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MAGIC STAGE ILLUSIONS AND SCIENTIFIC DIVERSIONS INCLUDING TRICK PHOTOGRAPHY
MAGIC STAGE ILLUSIONS AND SCIENTIFIC DIVERSIONS INCLUDING TRICK PHOTOGRAPHY
COMPILED AND EDITED BY ALBERT A. HOPKINS EDITOR OF THE “SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN CYCLOPEDIA OF RECEIPTS, NOTES AND QUERIES,” ETC. WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY HENRY RIDGELY EVANS AUTHOR OF “HOURS WITH THE GHOSTS; OR, XIX. CENTURY WITCHCRAFT,” ETC. WITH FOUR HUNDRED ILLUSTRATIONS LONDON SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON AND COMPANY LIMITED St. Dunstan’s House, Fetter Lane, Fleet Street, E.C. 1897 Copyright, 1897, by MUNN & CO. NEW YORK ENTERED AT STATIONERS’ HALL, LONDON, ENGLAND All rights reserved The article
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PREFACE.
PREFACE.
It is believed that the present work occupies a unique field in the extensive literature of magic. There are already a large number of treatises on natural magic and legerdemain, but in most of them very little attention has been given to the exposé of stage illusions, which are of great interest as they are so largely based on ingenious applications of scientific principles. Optics, mechanics, sound, and electricity have all been pressed into service by the fin de siècle prestidigitateur. In th
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I.
I.
Far back into the shadowy past, before the building of the pyramids, magic was a reputed art in Egypt, for Egypt was the “cradle of magic.” The magicians of Egypt, according to the Bible chronicle, contended against Aaron, at the court of Pharaoh. The Hebrew prophet “cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent. Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. For they c
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II.
II.
The history of magic would be incomplete without a sketch of Cagliostro, the arch-necromancer of the eighteenth century, who filled all Europe with his fame. Novels and plays have been founded on his strange career, as witness Goethe’s “Grand Cophta” and Alexander Dumas’ “Memoirs of a Physician.” Thomas Carlyle has remorselessly dissected the character of Cagliostro in an immortal essay, “Count Cagliostro,” which makes fascinating reading. Cagliostro like Nostradamus, and others of that ilk, as
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III.
III.
With Cagliostro, so-called genuine magic died. Of the great pretenders to occultism he was the last to win any great fame, although there has been a feeble attempt to revive thaumaturgy in this nineteenth century by Madame Blavatsky. Science has laughed away sorcery, witchcraft, and necromancy. Prior to Cagliostro’s time a set of men arose calling themselves faiseurs , who practiced the art of sleight-of-hand, allied to natural magic. They gave very amusing and interesting exhibitions. Very few
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IV.
IV.
In the year 1843 there was situated in the Rue du Temple, Paris, a little shop, over the door of which was displayed the unpretentious sign, “M. Robert-Houdin, Pendules de Précision.” It was the shop of a watchmaker and constructor of mechanical toys. The proprietor was destined to be the greatest and most original fantaisiste of his time, perhaps of all times, the founder of a new and unique school of conjuring, and the inventor of some marvelous illusions. No one who stopped at the unpretentio
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V.
V.
One of the best sleight-of-hand artists that ever lived was Carl Herrmann, who styled himself the “Premier Prestidigitateur of France and First Professor of Magic in the World.” He died at Carlsbad, June 8, 1887, at the advanced age of seventy-two. Of him Burlingame says: “Without using much mechanical or optical apparatus, he produced many wonderful effects by a sharp observation of the absence of mind of the human auditor, assisted by a hand as firm as steel and capable of the most deft moveme
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VI.
VI.
In his advertisements, Robert-Houdin was extremely modest. His successors in the art magique , however, have not imitated him in this respect. We have Wizards of the North, South, and West, White and Black Mahatmas, Napoleons of Necromancy, Modern Merlins, etc. Anderson, the English conjurer, went to the extreme in self-laudation, but managed to draw crowds by his vainglorious puffery and fill his coffers with gold, though he was but an indifferent performer. The following is one of his effusion
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CHAPTER I. MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCES.
CHAPTER I. MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCES.
The fascination which the general public finds in clever tricks and illusions is little to be wondered at, but it is a mistake to suppose that all the outfit which the modern magician needs is a few paper roses, a pack of cards, some coins, and a wand. The fact of the matter is, that usually the most entertaining tricks are those which are produced at considerable expense in the way of apparatus and stage fittings. It is for this very reason that the secret of the illusion is always so closely g
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CHAPTER II. OPTICAL TRICKS.
CHAPTER II. OPTICAL TRICKS.
The prestidigitateur has always been indebted more or less to the use of reflection from mirrors and plate glass as an important adjunct in conjuring. Many of the illusions in the succeeding pages have often been used as an entertainment in themselves so that it might really be termed “side show science.” Without doubt the most famous of all the illusions in which effects of lighting are used is “Pepper’s Ghost” which was devised by that eminent experimentor on physical and chemical science, Joh
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CHAPTER III. MISCELLANEOUS STAGE TRICKS.
CHAPTER III. MISCELLANEOUS STAGE TRICKS.
The tricks in this chapter are no less interesting than those which have gone before, but are rather of a more miscellaneous nature. The first trick which we shall describe, is called “The Illusion of Trilby.” The late Professor Herrmann won for himself a firm place in the regards of the civilized world, representing the fin de siècle Houdin. His carefully executed work, with its perfect detail and finish, was a standard among performances of natural magic, and other exhibitions are referred to
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CHAPTER IV. CONJURING TRICKS.
CHAPTER IV. CONJURING TRICKS.
Having described some of the illusions which are produced with the aid of elaborate outfits, we now come to the more simple tricks which are produced with smaller and less expensive apparatus, and, sometimes, with no apparatus at all. In the old days the man of mystery appeared on the stage clad in a robe embroidered with cabalistic figures, the ample folds of which could well conceal a whole trunkful of paraphernalia. The table in the center of the stage was covered with a velvet cloth embroide
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CHAPTER V. JUGGLERS AND ACROBATIC PERFORMANCES.
CHAPTER V. JUGGLERS AND ACROBATIC PERFORMANCES.
The tricks performed by jugglers afford a most wonderful example of the perfection that our senses and organs are capable of attaining under the influence of exercise. The juggler is obliged to give impetuses that vary infinitesimally. He must know the exact spot whither his ball will go, calculate the parabola that it will describe, and know the exact time that it will take to describe it. His eye must take in the position of three, four, or five balls that are sometimes several yards apart, an
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CHAPTER VI. FIRE EATERS AND SWORD TRICKS.
CHAPTER VI. FIRE EATERS AND SWORD TRICKS.
A MOUNTEBANK LICKING A RED-HOT BAR OF IRON. Burning is undoubtedly that kind of pain against which the human being most strongly revolts, and the fear of being burned is not confined to man alone, but exists also as an instinct in the entire animal kingdom. This fear, the horror of being burned, which is so powerful in men, accounts for the fact that in all times the wonder and curiosity of the public have been excited by those who are capable of handling burning coals or red-hot iron with impun
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CHAPTER VII. VENTRILOQUISM AND ANIMATED PUPPETS.
CHAPTER VII. VENTRILOQUISM AND ANIMATED PUPPETS.
Ventriloquists may, according to their specialties, be divided into various categories. Some devote their talent to the imitation of the cries of animals, the songs of birds, the noise of tools, etc.; others imitate the sound of musical instruments; some mock the noise produced by a crowd, a regiment, or a procession; while others, again, make dolls or dummies speak. Certain ventriloquists imitate the sound of musical instruments, from that of the violin up to that of brass instruments with the
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CHAPTER VIII. SHADOWGRAPHY.
CHAPTER VIII. SHADOWGRAPHY.
By Henry Ridgely Evans. Paris is the home of the fantaisiste. These rare exotics flourish in the genial atmosphere of the great French capital, and cater to the most critical, as well as the most appreciative, public in the world. No matter how trivial your profession may be, if you are an artist in your particular line, you may be sure of an admiring audience. To-day you are a performer in the cafés ; to-morrow you tread the boards of some minor theater, and the journals duly chronicle your déb
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CHAPTER IX. MENTAL MAGIC.
CHAPTER IX. MENTAL MAGIC.
By Henry Ridgely Evans. The most sphinx-like problem ever presented to the public for solution was the “second-sight” mystery. As has been stated in the Introduction , the idea was an old one, having originated with the Chevalier Pinetti, a conjurer of the eighteenth century. On this subject the “Encyclopædia Britannica” says: “In 1783 Pinetti had an automatic figure about eighteen inches in height, named the Grand Sultan or Wise Little Turk, which answered questions as to chosen cards and many
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CHAPTER I. TEMPLE TRICKS OF THE GREEKS.
CHAPTER I. TEMPLE TRICKS OF THE GREEKS.
The ancients, especially the Greeks, were very fond of theatrical representations; but, as M. Magnin has remarked in his “ Origines du Théâtre Moderne ,” public representations were very expensive, and for that reason very rare. Moreover, those who were not in a condition of freedom were excluded from them; and, finally, all cities could not have a large theater and provide for the expenses that it carried with it. It became necessary, then, for every-day needs, for all conditions and for all pl
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CHAPTER II. MIRACULOUS VESSELS OF THE GREEKS.
CHAPTER II. MIRACULOUS VESSELS OF THE GREEKS.
Heron, in his “Pneumatics,” describes a large number of wonderful vessels that were used by the ancients, and, among them, one called the “dicaiometer” (a correct measure), which allowed of the escape of but a definite quantity of the liquid that it contained. THE DICAIOMETER. This was constructed as follows: Let us suppose a vessel (see the illustration ) whose neck is closed by a diaphragm. Near the bottom there is placed a small sphere, Τ, of a capacity equal to the quantity that it is desire
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CHAPTER III. THE ORIGIN OF THE STEAM ENGINE.
CHAPTER III. THE ORIGIN OF THE STEAM ENGINE.
All works that treat of the history of the steam engine speak of the eolipile of Heron as the most ancient manifestation known of that power which to-day fills the world. But very few persons know that we also find in the “Pneumatics” of the Greek engineer the germs of the tubular boiler and of the Papin cock which has been replaced in modern engines by the long D-valve. Here, in the first place, is a literal translation of the two passages that have reference to the apparatus, so often cited, o
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CHAPTER IV. GREEK LAMPS, TOYS, ETC.
CHAPTER IV. GREEK LAMPS, TOYS, ETC.
The ancients utilized, in their prestiges, combustible gases, which, in many places, were disengaged naturally from the earth. The Arab Schiangia, in a passage quoted by Father Kircher, expresses himself in this wise: “In Egypt there was a field whose ditches were full of pitch and liquid bitumen. Philosophers, who understood the forces of nature, constructed canals which connected places like these with lamps hidden at the bottom of subterranean crypts. These lamps had wicks made of threads tha
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CHAPTER I. BEHIND THE SCENES OF AN OPERA HOUSE.
CHAPTER I. BEHIND THE SCENES OF AN OPERA HOUSE.
It would be difficult to find anyone who would not like to go behind the curtain of a great opera house to see how realism is given to the performance, and, incidentally, to gain an insight into that mysterious world upon the stage which always has such an attraction to opera-goers. Before describing in detail the commodious stage of the Metropolitan Opera House, New York City, [13] we will consider for a moment a typical English stage which is the predecessor of most stages in America. America
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CHAPTER II. SOME REMARKABLE STAGES, ANCIENT AND MODERN.
CHAPTER II. SOME REMARKABLE STAGES, ANCIENT AND MODERN.
We present an engraving of the electric drop scene of the Comédie Française, at Paris. The curtain is held by five ropes, a , which pass over pulleys, o , at the upper part, and wind round a wooden drum, B, to which motion is given in one direction or the other in order to cause the curtain to rise or descend. Such motion is obtained by the aid of a belt connected with an electrical shunt motor, F; a counterpoise, D, held by a rope which passes around a drum, assures an equilibrium at every poin
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CHAPTER III. STAGE EFFECTS.
CHAPTER III. STAGE EFFECTS.
The present chapter deals with the various effects which are liable to be called for in almost any opera or other dramatic production. It should be remembered that the effects of sunrise, moonlight, thunder, lightning, wind, rainbows, fires, etc., may be obtained in a great variety of ways, so that only an outline of some of the methods of producing the illusion can be given. Stage management is a constant study. Stage managers and stage machinists and property masters vie with one another in pr
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CHAPTER IV. THEATER SECRETS.
CHAPTER IV. THEATER SECRETS.
In the present chapter the subject of theater secrets will be taken up, and it will treat of traps, complicated stage settings, properties, and the means of obtaining elaborate effects. The trap is one of the oldest and most primitive means of producing stage illusions, and it is in use to-day in most theaters and opera houses. The principle is very simple, and will be understood by reference to the engraving . The actor, singer, or devil who is to make his sudden appearance upon the stage stand
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CHAPTER V. THE NAUTICAL ARENA.
CHAPTER V. THE NAUTICAL ARENA.
The nautical arena, or aquatic theater, was a few years ago one of the sensations of London and Paris. Spectacular entertainments in which water played a prominent part go back to the time of the Romans, when portions of the arena of the amphitheater, or sometimes the entire arena, were flooded, and mimic sea fights took place in galleys carrying gladiators who fought to the death. The Paris aquatic theater is a very handsome building. It is situated in the Rue St. Honoré, and is called the “ Ar
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CHAPTER VI. A TRIP TO THE MOON.
CHAPTER VI. A TRIP TO THE MOON.
This is the title of an illustrated lecture which has been very popular in Berlin, and which was also produced in New York a few years ago. The lecture as used in the United States, was rewritten by Mr. Garrett P. Serviss. The first scene is the reproduction of a solar eclipse as seen from the shores of one of the small lakes called Havel, near Berlin, on the morning of August 19, 1887. SUNRISE ON THE HAVEL, NEAR BERLIN, AUGUST 19, 1887. On this morning the sun arose with the greater portion of
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CHAPTER VII. CYCLORAMAS.
CHAPTER VII. CYCLORAMAS.
The origin of the cyclorama is traced to the use of scenery by the Italians two or three hundred years ago. They arranged outside of their windows scenes painted on canvas that simulated extensive gardens. Robert Fulton is said to have exhibited a panorama in Paris at the beginning of the present century. It was not, however, a cylindrical painting, as is used in the cyclorama, and the effect was not as illusive. Cycloramas have been on exhibition in many cities of the United States, and they ar
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CHAPTER VIII. FIREWORKS WITH DRAMATIC ACCESSORIES.
CHAPTER VIII. FIREWORKS WITH DRAMATIC ACCESSORIES.
SCENES READY FOR LOWERING. The love of show and the spectacular is inherent in human nature. Games and entertainments on a colossal scale have always appealed to the popular taste. An important factor in such spectacles is the display of fireworks, in the love for which the Americans can sympathize with the Orientals. As far back as 1879, Mr. James Pain of London gave spectacular productions at Manhattan Beach, one of New York’s most popular resorts, and since that time their popularity has been
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CHAPTER I. AUTOMATA.
CHAPTER I. AUTOMATA.
The present division of the work deals with interesting automata, curious toys, and miscellaneous tricks of an amusing nature. A very large number of devices and tricks of this kind have been published in the “Scientific American” and the “Scientific American Supplement,” and the ones which we select are among those which have been considered as the best. The subject of curious toys and science in toys is very fully treated in the excellent work of Mr. George M. Hopkins, entitled “Experimental S
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CHAPTER II. CURIOUS TOYS.
CHAPTER II. CURIOUS TOYS.
X-RAY MACHINE WITH NO X RAY. The simple toy illustrated in the engraving has printed on the underside the rather high-sounding title, “X-Ray Machine. Wonder of the age!” But it is neither an X-ray machine nor a wonder. It is simply a reduced copy of an ancient trick. The two cylinders mounted on the base, with a space between them, are perforated axially and are supposed to represent coils. When the eye is applied to the end of one of these cylinders, objects may be clearly seen through them; an
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CHAPTER III. MISCELLANEOUS TRICKS OF AN AMUSING NATURE.
CHAPTER III. MISCELLANEOUS TRICKS OF AN AMUSING NATURE.
SCIENTIFIC TRICKS WITH BILLIARD BALLS AND COINS. The clever trick with billiard balls shown in Figs. 1 and 2 depends for its success on a truly scientific principle. A number of billiard balls are placed in a row against the cushion of the table. The player asks one of the spectators to name a certain number of balls to be pocketed without any apparent disturbance of the others. Suppose the number to be three. Then at the will of the player three balls separate from the others and roll into the
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CHAPTER I. TRICK PHOTOGRAPHY.
CHAPTER I. TRICK PHOTOGRAPHY.
SPECIMENS OF SILHOUETTES OBTAINED BY LAVATER. This is not a photographic diversion, but it is so interesting and so much of a historical curiosity that we reproduce it here. When first introduced, the silhouette attracted the attention of the learned, and was regarded as one of the wonders of the age. Lavater, in his celebrated work on physiognomy, describes an accurate and convenient machine for drawing silhouettes. The engraving is almost self-explanatory. “The shadow,” says Lavater, “is proje
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CHAPTER II. CHRONOPHOTOGRAPHY.
CHAPTER II. CHRONOPHOTOGRAPHY.
Instantaneous photography has been of the greatest possible use to science, especially that branch of it which has been termed “chronophotography.” It is to the investigations of Mr. Muybridge and M. Marey that we are indebted for the most valuable researches on the subject. Chronophotography consists in taking a number of photographs of any object at short and regular intervals of time. This is accomplished in many ways, and results obtained are useful for many purposes. The graphic method has
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CHAPTER III. THE PROJECTION OF MOVING PICTURES.
CHAPTER III. THE PROJECTION OF MOVING PICTURES.
PHOTO-ENGRAVING OF A PORTION OF THE STRIP NEGATIVE OF THE KINETOGRAPH (ACTUAL SIZE). The “kinetograph,” which is the precursor of the apparatus for showing moving photographs, is of great interest. The kinetograph as first proposed consisted of a clever combination of a photographic camera and the phonograph, by which the words of a speech or play were to be recorded simultaneously with photographic impressions of all the movements of the speakers or actors. The photographic impression is taken
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ADDITIONAL TRICKS.
ADDITIONAL TRICKS.
This was a trick of the late Alexander Herrmann. In the center of the stage is placed a light table with three legs and a plush top. The prestidigitateur moves his hand over the table; suddenly it rises in the air and follows his hands wherever he moves them. The secret of the trick will be easily understood by reference to our engraving . A small nail is driven in the center of the table. This nail is not noticed by the audience, and the plush top tends to hide it. The magician wears a ring whi
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I. ENGLISH.
I. ENGLISH.
Arnold, George , and Cahill, Frank . The Magician’s Own Book; or, the Whole Art of Conjuring. New York, 1857. 8vo. 362 pp. Astley, Philip. Natural Magic. London, 1785. Bacon, Roger. Discovery of the Miracles of Art, Nature, and Magic. (About 1260.) Bailey, F. H. Hindu Jugglery. Journal of Education (Boston), vol. xliv. p. 378. Ball, W. W. Rouse. Card Tricks. In his Mathematical Recreations. Bancroft, Frederick. Yogi Magic in India. Scientific American Supplement, vol. xliii p. 17845. Bartlett, J
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II. FRENCH.
II. FRENCH.
Antonio, Carlo. Dictionnaire encyclopédique. Avec atlas. Paris, 1792-1799. 4to. 900 pp. Scientific recreations, illusions, and conjuring tricks, ingenious applications of science to industry, etc. The works of Decremps, Ozanam, Guyot, Pinetti, and Montucla, etc., are largely drawn upon. —— Trésor des jeux. The Hague, 1769. Cup and ball conjuring, tricks with cards, etc., illustrated. Cépak, Abel. Ce qu’on peut faire avec les œufs. Collection complète et variée des expériences faciles et amusante
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III. GERMAN.
III. GERMAN.
Anders, Fritz. Der junge Tausendkuenstler. Leipzig, 1884. Comte. Das Gedankenspiel oder die Kunst der Menschen Gedanken zu erforschen; Beitrag zur natuerlichen Magie. Mit 12 Tafeln. Halle, 1782. 8vo. —— Handbuch der Taschenspielerkunst oder die Geheimnisse der natuerlichen Magie. 2 Bände mit 3 Tafeln. 1834. 8vo. Conradi. Zauber Spiegel, monthly magazine. —— Karten Künstler. Cumberland, Arthur W. Der Experimental-Spiritist als Orakel, Hellseher, blinder Rechner und Gedaechtnisskuenstler. Stuttgar
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IV. SPANISH.
IV. SPANISH.
Gomez, S. R. Los divertidos, curiosos, juegos de escamoteo. Krespel, Karl. Nuevo manual de magia blanca. Paris, 1888. Minguet e Yrol, P. Juegos de manos. Madrid, 1733. 16mo. Palonca, D. R. El moderno prestidigitador. Valencia, 1887....
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V. ITALIAN.
V. ITALIAN.
Giochi Numerici Fatti Arcani Palesati , da Giuseppe Antonio Alberti Bolognese; seconda edizione adornata di figure. In Venezia, 1780. 8vo. —— The Same Napoli, 1814. 8vo....
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VI. LATIN.
VI. LATIN.
Hildebrandt, W. Magiæ Naturalis, 1610. Hippolytus. Ref. Om. Haer, iv. 34, 35. Porta, Giovanni Battista della. Magiæ Naturalis, sive de miraculis rerum naturalium, Libri iv. 283 ff., 3~1. Lugduni, apud G. Rovillium, 1561. Schot, K. Physica Curiosa. 2 vols. 1667. —— Thaumaturgus Physicus sive magiæ universalis naturæ. 1659. INDEX....
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