The Practical Magician and Ventriloquist's Guide E-Book

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• Herausgeber: Aa. Vv
• Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2016

Beschreibung

My object in writing these hints on Conjuring is for the benefit of amateurs to promote lively and entertaining amusement for the home circle and social gatherings.
My large experience enables me to explain and simplify many of the best tricks and illusions of the art. I present the key to many of the mystical mysteries which have puzzled and bewildered our childhood days as well as confounded us in our maturer years.
The young student can in a very short time, if he be in the least of an ingenious turn, amuse and astonish his friends, neighbors and acquaintances.

Leseprobe

Aa. Vv.

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Table of contents

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTORY.

CHAPTER II.OF PALMISTRY AND PASSES.

CHAPTER III.TRICKS WITH AND WITHOUT COLLUSION.

CHAPTER IV.PRACTICE.

CHAPTER V.TRICKS BY MAGNETISM, CHEMISTRY, GALVANISM, OR ELECTRICITY.

CHAPTER VI.ON THE CONTINUITY OF TRICKS.

CHAPTER VII.FRIENDLY SUGGESTIONS.

VENTRILOQUISM MADE EASY.

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTORY.

My object in writing these hints on Conjuring is for the benefit of amateurs to promote lively and entertaining amusement for the home circle and social gatherings.My large experience enables me to explain and simplify many of the best tricks and illusions of the art. I present the key to many of the mystical mysteries which have puzzled and bewildered our childhood days as well as confounded us in our maturer years.The young student can in a very short time, if he be in the least of an ingenious turn, amuse and astonish his friends, neighbors and acquaintances.Preference has been given to those tricks which suggest others, the more complete and difficult performances and illusions have been passed by as being out of place; I 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 advantage by consummate skill and the most adroit manipulation—but confine my remarks at present to those 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 require for their display such articles as are readily available in every household. Most of them will be supplied by any company 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 inexpensive articles to be supplied from repositories for the sale of conjuring 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 done by supernatural agencies. No faith is now reposed in the “black art of sorcery,” or even in the art to which the less repulsive name was given of “white magic.” Many years have elapsed since 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 of conjurors and those of modern times. The former, who used boldly to profess that they employed mysterious rites and preternatural agency, designedly put the spectator upon false interpretations, while they studiously avoided giving any elucidation of the phenomena, nor would ever admit that the wonders displayed were to be accounted for by the principles of science and natural philosophy.Modern conjurors advance no such pretensions. They use as scientifically as possible the natural properties of matter to aid in their exhibition of wonderful results. They are content to let the exhibition of their art appear marvelous. They sometimes mystify the matter, and so increase the puzzle, in order to heighten the interest and amusement of the spectators; but they throw aside any solemn asseveration of possessing hidden powers, or of ability to fathom mysterious secrets.It may be admitted that proficients and exhibitors still adopt language that has become current with conjurors, and in common parlance it may be asserted that the wonderful Mr. So-and-So undertakes to pass some solid object through a wall or a table; to change black into white, and white into black; to place rings in closely-fastened boxes, or draw money out of people’s ears; and conjurors may with ridiculous humor distract the attention of spectators, so that accurate observation is not fixed upon the object that is to undergo before their eyes some singular transformation; but no outrageous bombast or positive falsehoods are commonly advanced. And the practical meaning of any exaggerated pretension is clearly understood to mean no more than that Mr. So-and-So undertakes to present before you what, TO ALL APPEARANCE, is the conversion of black into white, or vice versa; and the audience are clearly aware that no more is assumed to be presented to them than a very striking illusion, undistinguishable from a reality; and how this is effected will be in many cases wholly untraceable, and therefore the trick is inimitable.We may be permitted to feel some pleasure in the conviction that the exhibition of our art in its more striking exploits is really marvelous, and very attractive; for we certainly have the power of placing some astonishing phenomena before our audience; and we may surely prize the estimation with which the uninitiated are disposed to honor us, but we erect no vain-glorious assumptions upon these data, as we are quite contented with fair praise intelligently accorded to us. And so far from closely concealing the principles and arcana of our science, we are ready plainly to avow that it all depends upon faculties that all may attain by patient culture, and exhibit by careful practice. Undoubtedly there are less and greater degrees of excellence to be obtained by proportionate intelligence and dexterity. There are attainments in the art, at which, by natural qualification and peculiar adaptation, special study, practice, and experience enable some 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 have an incommunicable distinction. But this is no more 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 the same time there is much in our art that may be communicated, and the present papers will show to our friends that we are willing to impart to others such portions of our art as they are capable of acquiring; and we trust that what we shall communicate to them will furnish them much rational recreation among themselves, and enable them to supply innocent and interesting amusement to their friends and companions.

CHAPTER II.OF PALMISTRY AND PASSES.

The true nature and limit of the art of Conjuring has now been defined—what it is that we assume to do, and wherein we have discontinued the exaggerated pretensions of the conjurors of the old school; and I have hinted in what respects, and within what bounds, a young amateur may gim at exhibiting some amusing experiments in our art. But it remains for me to explain the grand pre-requisite for a novice to cultivate before he should attempt to exhibit before others even the simplest tricks of prestidigitation or legerdemain, to which we at present confine our attention.I have first to speak of Palmistry, not in the sense that the fortune-teller uses the word, but as expressing the art of the conjuror in secreting articles in the PALM of one hand while he appears to transfer those articles to his other hand. It is absolutely necessary that the young amateur should acquire the habit of doing this so adroitly as to escape the observation of others while doing it openly before their eyes.The two principal passes are the following:FIRST PASS; or, method of apparently carrying an object from the right hand to the left, while actually retaining it in the right hand.The reader will please to observe that the illustrative sketches depict the hands of the performer as seen by himself.FIRST POSITION OF PASS 1.The right hand, having the knuckles and back of the fingers turned toward the spectators, and holding openly a cent, or some similar object, between the thumb and forefinger, must be moved toward the left hand.The left hand must be held out, with the back of the hand toward the ground, as exhibited in the illustration. (Fig. 1.)Fig. 1.First Position of Pass 1.SECOND POSITION OF PASS 1.The left hand must appear to close over the object that is brought toward it, at the same instant that the right hand secretes and withdraws that object.The left hand that appeared to receive it must continue closed. The right hand, though it actually retains the object, must be allowed to hang loosely over it, so that it appears to have nothing in it.Fig. 2.Second Position of Pass 1.The performer then may blow upon the closed left hand, and may say, “Fly,” or “Begone,” or any similar expression, and then open his left hand, holding it forward. Of course there is nothing in it, and the object seems to have flown from it, and the spectators are much surprised.SECOND PASS.—Method of apparently transferring an object from the left hand to the right, while retaining it in the left hand.FIRST POSITION.Let the left hand hold up the object in its open palm. The right hand is brought toward the left hand, but only appears to grasp it.Fig. 3.First Position of Pass 2.SECOND POSITION.The left hand secretes the object in its palm, while the fingers are allowed to fall loosely down, appearing to retain nothing under them. At the very same moment the right hand must be closed, and remain in shape as if containing the object, with the second joints of the fingers pointed toward the spectators, and the back of the hand toward the ground. The performer then holding his right hand forward, may blow on it and say “Change—fly,” and opening that hand, the spectator deems the object has passed away from it, though in fact it has remained all along in the left hand.Fig. 4.Second Position of Pass 2.The illusion in either of these passes is, that the spectator seeing both hands move as if the object were passing from one to the other, thinks it has done so; whereas, in fact, the object always remains in the hand where it was first visible to the spectators. The BACK of that hand where the object is first displayed must afterwards be kept well toward the spectators.Observe, the eye of the performer must rest always on the hand or object at which he desires the spectators to look, and whatever he wishes them not to notice, he himself must refrain from looking at.If it is not required that the very object that has been held up in these passes be seen again by the spectators, the performer must quietly pocket it, or drop it on a handkerchief on his table, or inside a hat, or otherwise get rid of it as soon as he conveniently can.On the contrary, if that very object must be again produced or transferred to a person standing at some little distance, this must be effected by one of the following methods:Either you must take care beforehand to place adroitly in that person’s cap or pocket a double or similar object.Or, you must walk up to him, and putting your hand on his hair, sleeve, or pocket, quickly place there the object you have all along retained, and which you must pretend by this manœuvre to find in his possession.Or, lastly, you will see in the first trick subjoined, a method of substituting one object for another.FIRST TRICK.—To command a dime to pass into the centre of a ball of Berlin wool, so that it will not be discovered till the ball is unwound to the very last of its threads.REQUISITE PREPARATIONS, TO BE MADE PRIVATELY.You will require a glass bowl or quart basin, and you must have a flattened tube of tin about four inches long. It must be just large enough to let a dime slide easily through it by its own weight. Round the end on this tube wind a ball of Berlin wool of bright color, covering about two inches of the tube, and projecting about an inch beyond the end of it. Place this ball with the tube in it in your right-hand pocket of coat tail, (or in the left breast-pocket, if that is large enough to hold it completely covered.) Lastly, place a dime concealed in the palm of your left hand.Commence the exhibition of the trick by requesting one of the spectators to mark a dime (or cent) of his own, so that he will be sure to know it again. Then ask him to lend you that coin. Holding it up in your right hand, you may say, “Now, ladies and gentlemen, this is the marked dime which I shall experiment with. The gentleman has accurately marked it, so that there can be no mistake about its identity when reproduced.” Then by Pass 1 pretend to transfer the marked coin to your left hand, but in reality retain it in your right hand. Next, hand with your left hand your own dime (which had been secreted in that hand) to some person, and request him to hold it. Choose for this person some one three or four yards distant from yourself, and also from the person who originally marked the coin. It is unnecessary to explain that you do so, lest the two should compare notes. Of course, the person who is asked to hold it will believe that it is the very dime that was borrowed.You may proceed to say: “Now we want a ball of worsted.” So, placing your right hand in your pocket, pretend to feel about for something in your pocket, and while doing so you must place the dime in the top of the tin tube, and shake it down. Then carefully draw the tube out of the ball of worsted; and leave the tube in your pocket, but draw the ball out of your pocket, pressing it together while doing so.Then request some one to feel the ball in order to ascertain that it has no opening towards its centre.You may here make some humorous remark about your having such a ball in your pocket. As for instance: “Ladies may think it odd that I have such a ball of Berlin wool in my pocket. It was bought to please my cousin Mary Ann, or my Aunt Tabitha. Well, it will do very fairly for our experiment.”Then request some one to hold the glass basin containing the woollen ball. While you retain in your hand the end of the woollen thread, address the gentleman who has consented to hold the dime, asking him to hand it to you. Take it in your right hand, pretend by Pass 1 to transfer it to your left hand, but in reality keep it concealed in your right hand.Holding up your closed left hand, (which in fact has nothing in it,) you may say: “Now, dime, pass along this woollen thread into the very centre of the woollen ball which is there held in the glass bowl or basin.”Blow upon your left hand, and show that the dime is gone.You must adroitly get rid of the dime, which has remained secreted in your right hand, by placing it in your pocket or sleeve while making some humorous remark, or while asking some lady or gentleman to draw the woollen thread till it is all unwound. It will be done the quicker by letting the ball be confined loosely in the bowl with two fingers preventing its leaping out.Draw attention to how completely the coin is wrapped up till you arrive at the very last circles, when it will drop into the bowl.Hand the dime to the owner who marked it, and let him declare whether he recognizes it as the very one he lent you. His affirmative will surprise the spectators.SECOND TRICK.—To change a bowl of ink into clear water, with gold fish in it.REQUISITE PREPARATION, TO BE MADE PRIVATELY BEFOREHAND.The same glass bowl as in previous trick. If your bowl has not a foot to it, it must be placed on something that will hold it high above your table. Some small fish, a white plate or saucer, a piece of black silk just fitting the inside of your bowl, a spoon of peculiar construction, so that in a hollow handle it will retain about a teaspoonful of ink, which will not run out as long as a hole near the top of the handle is kept covered or stopped. A large tumbler and two or three minnows will do for a simpler exhibition, but will, of course, not be so pleasing to the eye.Place the black silk so as to cover the part of the bowl that is shaded; when damp it will adhere to the glass. Pour in clear water to fill the space covered by the black silk, and place the fish in the water.Fig. 5.Commence the trick in public thus: Holding the spoon-handle slanting up and uncovering the hole in the handle, the ink which you have placed in the handle will run into the bowl of the spoon, and the spoon being held carefully to the surface of the water, concealing the black silk, will give the spectators the impression that you fill the spoon from the glass bowl.Pour the spoonful of ink on a white saucer, and show it round to convince the spectators it is ink. They will see it is undeniably ink, and they will conclude, if the spoon were properly lifted out of the bowl, that the glass bowl contains nothing but ink.Borrowing a silk handkerchief, place it for a few seconds over the bowl, and feigning to be inviting fish to come to the bowl, exclaim [...]