Page 59 - 2008 DT 12 issues

In This Issue !

Featured Article
Magic and Mystery.........................1

Special
The Last Time I Saw Max..............7

Departments
News & Notes.................................2
August 2008 Programs & Hikes...........................5
Desk Schedule...............................8
Bulletin Board..............................10

Magic and Mystery in predicting the choices a member of indeed, magic societies have offered
the audience will make, openly admits prizes to the first magician who per-
by Dan Wray
that he literally talks the subject into forms the trick in open circumstances
ystery and magic have fas- the choices by inserting certain key- and without mechanical aids.
cinated people throughout words into the general conversation Clockmakers would seem unlikely
Mthe ages. A cartouche was with that person. candidates for top rank magicians, but
found in Egypt which dates back cen- One trick which everyone will Frenchman Robert-Houdin was such
turies before the birth of Christ to the have heard of is the Indian Rope trick. a person. Clockmakers turned their
time of Cheops. The cartouche shows skill to constructing most elaborate
two persons playing the cups and ball pieces of mechanical illusions. Robert-
game. Most people will have come Houdin made a mechanical trapeze
across this game which has been used artist which performed numerous
by magicians to amuse and, by the less tricks and then detached itself from
scrupulous, to separate the gullible the bar and fell into the waiting hands
from their hard earned cash. It involves of its creator. King Louis-Philippe of
three cups and a ball. The ball is placed France heard of this and invited him to
under one of the cups and the specta- perform at one of the court functions.
tor is asked to indicate the cup which Robert-Houdin borrowed six hand-
contains the ball. Needless to say the kerchiefs from guests and put them
spectator is always wrong. The magi- in an envelope which he covered with
cian is always in complete control. an opaque glass dome. On his remov-
There are many types of magic and ing the dome, the handkerchiefs had
this one falls into the category of pres- vanished and in their place was a dove
tidigitation, literally “quick fingers” or with a key tied to a ribbon around its
“sleight of hand.” The purists say that neck. The guests were asked to write
this is real magic, as it depends entirely on cards where they would like to see
upon the dexterity of the performer and the handkerchiefs reappear, and it was
is unaided by props. Certainly the ex- eventually determined that they should
ponents of it spend hours honing their Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin do so in the container of an orange tree
skills. One magician, an acquaintance which was at the end of a row of trees
of mine who specializes in coin magic, Stories abound of persons seeing this in full view of the guests. A servant
has an annoying habit of rolling a coin trick performed. The magician throws was sent to retrieve the handkerchiefs,
round and round his fingers while he a rope into the air. It immediately be- but found a locked rusty box. The
is talking with friends. comes solid and his assistant climbs up key hanging from the dove’s neck
Mental acts sometimes depend on it and promptly disappears. Although
codes, others on suggestion. One of many magicians have tried to replicate
today’s top magicians who specializes this, not one has been successful and, Magic, continued on page 8