, what shall the cards do for you, the addition, or the subtraction sum ? It is all the same to me. The addition ? Very good. They can't talk, SO they will call another card from the pack to give you the answer. Yes, here we have it. Five-and two-are-seven.' As he names each card, he produces it from the flower-pot, the third being the double-faced card, shown as the seven. "Now I can hear what some of you are thinking. Oh, yes! I often hear what people think. You are thinking that if you had said subtraction instead of addition, I should have been in what is popularly called a hole. But you are mistaken. Now we will ask the cards to do the subtraction | |
practicalmagicia00harr.pdf,58 | practicalmagicia00harr.pdf | 58 | 48 THE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN. tape-C D-to be seen, but concealing from the spectators that you have hold of two pieces, one a very long one, and the other only about five inches long. You can then say: "Now I have to join these two ends, and to restore the tape Fig. 19. whole as at first." You then turn the little piece C 1- c D round the piece y, which is in your left hand, and you tie a knot with the ends of that little piece. y You must not tie this knot very tight, and after you have tied it, you drop the other end of the tape alto- gether out of your right hand. The appearance which the tapes will then have is represented in Fig. 19. That is, you will seem to hold the equally divided pieces of the long tape joined in a knot at y, whereas in fact it is only tho small end piece C D, tied round the middle of the long tape, which you hold between the thumb and forefinger of the left hand. Exhibit the knot to the company, and say : "I admit that this knot hardly looks liko a perfect restoration ; I must employ my best art to get rid of its unsightly appearance." Ask some one to hold, at about three yards' dis- tanco, the end marked with small d, retaining hold of the centre-at y-in your left hand, which quite COV- d A ers the knot. Tell yourfriend to wind the tape round his hand, and, while pretending to show him how to do this, by winding the part which you hold round your left hand, slide away towards your right the loose knot un- der your right hand. Then, holding out the end of the tape A towards another friend, to hold at about three yards' distance to the right, slip from off the long tape the little movable knot un- der your right hand, just before he takes hold of this end of the tape. Conceal in your right hand the little end-piece of tape, until you can get rid of it into your pocket, or into any unob- served spot. Blow upon your left hand, which is supposed still to cover the knot, saying "Knot, begone ! Tako up your left hand, and show the tape to be free from any knot, or join from one end of it to the … | |
practicalmagicia00harr.pdf,109 | practicalmagicia00harr.pdf | 109 | 5 | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,66 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 66 | 50 LATEST MAGIC Presentation. Advance, palming off the knave of clubs, and offer pack to be shuffled. When it is returned, force the knave on one of the company. Borrow a hat, and after showing that it is empty, place it, crown downwards, on the table. Receive back the drawn card upon the mat, remarking that you will place it in the hat, which you do accord- ingly, the other three knaves going in with it. Then, assuming a worried expression, deliver pat- ter to something like the following effect. "I am afraid, ladies and gentlemen, that I shall not be able to show you the experiment I had intended. I have a telepathic nerve in my left thumb, a sort of private fire alarm, only more so, which always gives me warning when things are going wrong, and I feel it now. If you have read 'Macheth,' you will remember that one of the witches says: 'By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes.' "I have often wondered whether that old lady could have been a sort of great-great-great grand- mother of mine. Magic certainly runs in the family, and we may have inherited it from her. Anyhow, I have just the same sort of sensation myself. Unfortunately, in my case the warning is incomplete. I dare say you will remember that story (I rather think it's in Macaulay's 'Lays of Ancient Rome'), about Little Queen Cole. Her | |
practicalmagicia00harr.pdf,60 | practicalmagicia00harr.pdf | 60 | 50 THE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN. The reader will have seen that, in some of the tricks explained in previous papers, there is simply some one definite object to be carried out. For instance, in the two tricks which concluded the last paper, the performer simply undertakes to throw the spools off the tape, or to restore a tape which has been cut. Ho sets about this, accomplishes it, and the trick is over. This is all very well as far as it goes. If the trick is really a good one, it is like a host furnishing his guests with a solid joint to satisfy their appetite; ; and it may do so. But still it comes short of a lively entertainment. It is confessedly dull for an audience to / come to pauses O1 gaps between isolated tricks. Their attention is unoccupied while the performer, having finished off one trick, is making mute preparations to introduce some other trick wholly unconnected with what has gone before. Such a method will not keep awake the lively interest that the skilful combina- tion of the conjuror's art will sustain. I maintain that varied by-play and supplementary sets-off will greatly heighten the in- terest of the performance. It will also serve to disarm the suspicious and incredulous, preparing them to believe what they might otherwise stand on their guard against. Bare tricks brought forward as isolated ex- periments give time for the mind to take its estimate of their possibility ; and, of course, in attempting to exhibit wonders, the improbability of them is apt to stare people strongly in the face. They are perfectly convinced that a dime cannot fly into an orange at the other end of the room, that ink cannot become water, nor a hat be safely used as a frying-pan ; but if you inter- pose appearances and movements that are consistent with such processes going on, they are gradually prepared to recognize as a legitimate result what you have previously indicated as the contemplated end of those processes. The amplification or fuller development which I speak of can be effected at any of the following stag… | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,68 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 68 | 52 LATEST MAGIC municates with them by means of a sort of wire- less telegraphy, and when he calls they go to him at once." (You here make the "click."7 "Did you hear that sound? That's his call now, despatched by wireless from the hat to the very middle of the pack. I have no doubt that we shall find that the other three knaves have already left it, and joined him in the hat." (Make believe to look over the pack, and hand it to a spectator.) "Yes! just as I thought: they are all gone." (To a spec- tator.) "See for yourself, sir. Not a single knave left. And here they all are, in the hat." (Whence they are produced accordingly.) As the "click" in some cases adds much to the effect of a trick, and as it may to some readers be an unfamiliar sleight, I may pause to explain that it is executed as follows: Take the pack in either hand, held upright between forefinger and thumb, a little more than half-way down, with the middle finger curled up behind it as in Fig. 13. With the tip of the third finger bend back the extreme bot- tom corners of the last half dozen or SO of the cards, allowing them to escape again smartly. The sound made by the corners in springing back again constitutes the "click." It needs a little practice, but if the cards are held properly, and the sleight worked smartly, the sound will be audible at a considerable distance, whilst the move- ment of the finger producing it is quite invisible to the spectators. | |
practicalmagicia00harr.pdf,62 | practicalmagicia00harr.pdf | 62 | 52 THE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN. For instance, in the trick which I often use as my first trick I make a candle an amusing helper, by snatching it from the can- dle-stick, and asking some one to hold it wrapt up in paper. And this unexpected service of the candle is wrought into tho body of the trick which I have in hand. I change also a crystal ball into an orange by skilful manipu- lation. By such brief diversion of the attention of the spectators, their eyes are withdrawn from watching too narrowly some ma- nœuvre that is requisite to carry out the more important trick which you have in hand. Or you may actually make an act, which is a mere accessory, cover some important portion of the trick; as in tho tape trick (No. 20.) While PRETENDING TO SHOW YOUR ASSISTANT HOW TO nold the tape in HIS hand, you slip the knot away unperceived under YOUR OWN hand. 3. IN CONCLUDING A TRICK. It greatly adds to tho éficiency of a trick to let it finish off with a sparkle, or some playful addition which gilds its exit. For instance, in the trick of doubling the pocket-money, (7th Trick,) the little by-play of finding, or rather pretending to find, some coins secreted in tho sleeve cf the young friend who i:as helped you, is sure to bring out a good-humored laugh at tie termination of the trick. Again, in Trick 16, the additional fact of finding the watch in the loaf makes a lively termination of ine performance of the obedient watch. In the 1Sth Trick, the glass of wine becoming solid might be used as a good finish to any trick where some friend has assisted in its exhibition. You may often raise a good-humored laugh by appearing to swallow any object which you have used in a trick-as an or- ange, ball, egg, or dime-and afterwards bringing it out from your sleeve ; or, by tho use of Pass 1, to drive a coin up one sleeve, round the back of your neck, and down the other sleeve, into your right hand. I not only consider such amplifications of a trick lively and interesting, bnt I maintain this to be the best way of employing | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,70 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 70 | 54 LATEST MAGIC with the left hand. When the knaves have been laid upon it, you transfer it to the opposite hand, and palm on to them the three concealed cards, but immediately slide them off again, with the uppermost of the four knaves beneath them. You hold them up in a careless way, so that the audience, catching sight of this card, may be con- firmed in the belief that the cards exhibited in the right hand are really the four knaves. "Here we have the four knaves, at present all together. I will now distribute them in different parts of the pack, as far apart as possible. One here, nearly at the bottom, one a little higher up, another about the middle, and this last" (you show it carelessly), "close to the top." (This, being a genuine knave, must be placed among the other knaves.) "They could hardly be placed farther apart than that: but to make things a little more difficult for them, I will ask some lady to cut the cards." This done, and the cards handed back to you, you repeat the click. "There it is again: the wire- less signal. You can all bear witness that I have nothing to do with the matter. Now, Sir, will you kindly examine the pack, and unless I am much mistaken, you will find that the other three knaves have answered Black Jack's call, and that the four cheerful blackguards have got together again, in which case, with your permission, I will leave them severely alone, and try some other experiment." | |
practicalmagicia00harr.pdf,64 | practicalmagicia00harr.pdf | 64 | 54 THE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN. made at home, according to the following directions, to be pref- erable. It must be about the size of a small pillow, two feet three inches across, and one foot nine inches deep. It has one of its sides of double cloth, (x,) the other single, (z,) in the same way as leather writing-cases have a pocket on one side, and a single cover on the other. The double side is stitched together all round, with the exception of an opening at A, which must be about five inches long, or large enough to admit easily a hand to put in or take out the eggs. This double side of the bag must always be kept towards the performer, whereas the single side must be always kept towards the spectators; and the only open- ing between these two sides is between C and D. On the inte- rior of the side of the double cloth bag, a strip or kind of frill of the same cloth must be sewn, with an elastic binding round the pockets or cups for eggs. The elastic binding will keep them in these pockets, unless they are pressed by the thumb or fin- ger, so as to release them and let them fall into the centre of the double bag. The strip has the appearanco of a string of in- verted egg-cups, thus : Fig. 21. The position of it in the bag is indicated in Fig. 21 by the dots running across the bag ; but the strip itself is never seen by the spectators, for it is placed on the inner side of the double, bag, which is always towards the performer. Having carefully prepared the abovo apparatus, commence the exhibition of the trick by holding up the bag by the corners a and D, as represented in Fig. 21. Shake tho bag well while so - holding it, showing it to be (apparently) empty. After having thus exhibited the bag, thrust both your hands down inside it to the corners A and B. Holding those corners, pull the bag inside out, and again show it to be empty, in this reversed position, represented in Fig. 21. As the spectators have now seen it thoroughly, inside and out-1 side, you may put the question to them, "whether they admit it to be em… | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,72 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 72 | 56 LATEST MAGIC "I want three ladies each to choose a card from this pack." (He forces the ten of spades, allow- ing the other two cards to be chosen freely, and takes all three back, face down, on the mat, keep- ing in mind which of them is the forced card. "I will take one of these cards." (He picks up the forced card, and holds it aloft.) "Please all notice what it is: I don't want to see it myself. I drop it into this pretty flower-pot" (actually drop- ping it into the secret pocket). "And now as to these other two." (He picks them up and shows them, then replacing them on the mat.) "These I will place in the other flower-pot. First, how- ever, I will show you that at present it is empty." He does so, and then lets the two cards slide off the mat into the pot, the concealed card going with them. "Now I take this magnet. It is a very power- ful magnet, and I make it still more vigorous by rubbing it on my left coat sleeve. Do you know why on the left ? You all give it up ? Because in this case the left happens to be right. Simple, when you know it, isn't it? Again, you will observe that one-half of this magnet is painted red. Can you guess why that is? It's so that when it is wanted it is sure to be 'reddy.' I hear a lady smile! Thank you so much! This is the eleven hundred and third time I have let off that little impromptu joke, and no one has ever laughed at it till now. | |
practicalmagicia00harr.pdf,66 | practicalmagicia00harr.pdf | 66 | 56 THE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN. Take out that egg ; shake the bag well, as if it were quits empty : and then, thrusting both your hands into tho interior corners at A and B, turn the bag inside out; bring it to position 2, ready to re-commence bringing out the other eggs one by one, as long as the spectators are interested. While you hold tho bag in position 2, you can safely let any young person feel to the bottom of the bag, as he will not be likely to suspect the eggs are towards the top of the bag on tho side near to yourself. The same bag may be used also much to the amusement of children, by your loading it with walnuts, chesnuts, small ap- ples, or pears, or any bon-bon of about the size of an eggi and then allowing the children, one by one, to feel in your lucky bag for what you take care they shall find in their successive searches. A SERIES OF TRICKS, 22, 23, 24.-The chief agent being a plain gold ring. PREPARATION. You must be provided with a small thin wire pointed at both ends, which, being bent round, will resemble an ordinary plain gold ring. You must also have on your table an orange or a lemon, a box or bowl, a tumbler, and a dessert-knife. And you must have four or five needlefuls of thick cotton, which have becn previously steeped for about an hour in a wine- glass of water, with a teaspoonful of salt in it; and have been afterwards completely dried, so as to burn easily. TRICK 22. Having the fictitious ring in the palm of your hand, com- mence by requesting any lady present to oblige you by lending you a plain gold ring, and borrow also from some gentleman a colored silk handkerchief. Appear to place the borrowed ring in that handkerchief, but in reality place in it the rounded ficti- tious ring. Doubling tho centre of the handkerchief round it, request some gentleman to hold it, so as to be sure he has got the ring in the handkerchief-while you fetch a slight cord to fasten it. While going to your table to fetch this cord, you slip the real ring into a slit in the orange which you had prepared, an… | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,74 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 74 | 58 LATEST MAGIC which we will call A and B respectively. From pack A take a court card (say the queen of dia- monds), and press it face down against the waxed side of the mat: then turn this over, and place the rest of the pack upon its unprepared side. On the top of pack B lay the corresponding card, in readi- ness for forcing. This pack also to be placed on table. Presentation. Advance with pack A on the mat. Invite a gentleman to take it in his own hands and after shuffling, to pick out a card, and without looking at it, lay it face down on the mat. Re- mark: "I have asked you not to look at the card, because I find people fancy I find out by what is called thought-reading, and if you don't know the card yourself, I can't find it out that way, can I? You are sure you don't know what card you have taken? I can honestly say that I don't. Now please notice that I don't look at it, or even touch it-I will place it here, where you can all keep an eye on it. You had better keep the other eye on me." You accordingly place the mat on the table, in transit keeping the card just laid upon it in place by the pressure of the thumb, and just as you reach the table, under cover of your own body, turn over the mat, SO as to bring the adhering card uppermost. You then say, picking up the reel, "I must now introduce to your notice my telepathic tape. Like | |
practicalmagicia00harr.pdf,68 | practicalmagicia00harr.pdf | 68 | 58 THE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN. cotton threads, having twisted two or three of them together, and united them in a loop, which you draw through the ring, and then slip the ring through the end of the loop. The ring will then hang suspended about a foot below the stick. The stick itself may be steadily fixed, resting on the back of two chairs at an elevation, so as to be easily seen by the company. When the ring has been thus suspended, set fire to the cotton about two inches above the ring; the flame will run upwards to- wards the stick; blow it out when about two inches from the stick, and the ring will remain pendulous in the air for some lit- tle time after the cotton has been burnt. The suspension is said to be caused by a filament, or fine thread of glass-which has been formed by the ashes of the cotton uni- ting with the heated salt, with which the cotton had been pre- pared. Now this trick would be too simple an experiment to be exhib- ited by itself; but coming as a finish to two other tricks, which have been performed with the same ring, the spectators Will give it honor due. I trust that I have satisfactorily established the assertion that a combination of congenial tricks will often tell more effectively than the same tricks would if exhibited without such combi- nation, - | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,22 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 22 | 6 LATEST MAGIC the first instance as one only, the one within the other. The professedly single pot, after being proved empty by exhibiting the interior and pass- 0 0 FIG. 5 FIG. 6 ing the hand through it, is made into two, by sim- ply drawing out the inner one. The duplication is not presented as a trick, the modus operandi | |
practicalmagicia00harr.pdf,16 | practicalmagicia00harr.pdf | 16 | 6 THE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN. shall not, therefore, in these elementary papers advert to those experiments which require ample resources, or a prepared stage, for exhibiting them-or which can only be displayed to advan- tage by consummate skill and the most adroit manipulation- but confine my remarks at present to thosè branches of the art to the performance of which a young amateur may aspire with prospect of success. A few hours' practice will enable the learner to execute the simple tricks that I shall first treat of; and they will only re- quire for their display such articles as are readily available in every household. Most of them will be supplied by any com- pany of a few friends, and if not in the parlor, can be brought from no greater distance than the kitchen or housekeeper's room ; such as handkerchiefs, coins, oranges, or eggs, a glass bowl, etc., etc. There may only remain a few inexpensivo articles to bo supplied from repositories for the sale of conjur- ing apparatus, or they may be had direct from the publishers of this work. It may be well explicitly to avow that the time is quite gone by when people will really believe that conjuring is to be donc by supernatural agencies. No faith is now reposed in the "black art of sorcery," or even in the art to which the less re- pulsive name was given of "white magic.' Many years havo elapsed sinco conjurors have seriously assumed to themselves any credit as possessing supernatural powers, or as enabled by spiritual agency to reveal that which is unknown to science and philosophy, or mysteriously to work astonishing marvels. A well-marked contrast exists between the old school O. con- jurors and those of modern times. The former, who used bold- ly to profess that they employed mysterious rites and preter- natural agency, designedly put the spectator upon false inter- pretations, while they studiously avoided giving any elucidation of tho phenomena, nor would ever admit that tho wonders dis- played were to bo accounted for by the principles of science and natur… | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,76 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 76 | 60 LATEST MAGIC equally well performed by the aid of the card-box, or any other appliance for "changing" a card. A CARD COMEDY This may be otherwise described for programme purposes as. "A Royal Row," or "A Row in a Royal Family." Preparation. Card mat loaded with two kings of hearts: one of them taken from the pack to be used: the other a spare card. The king of clubs and queen of hearts to be laid on top of pack. The two flower-pots, on table. Presentation. Advancing to the company, palm off the two top cards, and hand the pack to be shuffled. This done, force the palmed cards on two different persons. Then say, "I want you to take notice that I do not handle or tamper in any way with either of the cards you have chosen. Please lay them yourselves face down on this mat. Thank you. Now still without touching them I will put them temporarily in this elegant flower- pot, which you observe is quite empty. You see that it has neither top nor bottom, and nothing between. You couldn't have anything much emptier than that, could you?" Having duly exhibited the flower-pot (this by the way must be the one without pocket) you let the two drawn cards slide off the mat into it, the two concealed kings going with them. Then, | |
practicalmagicia00harr.pdf,70 | practicalmagicia00harr.pdf | 70 | 60 THE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN. other hand, venture upon extreme and disconcerting compli- ments to any person present. Rather, as a courteous master of the ceremonies, conduct the experiments with a simple effort to please and to amuse all. With the exhibition of an amateur, the performance of some lively airs upon the piano by any friend - will form an agreeable accompaniment, especially if the spirited and humorous melodies are introduced, which the public tasto recognizes as the tunes of the day. You will do well to have your table neatly and carefully arranged. Let it not lie too near to the spectators, nor within reach of too minute inspection. It should be of sufficient height to show the main objects placed on it; but the surface of it may be just high enongh to be shel- tered from the spectators clearly viewing every article upon it. The ornaments should be few, yet, at the same time, be service- able to shade a few articles which it may be policy to conceal. 1. The centre table may be a moderate-sized kitchen table, with a drawer to stand open ; so that the performer can take any article out of the drawer with one hand, while engaging the eyes of the spectators with his other hand. A colored cloth should be over the tables, on the side towards the spectators. 2. Two small tables, at the sídes of the centre table, may also be useful, as in Fig. 22. rG. 22., 3. With tables arranged somewhat in this manner, the ama- teur will be able to take up articles, from either the surface or back of the tables, without attracting notice to his doing so. He must practise taking up things with one hand, while his other hand and his eyes are ostensibly occupied with some other ob- ject; for if the spectators see him looking behind his table, their eyes will immediately follow in the same direction, 4 | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,78 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 78 | 62 LATEST MAGIC confinement. We will drop him into the other flower-pot, which, as you see, is also empty." (The card is in this case not dropped through the pot, but into the pocket.) "Now we shall be able to get on. No ! my left thumb tells me that there is still something not quite right..' (Glance into second flower-pot.) "Upon my word, this is too bad. The king of hearts has already. got away and followed the queen again." (Lift flower-pot, and show that the king has disappeared.) "I thought I had him safe, but his prison, as you see, is empty, and here he is again in the first flower-pot." (Show the three cards accordingly.) "He is too many for me; I can't show you what I had intended. I must give it up and try something else." Variation. Load mat with a single king of hearts and the queen of clubs, the latter taken from the pack. Proceed as before up to the putting of the king in prison, and then exhibit the queen of clubs, as having come in pursuit of her spouse, the patter being modified accordingly. The impris- oned king of hearts will still be found to have escaped, but in this case to have returned to the pack. For lack of the two flower-pots, the drawn cards may be dropped with the concealed pair into a bor- rowed hat, and the jealous king made to escape from a card-box, or some similar appliance. Apropos of the card-box, by the way, I have | |
practicalmagicia00harr.pdf,72 | practicalmagicia00harr.pdf | 72 | 62 THE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN. from China to Peru, from the Equator to the Poles, you per- ceive he still sounds like a hardy Pole himself. (Rap, rap, rap.) "I perceive, however, by the glaring of his eye, that, after my too rough handling, he is desirous of starting on his travels. I suppose we must provide him with the needful for his ex- penses. Large sums are given now-a-days to special corre- spondents in foreign countries; who will kindly give him suffi- cient? He will want a golden or silver key to open some curi- osities he may wish to inspect in foreign cities. (Pause.) Oh. well, as there is a delay about it, I must myself supply him. I think I have a few disposable coins in my pocket : he shall havo them." Suiting the action to the word, while your left hand holds the upper part of the cloak near the neck, EO as to cover what you are doing, you withdraw the wooden body with your right hand, while you move your right hand down to your+pocket for the coins. You then leave the body of the doll in your pocket, and taking out the coins, present them to the head and cloak of the figure, which is held in your left hand, saying: "There, my good friend, you can now, if you wish, proceed on your tour to Algiers, or Dahomey, or Timbuctoo, or wherever the universal Yankee travelers fancy at the present to resort. " Ah, I see he is pleased and in good spirits again. He wishes apparently to bid you good-bye. You will excuse his looking also round about him, to judge whether the weather is fair to set ont; after which I will lay my hand on his head to ex- press my good wishes for his journey. I dare say he will not stay much longer after that than a schoolboy does after his mas- ter has bid him good-bye." Place with formal ceremony your hand on his head, press it down through the opening below it, receive it in your left hand underneath the cloak, and bestow it safely in the pocket. Affect astonishment at finding the gown alone left in your hands, and fold it up with a lamentation at his departure. You may say : "It is cl… | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,80 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 80 | 64 LATEST MAGIC of the same shape, but a trifle larger. The loose slab is retained, but it is only loose when the per- former desires it to be SO. The box may be handled beforehand with the utmost freedom, and after a card has been placed in it it may be closed and re-opened any number of times, nothing hap- pening till, "Presto," a mere touch in the right place, and the flap is free. When the box is now closed, this falls into the opposite portion, con- cealing the card, or producing another; and again locking itself, automatically, in its new position. The box in this condition will again stand the closest scrutiny. Whether this box is yet placed upon the market I cannot say (having myself been favoured with a sight of an "advance" model), but it will certainly commend itself to all who appreciate a good thing in the way of ingenuity of contrivance and mechanical finish. A ROYAL TUG OF WAR Preparation. Card mat to be loaded with king of hearts and king of diamonds, not taken from the pack in use. Flower-pots on table. Performer advances with ordinary pack, deliv- ering patter to something like the following effect. "It is not generally known, ladies and gentlemen, what a lot of human nature there is about a pack of cards. They have their likes and dislikes, and | |
practicalmagicia00harr.pdf,74 | practicalmagicia00harr.pdf | 74 | 64 THE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN. plate the coins collected in the hat, which will coincide with the number he has appeared to collect so magically from various sources. When adroitly done, this trick is very pleasing and ef- fective. TRICK 27.-To Furnish Ladies With a Magic Supply of Tea or Coffee, at their selection, From One and the Same Jug. PREPARATION. Havc a metal jug to hold not less than three pints. It must be constructed with two compartments in the lower part of it, holding about a pint and a quarter each, and these must each have a pipe connected with the spout of the jug and another pipe connecting with its handle, and in the handle a small hole about the size of a letter-o-ir this print. These lower com- partments must be filled with good tea and coffee before the jug is produced. The upper chamber or compartment, like the upper portion of a patent coffee-pot, must have no communication with the lower divisions, and must be well closed also at the top with a tin cov- er, closely fitting. Have half a dozen small tea-cups and half a dozen small coffee-cups ready on a tray. Begin the trick by placing openly in the upper compartment coffee-berries and tea, mixing them together. Take up, as a sudden thought, an old blacking bottle, and pretend to pour from it into the jug, to furnish highly-colored liquid to improvo the coffee; and a little gunpowder, about a teaspoonful, may bo fired off over the mixture to make the tea strong. Wavo your wand over the jug. Then you may address the ladies : inform them that the ingre- dients are well mixed, and invite them to name which they will prefer, "tea or coffee," as you can produce either at their com- mand from the same jng. Get some friend to hand the cups, while you follow him, and, by unstopping the holes in the handle for admitting air upon the coffec or tea, the one of them that each lady names will flow out from the spout of this magic jug. TRICK 28.-A Pleasing Exhibition for both the Per- former and the Audience) to view when they feel a little. Exhausted. PREP… | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,82 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 82 | 66 LATEST MAGIC much chance now for the poor king of hearts, left single-handed. He won't hold out long. Yes! Now he is gone too." Performer lifts flower-pot, with fingers inside pressing against pocket, and shows it apparently empty. "And here, in the other flower-pot" (lifts it and shows the four cards lying together on table) "are all four Kings. One more score to black. You didn't see the cards go ? Of course you didn't; because they fly horizontally, like the aeroplanes, and they go SO fast that they get there almost before they have started." SYMPATHETIC CARDS Preparation. Card mat loaded with two cards of different denomination, say the queen of clubs and the knave of diamonds, taken from the pack. Flower-pots on table. Presentation. Force the corresponding cards of same colour (in this case the queen of spades and the knave of hearts), lay the pack aside, and take the drawn cards back face down on the mat, leaving them thus on table till needed. The patter may run as follows: "As I think I have mentioned before, the cards of a pack, from long association, become a sort of family. They have their likes and dislikes, just as human beings have. In particular, there is a curious bond of sympathy between each pair of | |
practicalmagicia00harr.pdf,76 | practicalmagicia00harr.pdf | 76 | 66 THE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN. done so, remove the stopper at bottom of the large bottle as you place it on its stand, and immediately place the large cover over it. The mixed liquid will gradually run out into the concealed cavity in the stand. You must now talk a little magic nonsense, to draw off the at- tention, while you place the special covers over each of the small bottles, so that the descending pipes in the covers fit in the necks of the bottles. Remove the tinfoil with which you had covered the holes at A and B. With a few magic waves of your wand, and words of art, say : "I shall now cause the mixed liquids in the centre bottle to ap- pear severally in their own original bottles." Let the covers re, main a few seconds. Clap your hands. saying: "Change, be- gone !" Lift the centre cover : the large bottle will be seen to be empty. Lift successively the covers from the small bottles : they will be seen to have each their proper wine-one port, the other sherry. TRICK 29.-To Furnish a Treat to the Gentlemen. For this th 3 magic bottle must be procured. One with three or four compartments is amply sufficient. In these placo gin, sherry, and port wine, respectively. The bottle will have three or four holes, on which you place your fingers as if stopping the holes of a flute. You may have a bucket of water and a com- mon bottle, resembling the magic one in size and appearance, near your table. Havo ready also a tray of wine-glasses of thick glass, and holding only a very small quantity. Exhibit the common lottle to the audience, and then place it on your table, and direct attention to somo of the other articles on your table. "Now I must begin my experiment. I will wash and drain my bottle, that you may scc the experiment from the beginning to the end." Place it in the bucket, and while shaking it about, and letting the water run out, exchange it for the magic bottle lying by the bucket. Wipe that carefully with a napkin, as if drying it, and calling two or three of the audi- ence forward at a time, inquire whic… | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,83 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 83 | 67 the same colour, say the king of hearts and the king of diamonds, or the ten of clubs and ten of spades. If they are parted, and they possibly can, they will get together again. "I will try to give you an example with the cards that have been drawn. We will put them for the moment in this pretty flower-pot, which, as you see, is quite empty." (Show by lifting it up, that it is so, and then drop the two cards from the mat into it, the concealed pair going with them.) "They will only require to be assisted by a gentle electric current, which I shall create by waving my wand, SO. "Before we go any further, will the ladies who drew the cards say what they were,-1 don't mind asking you now, because they have passed ont of my control. The queen of spades and the knave of hearts, you say ? A fortunate choice, for the queen of spades and the knave of hearts happen to be particular friends, so I think we may now be sure of success. Now to establish the wireless wave, and I doubt not the queen of clubs and the knave of diamonds will speedily find them. (Make any appropriate gesture with wand.) "Did you notice a little flash, like the striking of a very inferior lucifer match in a gale of wind ? That's when they went. Quick work, isn't it ? The cards were timed by two gentlemen one even- ing, each with his own watch. By the one gentle- man's watch they started at one minute past nine, | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,84 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 84 | 68 LATEST MAGIC and by the other gentleman's watch, they arrived at one minute to nine, SO it is clear that they must have made the journey in two minutes less than no time. But let us make sure that they have arrived." Lift the flower-pot, and show the four cards lying on the table together. "And now, to convince you that there is no deception, will some lady or gentleman kindly look through the pack, and make sure that the queen of clubs and knave of diamonds have really left'it." Which is found to be the case. The trick may of course be worked with any two pairs of cards, the mat being loaded and the cor- responding cards forced accordingly. TELL-TALE FINGERS The discovery, in some more or less mysterious way, of an unknown card is one of the stock feats of the conjurer, and indeed in one shape or another is one of the most hackneyed of card tricks. But the wise magician never discards a good trick sim- ply because it is an old one. He repolishes it, adds a bit here, takes away a bit there, presents it in a new shape and with new patter, and behold! the "chestnut" of yesterday becomes a latest novelty of today. To obtain the maximum effect from a trick of the above kind, it is necessary in the first place to con- vince the spectator that the drawn card cannot pos- | |
practicalmagicia00harr.pdf,78 | practicalmagicia00harr.pdf | 78 | 68 THE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN. an old woman. On the other hand, from a want of the know- ledge of how to proceed, it is very seldom that even a blundering attempt at ventriloquism is heard, except from a public plat- form. There have been many statements put forward defining ven- triloquism, but we are decidedly of opinion that the theory of two of the most celebrated of foreign ventriloquists, Baron de Men- gen and M. St. Gille, who were sufficiently unselfish to avow the secret of their art, is not only the most correct, but it is at once the most reasonable and the most natural. From Baron de Mengen's account of himself, and the observa- tions made by M. de la Chapelle, in his frequent examinations of St. Gille, whom weshall afterwards refer to, it seems that the factitious ventriloquist voice does not (as the etymology of the word imports) proceed from the belly, but is formed in the in- ner parts of the mouth and throat. The art does not depend on a particular structure or organiza- tion of these parts, but may be acquired by almost any one ar- dently desirous of attaining it, and determined to persevere in repeated trials. The judgments we form concerning the situation and distance of bodies, by means of the senses mutually assisting and correct- ing each other, seem to be entirely founded on experience ; and we pass from the sign to the thing signified by it immediately, or at least without any intermediate steps perceptible to our- selves. llence it follows that if a man, though in the same room with another, can by any peculiar modifications of the organs of speech, produce a sound which, in faintness, tone, body, and every othrer sensible quality, perfectly resembles a sound delivered from the roof of an opposite house, the ear will naturally, with- out examination, refer it to that situation and distance ; the sound which he hears being only a sign, which from infancy he has become accustomed, by experience, to associate with the idea of a person speaking from a house-top. A deception of this kind is pract… | |
practicalmagicia00harr.pdf,12 | practicalmagicia00harr.pdf | 12 | 7 V / = , P88 BEST BOOK ON THE "BLACK ART." PARLOR PASTIMES. A NEW BOOK ON MAGIC, CONJURING, LEGERDEMAIN, AND PRESTIDIGITATION. BY THE CELEBRATED PROFESSOR RAYMOND This work is certainly the most exhaustive one on Magic that has ever been issued. It exposes all the secrets of tho Wizard's Art. No trick or illusion of importance is left unnoticed, and tho explanations are made in so simplo a manner that any one of ordinary comprehension can readily understand and perform them. The book thoroughly elucidates all tho mysteries connected with White Magic, Galvanism, Natural Magic, Magnetism, Jugglery, Legerdemain, Sleight-of-Hand, Necromancy, Electricity, Fireworks, Chemistry, Mechanics, Cards, The Black Art, 1 Coins, Prestidigitation. It also contains a grand assortment of RIDDLES, CONUNDRUMS, CHARADES, ENIGMAS, RE- BUSES, TRANSPOSITIONS, ANAGRAMS, PUZZLES, PARADOXES, ACROSTICS, AND PROBLEMS. A stndy of this extremely interesting work would make any one thor- oughly expert in the art of Amusing, whether in private or public. Tho work may be consulted with profit either by the Amateur or Professional Magician. Price Twenty-Five Cents. Sent to any address on receipt of price. Address HURST & CO., 75 NASSAU STREET, New YORK. | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,86 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 86 | 70 LATEST MAGIC lightly, without leaving upon it our sign manual in the shape of a more or less perfect impression of our fingers, imperceptible to ourselves, but quite visible to the expert in such matters. "Practice in distinguishing such points forms a highly interesting study. Of course it must be pursued with a proper amount of tact, or it may get you into trouble, as in the case of a gentleman I once heard of who took up the study with more zeal than discretion. He said to his wife, not lead- ing up to the subject gently, as he should have done, but in a peremptory sort of way, 'Maria, I want your finger-prints.' Unfortunately, Maria was rather a quick-tempered lady, and she had just been having a few words, of a hostile nature, with the cook. She slapped his face, and said, 'Well, now you've got 'em.' He had They were very distinct, but not quite in the shape he wanted. I am going to ask permission to read some of your finger-prints, but, I trust without fear of such painful results. "In the first place, I should like this pack of cards to be thoroughly well shuffled." While this is done, performer palms the three known cards, and when the pack is returned, pro- ceeds to force them on different members of the company. Each of the drawers is requested to allow his or her card to lie for a few moments face down on the palm of the outspread hand. The cards drawn are then returned to the pack, which | |
practicalmagicia00harr.pdf,80 | practicalmagicia00harr.pdf | 80 | 70 THE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN. prised that the French Academy adopted this view of the subject, and laid down that the art consists in an accurate imitation of any given sound (IS it reachis the car. In conformity with a thcory so incontrovertible, physiologists have suggested a varicty of movements of the vocal organs to explain still further the ori- ginating cause; and some have gone so far as to contend for a peculiarity of structure in these organs as an essential require- ment but they have wisely omitted to specify what. Noth- ing, however, can be more accurate than the description of "therssence" of ventriloquy in the "English Cyclopadia --name- ly, that it "consists in creating illusions as to the distance and direc- tion whence a sound has travelled." How those sounds are pro- duced, we shall show in another chapter, VENTRILOQUISM AMONGST THE ANCIENTS. Charles Lamb gave utterance to the thouglit that it was " pleasant to contemplate the head of the Ganges," but tho student of ventriloquism finds it difficult to obtain a view of the source of his art. In the dim and misty ages of antiquity, he may trace under various guises the practice of it. Many of the old superstitions were fostered by its neans ; from the cra- dle of mankind to the birthplace of idolatry, we incidentally learn of the belief in a familiar spirit-a second voice, which afterwards took the form of divination. The various kinds of divination amongst the nations of an- tiquity which were stated by the priesthood to be by a spirit, a familiar spirit, cr a spirit of divination, are now supposed to have been effected by means cf ventriloquism. Divination by a fam- iliar spirit can be tracked through a long period of time. By reference to Leviticus XX. 27 it will be seen that the Mosaic law forbade the Hebrews to consult those having familiar spirits, and to put to death the possessor. The Mosaic law was given about fifteen hundred years before Clirist. Divining by a familiar spirit was, however, so familiar to the Jews, that the prophet Isaiah d… | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,88 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 88 | 72 LATEST MAGIC ror before each new attempt, so as to get a clear impression. The trick as above described can be worked with any pack of cards, but where those used are the performer's own property, he can make it even more effective by marking the three cards to be freed in such a way as to be distinguishable (by himself only) by their backs. The drawers in this case are requested to press their hand against the back of the card, and the cards are spread face down upon the table, the performer apparently not knowing the nature of the card indicated to him until he has turned it up. DIVINATION DOUBLY DIFFICULT This trick, though it merely rests upon a com- bination of methods already familiar to the expert, may as a whole fairly claim to be a complete nov- elty. The mise en scène is SO simple, and the room for deception apparently SO small, that to the uninitiated it seems like a genuine miracle. Unlike most card tricks, it is even better adapted to the stage than to the drawing-room. The effect of the trick, baldly stated, is that the performer divines the nature of nine cards, selected apparently quite haphazard, and then picks out the corresponding cards from another pack, freely shuffled and covered by a handker- chief. | |
practicalmagicia00harr.pdf,82 | practicalmagicia00harr.pdf | 82 | 72 THE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN. usury, and extortion, and was haunted by remorse of conscience. After some conversation on demons and spectres, the pains of pur gatory, &c., during an interval of silence, a voice is heard, like that of the banker's deceased father, complaining of his dreadful situation in purgatory, and calling upon him to rescue him from thence, by putting into the hands of Louis Brabant, then with him, a large sum for the redemption of Christians in slavery with the Turks ; threatening him at the same time with eternal damna- tion if he did not thus expiate his own sins. Upon a second in- terview, in which his ears were saluted with the complaints and groans of his father, and of all his deceased relations, imploring him, for the love of God, and in the name of every saint in the calendar, to have mercy on his own soul and others, Cornu obeyed the heavenly voice, and gave Louis 10,000 crowns, with which hc returned to Paris, and married his mistress. The works of M. L'Abbe La Chapelle, issued 1772, and be- fore alluded to, contain descriptions of the ventriloquial achieve- ments of Baron Mengen at Vienna ; and those of M. St. Gille, near Paris, are equally interesting and astonishing. The former ingeniously constructed a doll with moveable lips, which he could readily control by a movement of the fingers under the dress ; and with this automaton he was accustomed to hold hu- morous and satirical dialogues. He ascribed proficiency in his art to the frequent gratification of a propensity for counterfeiting the cries of the lower animals, and the voices of persons with whom he was brought in contact. So expert, indeed, had prac- tice rendered him in this way, that the sounds uttered by him did not seem to issue from his own mouth. La Chapelle, having heard many surprising circumstances related concerning one M. St. Gille, a grocer at St. Germainen-Laye, near Paris, whose powers as a ventriloquist had given occasion to many singular and divert- ing scenes, formed the resolution of seeing him. Being seat… | |
practicalmagicia00harr.pdf,84 | practicalmagicia00harr.pdf | 84 | 74 THE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN. lic and private, made his company in high request among the up- per circles. The Lord Mayor of the City, in particular, received the ventriloquist with great distinction, and invited him several times to dine at the Mansion House. But it unluckily happened that on every occasion when M. Alexandre dined there, le could not stay to spend the evening, having contracted engagements elsewhiere. The Lord Mayor expressed much regret at this, and the ventriloquist himself was annoyed on the same account, being willing to do his best to entertain the guests whom the Lord May- or had asked each time to meet him. At last, on meeting M. Alexandre one day, the Lord Mayor en- gaged him to dine at the Mansion House on a remote day. 'I fix it purposely, " said his lordship, "at so distant a period, because I wish to make sure this time of your remaining with us through the evening. Through fear of seeming purposely to slight his lordship, M. Alexandre did not dare to tell the Mayor that on that very morning he had accepted an invitation from a noble- ble man of high rank to spend at his house the evening of the identical day so unfortunately pitched on by the civic dignitary. All the ventriloquist said in reply was, "I promise, my lord to remain at the Mansion House, till you, yourself think it time for me to take my leave." Ah, well," said the Lord Mayor, and he went off perfectly satisfied. At the appointed day Alexandre sat himself down at the mag- istrate's board. Never had the ventriloquist comported himself with so much spirit and gaiety. He insisted on devoting bumpers to each and every lady present. The toasts went round, the old port flowed like water, and the artiste in particular seemed in danger of loosing his reason under its potent influence. When others stopped, he stopped not, but continued filling and emptying incessantly. By and-by, his eyes began to stare, his visage became purple, his tongue grew con- fused, his whole body seemed to steam of wine, and finally he sank from his chair … | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,92 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 92 | 76 LATEST MAGIC the twelve cards he has taken from under the hand- kerchief, and shows them fanwise. Addressing the first drawer, he says, "Your three cards are among these, I think, sir?" and the same question is then addressed to the other two choosers, the answer being of course in the affirmative. "'Now, gentlemen, in order to prove that there is no deception, I will take away three cards at a time, one from each set of three. Pray observe that from beginning to end, I have not looked at the face of any card."7 He accordingly removes one of the forced, and two of the indifferent cards, making however some pretence of selection and throws them aside. "There are now only two cards belonging to each gentleman left. That is so, is it not?" The question is addressed to each of the three drawers in turn, and answered accordingly, after which the same process is again twice repeated. "And now, gentlemen, we have three cards left, belonging to neither of you, which is just as it should be. It is a peculiarity of this experiment that if it comes out right it always brings good luck to those taking part in it, SO you may all fairly expect to live happily ever afterwards, and I trust you will." If the performance is given before the family circle, or very intimate friends (who sometimes consider themseles privileged to be disagreeable), it is just possible that some ill-mannered person, | |
practicalmagicia00harr.pdf,86 | practicalmagicia00harr.pdf | 86 | 76 THE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN. voice urged them to make haste, but the feelings of the people may be imagined when the cart was empty and nobody was found, while Alexandre and his friend walked off laughing at the unex- pected results of their trick. It would be obviously invidious to compare the merits of liv- ing professors. Mr. Maccabe, Mr. Gallagher, Mr. Thurton and Mr. Macmillan have long been favorites with the public. -- THE THEORY OF VENTRILOQUISM. Many physiologists aver that ventriloquism is obtained by speaking during the inspiration of air. It is quite possible to ar- ticulate under these circumstances, and the plan may with advan- tage be occasionally adopted; but our own practical experience and close observation of many public performers, and of not a few private friends who have attained distinctness and no smallamount of facility in the art, convince us that-the general current of utterance is, as in ordinary speech, during oxpiration of the breath. Some imagine that the means of procuring the required imitation are comprised in a thorough management of the echoes of sound. Unfortunately, however, for this theory, an ccho only repeats what has been already brought into cxist- ence. Several eminent ventriloquists, including the late Mr. Matthews, have displayed the vocal illusion while walking in the streets. Baron Mengen describes as follows his mode of speaking, when he desired the illusion to take the direction of a voice emanating from the doll : "I press my tongue against the tecth, and then circumscribe a cavity between left check and teeth, in which the voice is produced by the air held 723 receive in the pharynx. The sounds thus reccive a hollow and muffled tonc, which causes them to appear to come from a distance." The Baron furthermore mentions that it is essential to have the breath well under control, and not to respire more than can be avoided. M. St. Gille was scen to look somewhat exhausted when the vo- cal illusion grew less perfect. Wc ourselves, and all ventrilo- quists with whom we … | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,94 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 94 | 78 LATEST MAGIC Mr. Farrelly's idea is decidedly ingenious, but the uses of the biseauté pack are rather limited, and the fact that the pack must be reversed before the card is replaced in it is a drawback. It struck me, on reflection, that the idea might be developed, in a slightly different direction, to greater advan- tage. My own plan is as follows: Two packs, exactly alike are used. As to one of these, I treat all four corners after the manner indicated by Mr. Far- relly, when any card of the second pack, inserted into the one so treated, naturally becomes in effect, a long card. There is in this case no need to reverse the pack, and as the minute projection is duplicated at each end of the diagonal, a less degree of rounding off is necessary. As a practical illustration of the possible uses of such a pack, I offer the trick which I am about to describe. The expert will recognise that, save for the use of the new pack, it is merely a combination of well-known methods, but as regards the mode of presentation it is original, and I think will be found worthy of a place in the répertoire of the card-conjurer. For the purpose of description we will call the pack with rounded corners the "short," and the other the "long" pack. Three known cards are borrowed from the long pack, which may then be put aside, as it plays no further part in the trick. These three cards are palmed, and after the short | |
practicalmagicia00harr.pdf,88 | practicalmagicia00harr.pdf | 88 | 78 THE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN. or contracting the pharynx; by dilating or contracting the mouth ; by contracting the communication between the pharynx and mouth, so as to constitute them distinct chambers, or by dila- ting the opening so as to throw them into one, which is chiefly attained by movements of the soft palate and by altering- the form of the mouth'scavity, which is effected by varying the position of the tongue. Each of these modifications of the vocal tube con- veys a peculiarity of quality to the voice,-all however, being local or laryngeal sounds. Moreover, sounds can be produced in the vocal tube, apart from the larynx. These, strictly speaking, are not vocal sounds, though some of them may be of a definite and uniform pitch, while others are mere noises-as rustling, whisper- ing, gurgling, whistling, snoring, and the like. Now, as every- thing audible comes under the classes of noise, sound, or musical sound, and as each variety originates in the vocal apparatus of man, it is obvious that an ordinary vocal apparatus is all that is required foi the achicvement of the fents of ventriloquism. A person having an ear acutely perceptive to the nice distinc- tions of sounds, may, by a little practice, imitate many sounds with accuracy. Those persons, however, who are highly endow- ed with the mental requisites, which consist of an intense desire to mimic, coupled with the ability to originate mimetic ideas, are able to imitate sounds at first hearing. We next proceed to treat of those illusions, where the voice so perfectly counterfeits the reality intended, that it appears not to issue from the mimic, but from an appropriate source, in what- ever direction, and at whatever distance the source may be. Wo do not hear the distance which a sound has travelled from its source, but we judge the distance from our former experience, by comparing the loudness which we hear with the known distance and known loudness of similar sounds heard on former occasions. Common experience will prove that we oftener err in esti… | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,24 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 24 | 8 LATEST MAGIC fingers in the act of picking up the pot, the interior of the latter may be freely shown after their disap- pearance. The pocket, previously loaded accordingly (though the flower-pot is shown, to all appearance, empty), may also be used for the production of a card or cards. PATTER APPROPRIATE TO THE FAIRY FLOWER-POTS The flower-pots may be introduced as follows: "Permit me to call your attention to one of my latest improvements. Conjurers have a foolish fancy, as I dare say you have noticed, for borrow- ing other people's hats. If a conjurer wants to collect money from the air, he collects it in a hat. If he wants to make an omelette, he cooks it in a hat. If he wants to hatch a few chickens, he does it in a hat. And, for fear of accidents, he never uses his own hat, but always borrows somebody else's. It's very wrong of us. As Sir William Gilbert says, about some other forms of crime, 'It's human nature, P'raps. If so, O! isn't human nature low.' But we all do it. The worst of it is, we get so in the way of borrowing hats that we do it without thinking. You will hardly believe that one even- ing I came away from the theatre with two hats. | |
practicalmagicia00harr.pdf,18 | practicalmagicia00harr.pdf | 18 | 8 THE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN. lence to be obtained by proportionate intelligence and dexterity. There are attainments in the art, at which, by natural qualifica- tion and peculiar adaptation, special study, practice, and expe- rience enable somo few only to arrive. These qualifications cannot be easily communicated to every one who might wish to possess them; and therefore the highest adepts will ever havo an incommunicable distinction. But this is no moro than is the case in the medical, the legal, and any learned profession, in all which the most eminent proficients reserve to themselves, or unavoidably retain, an unquestioned superiority. At tho same time there is much in our art that may be communicated, and the present papers will show to our friends that we are will- ing to impart to others such portions of our art as they are ca- pable of acquiring; and we trust that what wo shall communi- cate to them will furnish them much rational recreation among themselves, and enable them to supply innocent and interesting amusement to their friends and companions. | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,96 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 96 | 80 LATEST MAGIC of the drawn cards in succession, and placing the cards left at bottom on one or other of the three heaps; then solemnly rub your wand, without remark, with a silk handkerchief, and lay it across the tops of the three packets.) "Now, if the electric influence is strong enough, the three chosen cards will gradually sink down to the bottom of these three heaps. A nice easy way of finding them out, is it not ? It will take a minute or two for the charm to operate, so in the meantime I will try to find out the names of the cards for myself by thought-reading. You drew a card, I think, Sir? Will you kindly think of that card, as hard as you can, and meanwhile look straight at me? Thank you. Judging by physiog- nomy, I should say that you were rather a ladies' man. Don't blush, Sir. It's nothing to be ashamed of, is it, ladies ? But he did blush, didn't he? Now, being a ladies' man, you will naturally have chosen one of the ladies of the pack, that is to say one of the queens, and your blush suggests that it was a red queen. Now there are only two red queens to choose from. The queen of hearts rep- resents Love, and the queen of diamonds Money. If I read your thoughts aright I feel safe in declar- ing that you chose the queen of hearts. That is right, I think? Quite simple, when you know how it's done. "And now, Madam, for your card. I can see at a glance that you have a liking for aristocratic | |
practicalmagicia00harr.pdf,90 | practicalmagicia00harr.pdf | 90 | 80 THE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN. with the previous chapter, as to the effect to be produced, not on himself, but on the spectators and audience. And we may assure him, that if he has a fair range of voice, a dilligent observance of the rules which we are about to lay down, coupled with attention to the nature of sound as it falls upon the ear, will lead him to such triumphs as, in all probability, he never imagined he could have attained-ar assurance which we are emboldened to offer from our own pursuit and practical realization of the art. The student must bear in mind that the means are simply natural ones, used in accordance with natural laws. We have given him the acoustical theory of the effect on the auric nerve, and the means are the organs of respiration and sound, with the adjoining muscles. They are the diaphragm, the lungs, the trachea, the larynx, the pharynx, and the mouth. The diaphragm is a very large convex muscle, situated below the lungs, and having full power over respiration. The lungs are the organs of respiration, and are seated at each side of the chest ; they consist of air-tubes minutely ramified in a loose tissue, and terminating in very small sacs, termed air-cells. The trachea is a tube, the continuation of the larynx, commonly called the windpipe : through this the air passes to and from the lungs. Iti formed of cartilaginous rings, by means of which it may be clongated or shortened. The larynx is that portion of the air-tube immediately above the trachea : its position is indicated by a large projection in the throat. In the interior of this part of the throat are situated the vocal chords. They are four bands of clastic substance somewhat similar to India-rubber. The cavity, or opening between these vocal chords is called the glottis : it possesses the power of expanding or contracting under the influence of the muscles of the larynx The pharynx is a cavity above the larynx, communicating with the nasal passages : it is partially visible when the mouth is opened and the tongue lowered. Ne… | |
unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf,8 | unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf | 8 | 8061 '00 3H.L MEN INICHOH 18 NIGNOH - JO DNINSVINNO TH.L | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,98 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 98 | 82 LATEST MAGIC it to a still more striking conclusion. In this case he may continue as follows: "Now, I should like to show you a curious effect of sympathy. I take away these three cards and hand the rest of the pack to the gentleman who drew the queen of hearts. Kindly hold it up above your head where all can see it. The three drawn cards" (show them one by one) "I place in this box. Again I electrify my wand a little, and lay it across the box. Now I want each gentleman or lady to think of his or her card. Think of it kindly, and feel as if you would like to see it again. Think hard, please, because it is you, not I, that perform this experiment, and if you don't think hard it will be a failure. I am pleased to see by the expression of your countenances that you are all thinking hard. Thank you very much. You may leave off now. The deed is done. The three cards have left the box, and gone back to the pack. Please look it through, sir, and tell the company whether it is not so." The reader, being familiar with the wiles of con- jurers, will doubtless have guessed that the three cards supposed to have returned to the pack have in fact never left it, being those naturally belong- ing to it, corresponding with the three long cards. But to the outsider their supposed return will be, in the words of the lamented Lord Dundreary, "one of those things that no fellow can under- stand." | |
practicalmagicia00harr.pdf,92 | practicalmagicia00harr.pdf | 92 | 82 THE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN. was thrown out, and the train moved on. And Mr. Frederic Maccabe stood confessed, but not penitent. Voice No 1. .-To acquire this voice, which we so name for dis- tinction's sake, speak any word or sentence in your own natural tones ; then open the mouth and fix the jaws fast, as though you were trying to hinder any one from opening them farther or shut- ting them ; draw the tongue back. in a ball ; speak the same words, and the sound, instcad of being formed in the mouth will be formed in the pharynx. Great attention must be paid to holding the jaws rigid. The sound will then be found to imi- tate a voice heard from the other side of a door when it is closed, or under a floor, or through a wall. To ventriloquize with this voice, let the operator stand with his back to the au- dience against a door. Give a gentle tap at the door, and call aloud in a natural voice, inquiring "Who is there ?" This will have the effect of drawing the attention of the audience to a person supposed to be outside. Then fix the jaw as de- scribed, and utter in voice No. 1, any words you please, such as "I want to come in.' Ask quostions in the natural voice and answer in the other. When you have done this, open the door a little, and hold a conversation with the imaginary person. As the door is now open, it is obvious that the voice must be altered, for a voice will not sound to the car when a door is open the same as when closed. Therefore the voice must be made to ap- pear face to face, or close to the ventriloquist. To do this the voice must not be altered from the original tiote or pitch, but be made in another part of the mouth. This is done by closing the lips tight and drawing onecorner of the mouth downwards, O) towards the ear. Then let the lips open at that corner only, the other part to remain closed. Next breathe, as it were, the worde out of the orifice formed. Do not speak distinctly, but expcl tho breath in short puffs at each word, and as loud as possible. By so doing you will cousc the illusio… | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,100 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 100 | 84 LATEST MAGIC closely within that its presence or absence is not perceptible to sight. If a coin be laid in the box upon the disc and the box is then closed and turned over, the disc settles down over the coin in the opposite half, either leaving the box apparently b a C FIG. 14 empty or exhibiting in place of the original coin a substitute with which the opposite side of the box has been previously loaded. Thus far, as the reader will doubtless have per- ceived, the effect produced (save that a coin instead of a card is dealt with) is precisely the same as in | |
practicalmagicia00harr.pdf,94 | practicalmagicia00harr.pdf | 94 | 84 THE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN. ANOTHER VOICE : Watercresses ! STUDENT : Really, this is too bad. Go away. VOICE : You owe mc ten cents for last week's milk; I was to wait. STUDENT : This is intolerable. I'll send for the police. VOICE [ironically] ; Send for Sally and p'lice, l'll foller. STUDENT ; Impudent rascal : VOICE ; Keep your compliments at home, Master Idlebones. STUDENT [opening the door]: I'll report you to your master. VOICE [louder, as the door is opened] ; Will you, young Whipper- snapper, pay us the dime, and let us go? STUDENT offers to pay, while the voice gets weaker in the dis- tance with Milk below !" until it becomes inaudible. A conversation may be held in a similar strain with thecellarman : and, as a rule, the lowernotes of the voice will be best for voices in the basement, and formed as low in the chest as possible. STUDENT : Thomas, are you coming? VOICE BELOW [grufty] ; I should think I was. STUDENT ; We are waiting for the beer. VOICE [partly aside]: The longer you wait, the greater our honor. Mary, have another drop. STUDENT ; Why, the scamp is drinking the beer ! Thomas ! Who's there with you? VOICE : Myself. [Aside] Make haste with the pot, Mary ; he's in such a hurry. STUDENT ; You drinking rascal, how dare you ! VOICE : Coming, sir. The barrel's nearly empty. STUDENT : I should think so, tippling: as you are at it. VOICE ; Now don't be saucy. STUDENT : The fellow is getting intoxicated. Thomas ! Vorca ; Wait till I come. I have waited for you many times. STUDENT : I suppose it is of no use hurrying you? VOICE ; No, it isn't, my young tippler. I'm COMING ! coming ! ! coming ! ! ! From this illustration the student may proceed to try the second voice. No. II. Voice No. 2. - -This is the more easy to be acquired. It is the voice by which all ventriloquists make a supposed person speak from a long distance, or from, or through the cciling. In the first place, with your back to the audience, direct their attention to the ceiling by pointing to it or by intently nt it. Call loudly, and ack … | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,102 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 102 | 86 LATEST MAGIC while dealt with as may be necessary for the pur- pose of the trick. After the borrowed coin has been extracted, the further fall of the disc closes the slot, and bars any possibility of the substitute coin escaping in the same way. The following will be found an easy way of working the exchange. "For the purpose of my next experiment,' says the performer, "I shall have to ask the loan of a halfcrown; marked in such a way that you can be sure of knowing it again. I should like one, if possible, that has seen some service, for a coin in the course of circulation imbibes a certain amount of magnetic fluid from each person who handles it ; and this renders a well-worn coin more susceptible to magical influences than a new one." The reason alleged for asking the loan of an old coin is of course "spoof," but there is a reason; and it is twofold. In the first place it ensures your getting a coin tolerably like your own; which you have chosen in accordance with that description, and which you have marked after some common- place fashion, say with a cross scratched upon one of its faces. Secondly, a well-worn coin, having lost the sharp edge which is caused by the milling in a new one, passes the more easily through the slot, which for obvious reasons is kept as narrow as possible. Performer, advancing toward the person offer- ing the coin, continues: | |
practicalmagicia00harr.pdf,96 | practicalmagicia00harr.pdf | 96 | 86 THE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN. VOICE : Hallo ! who's that? STUDENT ; It's I ! Are you nearly finished? VOICE : Only three more slates to put on, master. STUDENT ; I want you here, Jem. VOICE ; I am coming directly. STUDENT : Which way, Jem? VOICE : Over the roof and down the trap. (Voice is supposed to be moving as the student turns and points with his finger.) STUDENT Which way? VOICE (nearcr) Through the trap and down the stairs. STUDENT : How long shall you be? VOICE : Only a few minutes. I am coming as fast as I can. The voice now approaches the door, and is taken up by the same tone, but produced as in the first voice. As another illus- tration, we will introduce the reader to THE INVISIBLE SWEEP.-This is a striking example of the second voice. Let the student pretend to look up the chimney, and rehearse the following or some similar colloquy :- STUDENT : Are you up there? VOICE : Yes. Chimley want sweep? STUDENT : Really, it is extraordinary. What are you doing? VOICE : Looking for birds'-nests. STUDENT : Birds'-nests ! There are none there. VOICE : Dick says there be. STUDENT : Come down ! VOICE : I shan't. STUDENT : (stirring the fire) ; I'll make you show yourself. VOICE : I say, don't ; it's so hot. STUDENT ; Come down, then. VOICE ; Don't be so stupid. Let I alone. STUDENT ; Will you come down? VOICE : Yes, I will. STUDENT : What's your name? VOICE (much nearer) : Sam Lillyvite. I sdy, what do you want mc for among company? STUDENT : To show yourself. VOICE (nearer) : What for? STUDENT : To let these ladies and gentlemen see that there are many strange things between heaven and carth, but not Sam Lillyvite, the sweep. Another good illustration is to hold a conservation with a friend wholives on the first floor, and with whom you can con- verse on any subject-as the retired and mystcrious student-but the moment the student can master the elementary sounds, he will not need our assistance in providing him with dialogues, which, however simple they may be to rend, have an extraordinary effect when properly sp… | |
practicalmagicia00harr.pdf,98 | practicalmagicia00harr.pdf | 98 | 88 THE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN. plane is made as though you were dwelling on the last part of the word hush-dwell upon the sh a little, as tsh, and then clip it short by, causing the tongue to close with the palate, then over again. Letters will not convey the peculiar sound of sawing-it must be studied from nature. A MOUNTAIN ECHO. Some persons imagine ventriloquism to be an echo ; but, as wo have said, an echo only repeats what has been said before-it could not answer a question. An echo is reflected sound, and the reflecting body must be at such a distance that the interval between the perception of the original and reflected sounds may be sufficient to prevent them from being blended together. No reflecting surface will produce a distant echo, unless its distance from the spot where the sound proceeds is at least 562 feet, because the shortest interval sufficient to render sounds distinctly appreçiable by the ear is about onc- tenth of a second ; therefore, if sounds follow at a shorter inter- val, they will form a resonance instead of an echo ; and the time a sound would take to go and return from a reflecting surface, 561 feet distance, would be onc-tenth of a second. It would, therefore, be impossible for a ventriloquist to produce an echo in a room of ordinary size, as the walls, being so near, would cause the sounds to be blended, and would only produce one impression on the car ; and yet the skilled ventriloquist can with case imitate, in a room, a mountain ccho. We will give the instructions, as it is very amusing. Turn your back to the listeners ; whistle loud several short, quick notes, just as if you were whistling for a dog then, as quick as possible, after the last note, and as softly and subdued as possible to be heard, whistle about a third the number of notes, but it must be in the same note 01° pitch ; this will cause the last whistle to appear just like an echo at a great distance. This im- itation, if well donc, never fails to take the listeners by surprise, and causes astonishment. The same thin… | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,106 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 106 | 90 LATEST MAGIC per cent is not bad, is it ? Observe, I use no vio- lence. It's all done by kindness. I just warm the coin a little over this candle-flame. That softens the metal and I am able to squeeze another penny out of this one, so!" Show as two accordingly, by sliding off the hindermost coin in its shell, exhibiting it on both sides, and laying it on the table. "You have all heard of turning an honest penny. Well, this is one way of doing it. It is said, too, that one good turn deserves another, so we'll try again. I warm the first penny a little more, and again I pull another out of it.'' (Draw second double coin from behind the original penny.) "Now we have three, two in my hands" (showing one in each hand) "and one on the table. "I think I heard somebody say that I couldn't make any more I don't like to do it, because the process takes a good deal out of the original penny, and I might spoil it. On the other hand, I don't like to decline a challenge, so here goes! I warm these two again, and then, with a little extra pres- sure, because it naturally becomes more difficult each time, I get yet another penny, as you see. So now, in all, we have four." (Show those in hand as three, by drawing solid coin out of shell, then, picking up double coin from mat, show as four accordingly.) "Did I hear a lady say 'Just one more'? Well, then, one more." (Develop the double coin just picked up, and show as five.) | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,108 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 108 | 92 LATEST MAGIC it." (Make the movement of picking up one of the double coins, and of rubbing it into the coin in left hand, but in reality "vanish" it, in the sup- posed act of picking up, into the pocket of mat.) "And now I pass this other one into it in the same way, and we have only the original penny left. It is like the ten little niggers, isn't it, only that they never came back. Here is your penny, Sir. Please observe that it still has your own mark upon it, which is proof positive that there has been 'no deception.'" N. B. If the performer is a novice, he may simplify the trick by loading the coin mat with one double and one ordinary coin only, or two ordinary coins, limiting the successive productions accordingly. THE MISSING LINK At an early period of my magical career, I devised a trick to which I gave the name of Con- catenution Extraordinarg, and which will be found described in Later Magic, page 94. In effect it consisted of the magical welding of a number of loose iron links into a continuous chain. It was performed by the aid of a Black Art table, a bot- tomless tumbler, and a silk thread. "Though I say it that shouldn't," it was an ingenious trick, and I was very proud of it. Unfortunately, some good natured friend (I rather think it was | |
practicalmagicia00harr.pdf,102 | practicalmagicia00harr.pdf | 102 | 92 THE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN. imitate the barking of a dog and the neighing of a horse. With two or three weeks' practice, you will be able to imitate some of the song birds ; but to produce exact counterfeits of the best sing- ing birds will probably require months of study ; the result, how- ever, will reward you for all your pains, for certainly to be able to carry a mocking bird, canary, thrush, cat-bird and sucking-pig in your vest pocket, is no small accomplishment. When not using the instrument, it should be kept in a glass of water to prevent its drying. | |
unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf,357 | unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf | 357 | 93 Decremps's Signature 75 Droz, Pierre Jacquet-, Por- De Liska 25 trait and Autograph 92 De Philipsthal 110,171,173,174 Droz Writing Automatons, De Philipsthal Poster 104 Specimens of Penmanship De Philipsthal, Programme respectively in 1796 and of Benefit of IIO 1906 84 De Philipsthal Programme Dunkell 197 of 1806 173 Dutchwoman's Decoration Der Moderne Zauberer 239 used to Advertise 214 Desaguliers, Dr 181 Diagram Exposes the Magic Eagle, Barney 149 Clock Trick 160 Eagle's, Barney, Tricks Ex- Diagram of Orange - tree posed on an Anderson Pos- Trick 52 ter 154,155 Diavolo, Antonio 166 Eagle's Book, Frontispiece 153 Dictionary of Arts, Manufac- Eagle's Poster featuring the tures and Mines 9I Obedient Clock Trick 156 Dictionary of National Biog- Eckeberg, John Carlton 181 raphy 54 Eckartshausen, Hofrath Disappearing Handkerchief, von 143, 160, 163, 169 245-254 Egyptian Wine 252 Döbler, 25, 45, 182, 185, 187, Escalopier, M. del 280 188,192 Ethereal Suspension 222,312 Döbler, Ludwig, Rare Por- Evanion, Henry Evans, 20, trait of 187,190 2I, 23, 25, 26, 49, 124,259 Döbler Programmes. 188, 189,191 Evanion, Henry Evans, Por- Dom Pedro 243 trait of 22 Don Carlos, Billing used by 221 Evanion, Letter from Gyn- Don Carlos, Double-sighted gell 124 Dog, Billing 22I Evans, Henry Ridgely, The Double-sighted Dog, Don Old and the New Magic 16 Carlos 219 Exploration de la Rétinue 49 Downs, T. Nelson 265 Exposes the Magic Clock Droz, Henri-Louis Jacquet-, Trick, Diagram 160 Portrait of 94 Exposing Barney Eagle's Droz, Jacquet-. Clipping IOI Tricks on an Anderson Droz, Jacquet-, View of Mech- Poster 154,155 anism of Writing Automa- ton 98 Faber, I 56 1324] | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,110 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 110 | 94 LATEST MAGIC Thirdly, two shorter lengths of similar chain, consisting of thirteen links each, and a loose brass link, corresponding to the one in the centre of the longer chain. The complete chain is to be placed at the outset in the hinder compartment of the mirror glass, which should be of such a size that the chain nearly fills it. Lastly will be needed a bottle containing Eau de Cologne, of which a few drops have been poured on the chain in the glass. The patter may run to something like the fol- lowing effect. "You are doubtless aware, ladies and gentle- men, that electricity is now largely employed in the welding of metals. Of course to produce such a result on a large scale, such as welding guns, enor- mous strength of current is required; amounting in fact to millions of ampères, or volts, or ohms, or watts. I blush to confess I don't know which is which, but it's of no consequence. If I had ever SO many ampères, or the rest of it, I shouldn't know what to do with them. I am only able to manu- facture my electricity on a very small scale, but with the aid of a little magic, I get very good results. "You are also no doubt aware that when certain metals, particularly copper and zinc, are brought into close connection, an electrical current is set up between them. The same thing applies, in a | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,112 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 112 | 96 LATEST MAGIC the same effect, but I use Eau de Cologne because it smells nicer. And now I must ask the loan of some lady's handkerchief, to cover the glass, and concentrate the electric current." Holding the handkerchief in right hand, pick up the glass with left hand, and raise it a few inches from the table. In lowering it, cover it with the handkerchief, and at the same time give it the necessary half-turn. Take out your watch, and make believe to time the operation, remarking, "I find it needs a full half-minute, to allow the charm to work. Time! Let us see how we have suc- ceeded." Take off the handkerchief, and draw the chain slowly out of the glass. "Yes. All is well. I should say welded, and I trust you will say, 'Well done.' The chain is complete, and now consists of twenty-seven links, the lucky number. Perhaps some gentleman will verify the fact. "I must tell you frankly that I don't guarantee the correctness of my explanation. I can't say exactly how much the electricity has to do with it. I only know that if you go to work the right way, which means, do as I do, you gret the result, and there you are. This experiment always provokes a lot of discussion. The other evening one gentle- man said it was done this way. A lady said it was that way, and a sharp boy (the younger they are the more they know) was quite sure it was done another way altogether. But they were all wrong. | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,114 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 114 | 98 LATEST MAGIC the Satanic supper. The following is an applica- tion of the Signor Molini's idea on a scale better adapted to the drawing room. Requisites. (1) Three zinc or zinc-lined tubes, as a, b, c, in Fig. 15, ranging in height from about three inches A B C FIG. 15 upwards, and graduated in size so as to fit easily one within the other. (2) Three balls, one red and two white, of such diameter as to pass easily through the narrowest tube. Two smaller balls, one red and one white, about half an inch in diameter. (3) A box of matches. | |
unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf,353 | unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf | 353 | : | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,16 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 16 | < PAGE MISCELLANEOUS TRICKS 88 Money-Making Made Easy 88 The Missing Link 92 Culture Extraordinary 97 The Bounding Beans 104 Lost and Found 110 The Riddle of the Pyramids 115 The Miracle of Mumbo Jumbo 123 The Story of the Alkahest 130 The Oracle of Memphis 137 The Mystery of Mahomet 146 The Bewildering Blocks 156 An "Od" Force. 162 The Mystery of the Three Seals 170 The Wizard's Pocketbook . 180 CONCERNING PATTER 192 THE USE OF THE WAND 203 A FEW WRINKLES 215 . 222 | |
practicalmagicia00harr.pdf,3 | practicalmagicia00harr.pdf | 3 | A A . COCASA' | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,75 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 75 | A CARD COMEDY 59 myself, it isn't anything particular to look at, but it has an extraordinary talent for finding out things; even secrets that people don't know them- selves. Now you will admit that the name of that card on the table is at present an A1, copperbot- tomed secret. Even the gentleman who chose the card doesn't know what it is; you don't know: in fact nobody knows. Nothing could well be more secret than that. But this tape will find it out. Will you, Sir," (addressing the gentleman who chose the card) "be kind enough to pass this loop over your left little finger. Thank you, and now I want some lady to assist me. Perhaps you will oblige, Madam?" A sufficient length of the tape is unrolled, and the reel placed in the lady's hands. "And now I will ask you to do me the further favor of taking a card from this other pack." (The second queen is forced on the lady.) "Now, Madam, what was the card the gentleman chose? You don't know Oh, yes, you do. The tape has told you. Unless it has betrayed me for the first time in my experience, it will have com- pelled you by an effect of sympathy to draw the very same kind of card as the one freely chosen, as you will remember from the other pack. What card did you draw? The queen of diamonds? (Goes to table, and turns up card on tray.) "The tape was right, you see. The card the gentleman drew is also a queen of diamonds." In default of the card mat, the trick can be | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,77 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 77 | A CARD COMEDY 61 assuming a perplexed air, you say, "I don't know why it is, but I have that peculiar sensation in my left thumb that always means that something has gone wrong. What it is in this case I can't imagine, but I must find out before we go further. As the two chosen cards have passed out of my hands, I may now ask the ladies who drew them to name them. "The queen of hearts and the king of clubs, you say? Ah! that accounts for it. When those two cards come together there is sure to be trouble. The queen of hearts is a bit of a flirt, and the king of hearts is very jealous, particularly of the king of clubs, who is rather a gay dog, though he is old enough to know better. I fancy I hear some sort of commotion going on in the flower-pot." (You look into it.) "Yes, it is just as I feared. The king of hearts has found out that his queen has gone off with the king of clubs, and has followed the queen post-haste. Here he is, you see." (You plunge hand into flower-pot, and take out and exhibit the two drawn cards, and with them one of the two kings of hearts.) "It's too bad, for as a matter of fact the queen of hearts doesn't really care two-pence about the king of clubs. In fact she has even been known to call him a giddy old kipper. "But I can't have my arrangements upset by these little family jars. To teach the king of hearts better manners I shall put him in solitary | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,79 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 79 | A CARD COMEDY 63 always had a sort of affection for this in its oldest and simplest form, viz., the reversible flat box with loose flap falling from the one into the other half at pleasure. I should not recommend the use of it at a school treat, as there would be much risk of some demon small boy proclaiming to all whom it might concern that he "knows how that's done," but before an average mixed audience its use is safe enough. Should one of the spectators happen to be acquainted with the box he will probably smile in a superior way, pluming himself on having a little inside information, though he may be no nearer the complete solution of the trick than the rest of the company. The expert will easily guard himself against even this small risk. For example, he may use a duplicate box, innocent of guile, ostensibly merely to contain the cards he is about to use, and after turning the pack out of it upon the table, switch this (obviously empty) box for the faked box to be used later, or after using the latter he may extract the fake and the superseded card during the jour- ney back to his table, where the box will of course be inspection-proof. Better still, he may make matters absolutely safe by using an improved box, which has been chris- tened the "Fast and Loose'' card-box. This is a recent invention of an Italian wizard named Veroni, of Glasgow (an old soldier of Garibaldi). It is an idealised version of the old flat box, being | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,233 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 233 | A FEW WRINKLES 217 many purposes for which Seccotine is too aggres- sively viscous, while ordinary paste is not adhesive enough. In such cases I can strongly recommend Pastoid, a composition midway between glue and paste. For all purposes for which paste (in small quantity) is ordinarily used, Pastoid may be sub- stituted with advantage. I myself came across it accidentally two or three years ago, "since when," like the gentleman in the soap advertisement, "I have used no other." The maker is Henry Rob- erts, Middlesborough, but it should be obtainable of any up-to-date stationer or fancy dealer. It is supplied in glass jars, at sixpence and a shilling. 3. Where an actual glue, of fine quality, is needed, procure sheet gelatine, to be had of any grocer. Cut into small pieces and melt in an ordinary gluepot using water enough to make the resulting solution about as thick as ordinary gum water. It should be used as near boiling point as possible, and the joined surfaces left to dry under the heaviest pressure available. A joint made with this glue is practically invisible.¹ 4. For dividing up thin stuff (wood or card- board), into rectangular slabs, the handiest tool is the "cutting gauge." This is practically iden- tical with the better known "marking gauge," save 1 For the information contained in this paragraph, as also that re- lating to the use of Veneers I am indebted to Mr. Holt Sehooling, who is an expert in such matters. My own essays in the direction of fancy cabinet-making have for the most part been limited to rough models to be reproduced in finished shape by more practised hands. | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,235 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 235 | A FEW WRINKLES 219 mill-board, without folding or bending, preference should be given to "Bristol" board, sold by artists' colour-men. This is somewhat more expensive but is stiffer and harder and has a better surface than the commoner articles. 9. For joining wood to wood without glue where there is no great thickness to be penetrated, "needle-points," procurable of any ironmonger, will be found useful. These are stout eyeless needles, of very brittle steel, about two inches in length. To use them, bore with a fine bradawl a hole partially through the wood, then drive in the needle-point by gentle tapping with a hammer, and when it has penetrated the desired depth snap off all that remains above the surface. 10. Also useful for many purposes are what are called by drapers "blanket" pins. These are of brass, and a card of such pins in three sizes, rang ing from two to three inches in length and varying proportionately in thickness, may be bought for a penny. Pins a trifle shorter and thinner than the above are known as "laundry" pins. Apart from their normal uses, pins of these kinds are very useful for bending into hooks, or to cut up into short lengths of stiff straight wire for pivots or otherwise. 11. For all effects dependent upon a thread pull use, in place of ordinary thread, plaited silk fish- ing line. This is procurable of any sports' out- fitter or fishing tackle dealer, in twenty and forty | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,237 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 237 | A FEW WRINKLES 221 and shorten it to an exact square, closing the lower end as before. Envelopes of the above kind are procurable in many varieties of paper, and in widths ranging by various fractions of an inch from four inches upwards. 13. To make a line, thick or thin, run freely over a pulley-wheel or through an eyelet, use as a lubri- cant powdered talcum, otherwise known as French chalk. This is equally useful for minimising fric- tion between wooden surfaces, or between wood and metal, say between a pulley-wheel and the pivot on which it turns. Where the slight extra cost is not an obstacle the use of ivory as the mate- rial of a pulley-wheel secures the perfection of easy running. It is, I trust, hardly necessary to say that wher- ever I have mentioned an article to be had by pur- chase, my recommendation is based solely upon practical experience of its merits. I have no inter- est, direct or indirect, in any of the articles men- tioned, and my knowledge of their manufacturers is derived solely from their respective labels. | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,231 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 231 | A FEW WRINKLES 1 EVERY conjurer who has in him, as all conjurers should have, the creative instinct of the artist, and aims therefore at putting something of himself into his work, must of necessity be to some small extent an amateur mechanic. The hints which fol- low are addressed to the reader in that capacity. I have no pretension to teach him how to do things in the way of construction, but merely to make the doing of them easier. Though relating to matters in themselves small, the "tips" which follow may safely be said to come within the scope of Captain Cuttle's celebrated counsel, "when found make a note of." It often happens that the amateur mechanic has to take considerable trouble and pains in procuring some special requirement, while there is already on sale, at small cost, just the thing he wants, if he only knew what to ask for, and where to get it. The paragraphs which follow will, in some at any rate of such cases, supply the needful information. 1 This book having been written primarily with a view to British readers, some of my recommendations will naturally be of no value to my American friends, but I have not thought it necessary to delete them. L. H. 215 | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,39 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 39 | A MAGICAL TRANSPOSITION 23 tion it deserves, and have probably far from exhausted its possibilities, but I offer by way of illustration the trick next following, which it seems to me would be rather effective, particularly as an introduction to some other card trick. We will call it A MAGICAL TRANSPOSITION Prepare two cards, say an eight of hearts and a seven of spades, by blackening all their edges save one of the narrow ends,¹ and backing each with velvet matching the mat. Lay the two cards SO treated face down with the white edge towards yourself on the mat at some little distance apart, or preferably on separate mats. Force corre- sponding cards on two members of the company and deliver an oration to something like the fol- lowing effect: "We hear people talk sometimes about the quickness of the hand deceiving the eye. I sup- pose such a thing must be possible, or nobody would have thought of it, but it seems to me that if it did anything of the kind, either the hand must be extra quick, or the eye extra slow. I know I should be afraid to attempt anything of that sort myself, but if you are a magician of the right sort you have no need to do so, for you can deceive the eye with- 1 Better still, thicken the under edge by the interposition between card and velvet of a slip of white card, as described in The Detective Die, post. | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,93 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 93 | A NEW LONG CARD PACK 77 in the hope of embarrassing the conjurer, may ask at the close to be allowed to examine the envelope containing the drawn cards. Such an examina- tion, if permitted, would of course largely give away the trick. If the performer has any reason to fear such a contingency, he may guard against it by "switching" the envelope, during his return to the table with it, for a duplicate containing an ordinary mixed pack. In some part of this the three cards corresponding to those drawn should be placed together, as the obnoxious person, if him- self one of the drawers, will naturally expect SO to find them. At a public performance such a precaution would be supererogatory. A NEW LONG CARD PACK AND A TRICK DEPENDENT ON ITS USE Some few months ago I was shown by a clever amateur, Mr. Victor Farrelly, a pack of cards pre- pared, after a method of his own, to replace in a more subtle form, the familiar biseauté pack. Mr. Farrelly's plan is to round off, in a very minute degree, three of the corners of an ordinary pack. If a given card be turned round in a pack SO treated, it is obvious that its unfiled corner will project, to a microscopic extent, beyond those above and below it, rendering the card instantly discoverable by touch. | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,95 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 95 | A NEW LONG CARD PACK 79 pack has been shuffled by one of the company, are added to it, and forced upon three different spec- tators. We will suppose that the three selected cards are the queen of hearts, forced on a gentle- man; the king of clubs and the ten of diamonds; the two last mentioned forced on ladies. This done, each of the drawers is invited to replace his or her card in the pack, which is passed from the one to the other for that purpose, and before it is returned to you is once more shuffled. You then deliver a "yarn" to something like the following effect: "Please bear in mind, ladies and gentlemen, exactly what has been done. To begin with, you have seen that the pack was thoroughly well shuffled. Three cards were then freely chosen from it. They have been put back, not by me, but by the persons who drew them, and the pack has since been shuffled again. It is therefore obviously impossible that I should know either what cards have been chosen, or whereabouts they may now be in the pack. But I enjoy impossibili- ties. The more impossible a thing is, the more I want to do it. I will find out these cards or die! Don't be alarmed, I don't mean to die just yet; SO I must do the other thing. It's easy enough, if you know how to do it. "In the first place I cut the pack into three por- tions." (You cut three times, nipping the "long:" corners between second finger and thumb, at each | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,97 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 97 | A NEW LONG CARD PACK 81 society, and you will therefore naturally have chosen a king. But which king? Think hard of your card, please. A picture of a dark-complex- ioned gentleman comes up before my mind's eye, and I feel that I can say with confidence that the card you chose was the king of clubs. Am I right? "And you, Madam. I have an idea that you have a taste for pretty things, particularly jew- ellery. Such being the case, you would naturally choose diamonds. Think of your card, please. Thank you. I see I was right in my guess. The card you chose was the ten of diamonds. "And now to verify my discoveries. If my wand has done its work, those same three cards will now have percolated through the rest, and settled down at the bottom of these three heaps. Let us see whether they have done so." (The three heaps are-turned over.) "Yes, here we have them: the king of clubs, the queen of hearts, and the ten of diamonds. It is a curious thing for the cards to do, and I daresay you would like to know how it is done. As a matter of fact, it is done by synthetic readjustment of dissociated atoms. You don't know what that means, perhaps? Well, to say the truth, I don't quite know myself, but that is the scientific explanation, so no doubt it is correct." The trick may very well end at this point, but if the reader possesses a card-box, or other appar- atus adapted for "vanishing" cards, he may bring | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,81 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 81 | A ROYAL TUG OF WAR 65 their little tempers, just as we have. Some of them are bosom friends; others again hate each other like rival suitors to the same best girl. The four kings are generally pretty friendly, but there is a good deal of emulation between them, par- ticularly between the two red kings on the one hand, and the two black ones on the other. Each pair claims to be the stronger, and they are always pleased to have a chance of putting the matter to the test. "I will give you an illustration of this, by allow- ing them to hold a little tug of war. They have already had six trials, and each side has won three of them. This evening we will let them play a final game, which is to settle the matter. Will you, sir, kindly pick out the four kings for me, and lay them on this little tray. Thank you! (This done, performer lays mat with cards on table.) "I will drop the two red kings into this flower- pot." He takes them from the mat and after showing them drops them into the flower-pot (in reality into the pocket), "and the black ones into this other." (The black kings are allowed to slide directly off the mat, into the flower-pot, the con- cealed pair going with them. "Are your Majes- ties ready? Silence gives consent! Then Go!" He waits a moment or two, and then looks over into the flower-pot with the pocket. "Nothing has happened yet. Yes, there goes the king of dia- monds, pulled over to the other side. There's not | |
unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf,64 | unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf | 64 | A very rare mezzotint of Christopher Pinchbeck, Jr., combining the work of Cunningham, the greatest designer, and William Humphrey, the greatest portrait etcher of his day. From the Harry Houdini Collection. [57] : | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,27 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 27 | ADHESIVE CARDS 11 pressed against the surface SO treated, the two adhere, and for the time become, in effect, one card only, viz., the one whose face is exposed, the other having temporarily disappeared from the pack. This renders possible many striking effects. To take an elementary example, let us suppose that the old-fashioned flat card-box, or some other appliance for magically producing a card, is loaded with, say, a seven of diamonds. The cor- responding card is forced on one of the company, and taken back into the middle of the pack, on the top of the prepared card. The performer does not disturb or tamper with the pack in the smallest degree. He merely squares up the cards, and, pressing them well together, hands them to be shuffled, meanwhile calling attention to the card- box, which is shown apparently empty. He then asks the name of the drawn card, announcing that it will at his command leave the pack and find its way into the box. He now counts off the cards, showing the face of each as he does so, and leaving it exposed upon the table. The seven of diamonds has disap- peared, being in fact hidden behind the prepared card, which we will suppose to be in this instance the queen of clubs. Leaving the cards outspread upon the table, the performer opens the card-box, and shows that the missing card has somehow found its way into it. In the hands of a novice, the trick might end at | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,181 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 181 | AN "od" FORCE 165 The opposite end of the thread, which will be somewhere about thirty inches in length (this again being a point to be determined by experiment), is passed through the curled end of a good-sized safety pin. This, for use in the trick, is attached to the inside of the performer's vest, just within the lowest part of the opening. To the free-end of the thread, after passing through the loop of the pin, is attached a disc of copper or zinc, three- quarters of an inch in diameter, against which, on one side, is pressed and flattened out a pellet of conjurer's wax, in good adhesive condition. If the length of the thread has been duly regulated, the little disc will rest normally just within the vest, but can be drawn out the extent of a couple of feet or so, returning swiftly to its hiding place the moment it is released. (3) A glass ball-professedly crystal. (4) An ordinary match-box, empty. Instructions for the working of the trick will be most conveniently given step by step with the patter, which may run as follows: "In the early days of Queen Victoria's reign, when the oldest of us here present were good little boys or girls, and the rest were not born or thought of, there lived a celebrated scientific gentleman, called the Baron von Reichenbach. I am sorry to say he was a German, but he couldn't help it. As his father and mother were Germans, he had to be one too. It shows how careful children ought to be | |
practicalmagicia00harr.pdf,114 | practicalmagicia00harr.pdf | 114 | AR 2 - | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,63 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 63 | ARITHMETIC BY MAGIC 47 them to rise up and paw the air. It all depends on the strength of the will. I myself happen to have a very strong will, in fact, I don't know anyone who has a stronger will, except my wife. I exert my will, and say, "first card, rise! and up it comes, as you see." Stepping well back from the spectators, SO that they cannot distinguish from what part of the pack the card comes, he works up the hindmost card by the familiar "hand" method. ("Modern Magic," p. 129.) "Here we have one of the two cards. Let us see what it is. The five of diamonds! Good! And now for the other. Second card; rise! Up comes another card, you see, the deuce of diamonds. Those are the cards which were drawn, are they not ? "Now the question arises, "what shall we do with 21 It is a pity the ladies didn't choose bigger cards. You can't'go nap' 1 on a deuce and a five, can you ? I think I can't do better than use them to show you a little experiment in conjurer's arith- metic. Will some young mathematician among the audience kindly tell us what two and five, added together, make?" (He waits for reply, but if none, pretends to hear one.) "Seven! Right first time. And if you take two from five how many remain? Three Good again. Really 1 To endeavor to take all five tricks in the game of Napoleon. | |
unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf,364 | unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf | 364 | Anderson Poster Featuring Card Trick Used in 836-37 142 Anderson Poster Used in 1838 147 Anderson Poster Used in London, 1848 313 Anderson's Billing of 1838 Featuring "Napoleon's Trick 150 Anderson's Book Cover Design 148 Anderson's Inexhaustible Bottle Trick 186 Anderson's, J. H., Birthplace 145 Anderson's Opening Programme, 1848 309 Anderson's Poster, Exposing Barney' Eagle's Tricks 154,155 Astley, Philip, Esq 19 Bamberg, David Leendert 140 " Barney," alias The Impostor Wizard, Window Poster Issued by Anderson I 55 Barnum, P. T 88 Basch, Ernst 139 Bertram, Charles (James Bassett) 20 Blitz, Signor Antonio 18 Bologna Bill Used in 1812 170 Bologna Poster Used in 1820 118 Bosco, Bartolomeo, in His Prime 301 Bosco, Eugene 315 Bosco, Grave of 306 Bosco, Madame, the only Photograph of 3°5 Bottle Trick, Inexhaustible 186 Brahmin, The Suspension 229 Breslaw's Frontispiece on Book on Magic, "The Last Legacy," I44 (i] | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,35 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 35 | BLACK ART MATS 19 a quarter of an inch or so by means of a stiffening along its inner edge. By having the millboard foundation cut in half before it is covered, the mat may be made to fold like a chessboard for greater portability. FIG. 9 If some small article, say a coin or ring, is laid on mat just behind the mouth of the pocket, it may be made to disappear therein, being in fact swept into the pocket in the act of apparently picking it up. In the case of a coin, the pocket may by a slight alteration of procedure be used to effect a "change"; a substitute, palmed beforehand, being exhibited in place of the one professedly picked up from the mat. It is desirable when placing the mat upon the table for use to see that the mouth of the pocket is duly open and has not been, by any accident, pressed flat, and SO closed. | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,37 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 37 | BLACK ART MATS 21 the case of the trick entitled Lost and Found, post. Another little device which will be found useful in connection with the black art mat is a cardboard disc covered as above, to one side of which a coin, say a half-crown or half-dollar, is cemented as in Fig. 10 Fig. 10. Such a patch, laid on the mat, coin side down, will attract no notice, but the mere act of turning it over will at any given moment produce the coin. The "change" of a coin may be expected very neatly by the aid of this device. Suppose, for example, that the performer desires to retain, unknown to the spectators, possession of a marked coin just handed to him. He lays it, to all appear- ance, in full view upon the table, but as a matter of fact merely turns over a patch, loaded as above, already on the table, the borrowed coin remaining in his hand. The velvet patch may also be utilised in another | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,62 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 62 | CARD TRICKS ARITHMETIC BY MAGIC Preparation. The two "flower-pots" (see page 5), separated, are placed upon the table. Also the card mat (see page 1), loaded with the ten of any given suit, say diamonds, taken from the pack per- former is about to use, and a double-faced card, representing on the one side the seven, and on the other the three of the same suit. The deuce and five of same suit to be laid on the top of the pack. Performer, advancing pack in hand, palms off the two top cards, and offers the rest to be shuffled. This done, he forces these two cards on different persons. On receiving back one of them, he brings it to the top; executes a false shuffle leaving it in the same position ; brings it again to the middle by the pass, and has the second card replaced upon it; then, once again making the pass, brings both together to the top. (The use of the Charlier pass is here recom- mended.) The patter may be to something like the follow- ing effect: "Two cards have been chosen, ladies and gentlemen. I can't say what they are, but I can very easily find out. I shall simply order 46 | |
unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf,68 | unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf | 68 | CHAPTER II THE ORANGE-TREE TRICK R OBERT-HOUDIN, on page I79 of the American edition of his "Memoirs," thus describes the orange-tree trick, which he claims as his inven- tion: "The next was a mysterious orange-tree, on which flowers and fruit burst into life at the request of the ladies. As the finale, a handkerchief I borrowed was conveyed into an orange purposely left on the tree. This opened and displayed the handkerchief, which two butterflies took by the corners and unfolded before the spectators." On page 245 of the same volume he presents the programme given at the first public performance in the Théâtre Robert-Houdin, stating: "The performance will be composed of entirely novel Experiments invented by M. Robert-Houdin. Among them being The Orange-Tree, etc." Now to retrace our steps in the history of magic as set forth in handbills and advertisements of earlier and con- temporaneous newspaper clippings describing their in- ventions. Under the title of "The Apple-Tree" this mechanical trick appeared on a Fawkes programme dated 1730. This was 115 years before Robert-Houdin claimed it as his invention. In 1732, just before Pinchbeck's death, it [ 51 ] | |
unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf,58 | unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf | 58 | CHAPTER II THE ORANGE-TREE TRICK R OBERT-HOUDIN, on page I79 of the American edition of his "Memoirs," thus describes the orange-tree trick, which he claims as his inven- tion: "The next was a mysterious orange-tree, on which flowers and fruit burst into life at the request of the ladies. As the finale, a handkerchief I borrowed was conveyed into an orange purposely left on the tree. This opened and displayed the handkerchief, which two butterflies took by the corners and unfolded before the spectators." On page 245 of the same volume he presents the programme given at the first public performance in the Théâtre Robert-Houdin, stating: "The performance will be composed of entirely novel Experiments invented by M. Robert-Houdin. Among them being The Orange-Tree, etc." Now to retrace our steps in the history of magic as set forth in handbills and advertisements of earlier and con- temporaneous newspaper clippings describing their in- ventions. Under the title of "The Apple-Tree" this mechanical trick appeared on a Fawkes programme dated I730. This was II5 years before Robert-Houdin claimed it as his invention. In I732, just before Pinchbeck's death, it [ 51 ] | |
unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf,100 | unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf | 100 | CHAPTER III THE WRITING AND DRAWING FIGURE I N his "Memoirs" Robert-Houdin eulogizes the vari- ous automata which he claims to have invented. The picturesque fashion in which he describes the tre- mendous effort put forth ere success crowned his la- , bors would render his arguments most convincing-if stern historical facts did not contradict his every statement. One of the most extraordinary mechanical figures which he exploits as his invention was the writing and drawing figure, which he exhibited at the Quinquennial Exhibition in 1844, but never used in his public perform- ances, though he asserts that he planned to exhibit it between performances at his own theatre. This au- tomaton, he says, laid the foundation of his financial success and opened the way to realizing his dream of appearing as a magician. On page 196 of his "Memoirs," American edition, he starts his romantic description of its conception and manufacture. According to this he had just planned what promised to be the most brilliant of his mechanical in- ventions when financial difficulties intervened. He was obliged to raise two thousand francs to meet a pressing debt. He applied to the ever-convenient Monsieur G-- who had bought automata from him before. He described the writing and drawing figure minutely to his patron, [83] | |
unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf,133 | unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf | 133 | CHAPTER IV THE PASTRY COOK OF THE PALAIS ROYAL ONCERNING this trick, which Robert-Houdin claims as his invention, he writes on page 79 of his "Memoirs," American edition "The first was a small pastry cook, issuing from his shop door at the word of command, and bringing, according to the spectator's request, patties and refreshments of every description. At the side of the shop, assistant pastry cooks might be seen rolling paste and putting it in the oven." By means of handbills, programmes, and newspaper notices of magical and mechanical performances, this trick in various guises can be traced back as far as I796. Nine reputable magicians offered it as part of their reper- toire, and at times two men presented it simultaneously, showing that more than one such automaton existed. The dates of the most notable programmes or handbills selected from my collection are as follows: I, Haddock, 1797. 2, Garnerin, 1815. 3, Gyngell, 1816 and 1823. 4, Bologna, 1820. 5, Henry, 1822. 6, Schmidt, 1827. 7, Rovere, 1828. 8, Charles, 1829. 9, Phillippe, 1841. In 1827 Schmidt and Gyngell joined forces, yet both before and after this date each performer had the wonder- ful little piece of mechanism on his programme. In 1841, [ 116 | |
unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf,274 | unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf | 274 | CHAPTER IX THE DISAPPEARING HANDKERCHIEF S UPREME egotism and utter disregard for the truth may be traced in all of Robert-Houdin's writings, but they reached a veritable climax when he indited chapter XVI. of his "Memoirs." During the course of this chapter he described the so-called invention and first production of the disappearing-handkerchief trick. According to the American edition of his "Memoirs," page 3°3, he received a command to appear before Louis Philippe and his family at St. Cloud in November, 1846. During the six days intervening between the official in- vitation and his appearance before the royal family, he arranged a trick from which, he states, he had every reason to expect excellent results. On page 305 he goes even further in his claims and announces: "All my tricks were favorably received, and the one I had invented for the occasion gained me unbounded applause." He then gives the following description of the trick and its performance: "I borrowed from my noble spectators several handker- chiefs, which I made into a parcel, and laid on the table. Then, at my request, different persons wrote on the cards the names of places whither they desired their handker- chiefs to be invisibly transported. "When this had been done, I begged the King to take [ 245 ] | |
unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf,158 | unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf | 158 | CHAPTER V THE OBEDIENT CARDS - THE CABALISTIC CLOCK - THE TRAPEZE AUTOMATON The Obedient Cards. T O trace here the history of three very com- mon tricks claimed by Robert-Houdin as his own inventions would be sheer waste of time, if the exposure did not prove beyond doubt that in announcing the various tricks of his répertoire as the output of his own brain he was not only flagrant and unscrupulous, but he did not even give his readers credit for enough intelligence to recognize tricks performed re- peatedly by his predecessors whom they had seen. Not satisfied with purloining tricks so important that one or two would have been sufficient to establish the reputation of any conjurer or inventor, he must needs lay claim to having invented tricks long the property of mountebanks as well as reputable magicians. The tricks referred to are the obedient card, the cabalistic clock, and the automaton known as Diavolo Antonio or Le Voltigeur au Trapèze. The obedient-card trick, mentioned on page 245 of the American edition of his "Memoirs," as "a novel ex- periment invented by M. Robert-Houdin," can be found on the programme of every magician who ever laid claim to dexterity of hand. Whether they accomplished the effect [ I4I ] | |
unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf,203 | unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf | 203 | CHAPTER VI THE INEXHAUSTIBLE BOTTLE W HILE Robert-Houdin claims to have invented "The Inexhaustible Bottle" for a special programme designed to create a sensation at the opening of his season of 1848, in the illustrated appendix of the original French edi- tion of his "Memoirs" he states that it had its premier presentation December ist, 1847. These discrepancies occur with such frequency that it is difficult to refute his claims in chronological order. Perhaps he adopted this method intentionally, to confuse future historians of magic, particularly concerning his own achievements. In order to emphasize the brilliancy of this trick, Robert-Houdin turned boastful in describing it. On page 348 of the American edition of his "Memoirs," he states that the trick had created such a sensation and was so much exploited in the London newspapers that the fame of his inexhaustible bottle spread to the provinces, and on his appearance in Manchester with the bottle in his hand the workmen who made up the audience nearly mobbed him. In fact, the description of this scene is the most dramatic pen-picture in his "Memoirs." The truth, sad to state, is that the bottle trick did not create the sensation he claims for it in London, nor did the press eulogize it. It was classed with other ordinary [176.] | |
unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf,227 | unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf | 227 | CHAPTER VII SECOND SIGHT E VIDENTLY second sight was the foundation- stone of Robert-Houdin's success. Reading be- tween the lines of his autobiography, one finds that this was the trick which carried him into the salons of fashion and royalty. Before he introduced second sight into his répertoire, his tricks were so com- monplace that they did not arouse the interest of the court circle, whose approval furnished the seal of success. This trick of second sight he claims body and soul, as the favorite child of his brain. He even goes as far as to relate a story to prove that the trick came to him in the form of an inspiration. I quote directly from the American edition of his "Memoirs," page 255: "My two children were playing one day in the drawing- room at a game they had invented for their own amuse- ment; the younger had bandaged his elder brother's eyes and made him guess the objects that he touched, and when the latter happened to guess right they changed places. This simple game suggested to me the most complicated idea that ever crossed my mind. Pursued by the notion, I ran and shut myself in my workshop, and was fortunately in that happy state when the mind follows easily the combinations traced by fancy. I rested my head in my hands, and in my excitement laid down the first principles of second sight." [200] | |
unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf,249 | unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf | 249 | CHAPTER VIII THE SUSPENSION TRICK I' N chapters XVI. and XVII. of the American edition of his "Memoirs," Robert-Houdin states that he closed his theatre during the months of July, August, and September, 1847, and devoted his time to producing new tricks for the coming season. He chron- icles as the result of these labors the following additions to his répertoire: "The Crystal Box," "The Fantastic Portfolio," "The Trapeze Tumbler, "The Garde Fran- çaise," "The Origin of Flowers," "The Crystal Balls," "The Inexhaustible Bottle," "The Ethereal Suspension," etc. Had these inventions really been original with the man who claimed them as the result of his own brain-work and handicraft, three years would not have sufficed to bring them to the perfection in which they were presented at that time. It is not always the actual work that makes a trick a success, nor the material from which it is con- structed, but it takes time to plan a new trick; and then after you have worked out the idea, it takes more time to make it practical. The same piece of apparatus may have to be made dozens of times, in as many shapes, before it is presentable. Therefore, when Robert-Houdin claims to have invented and built with his own hands the tricks mentioned in the list given above, it is time to prove the improbability and falsity of his statements. [222] | |
unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf,293 | unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf | 293 | CHAPTER X ROBERT-HOUDIN'S IGNORANCE OF MAGIC AS BETRAYED BY HIS OWN PEN TATEMENTS in Robert-Houdin's various works S on the conjurer's art corroborate my claim that he was not a master-magician, but a clever purloiner X and adapter of the tricks invented and used by his predecessors and contemporaries. Whenever, in these books, he attempts to explain or expose a trick which was not part of his répertoire, he betrays an ignorance which would be impossible in a conjurer versed in the finer and nore subtle branches of his art. Neither do these expla- nations show that he was clever enough as a mechanic to have invented the apparatus which he claimed as his handiwork. He states that practice and still more prac- tice are essential, yet no intelligent performer, amateur or professional, can study my collection of Robert-Houdin programmes, handbills, and press notices without realiz- ing that his répertoire contained little or no trace of what should be the foundation of successful conjuring, sleight- of-hand. Changing his fingers over the various air-holes of the inexhaustible bottle was as near as he ever came to sleight-of-hand, even when he was in the height of his success. According to the press notices he had a pleasing stage presence, and also dressed and set forth his tricks richly, but it must be borne in mind that then, as often to-day, [ 264 ] | |
unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf,324 | unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf | 324 | CHAPTER XI THE NARROWNESS OF ROBERT-HOUDIN'S "MEMOIRS" T HE charm of true memoirs lies far beyond the printed pages, in the depth and breadth of the writer's soul. The greatest of all autobi- ographies are those which detail not only the lives of the men who penned them, but which abound in diverting anecdotes and character studies of the men and women among whom the writer moved. They are not autobiographies alone, but vivid, broad-minded pen- Pictures of the period in which the writer was a vigorous, respect-compelling figure. Memoirs written with a view to settling old scores seldom live to accomplish their ends. I he narrowness and pettiness of the writer, which intelli- gent reading of history is bound to disclose, destroy all Other charms which the book may possess. At personal exploitation Robert-Houdin is a brilliant Success. As a writer of memoirs he is a wretched failure. Whenever he writes of himself, his pen seems fairly to scintillate. Whenever he refers to other magicians of his times, his pen lags and drops on the pages blots which can emanate only from a narrow, petty, jeal- ous nature. Even when he writes of his own family, this peculiar trait of petty egotism may be read between the lines. He mentions the name of his son Émile, apparently because [ 295 ] i |
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