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After-Dinner Sleights and That's a Good Story. Pocket Tricks. A Collection of 400 of the
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BY C. LANG NEIL.
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With upwards of ioo Illustrations. A Collection of Amusing Tricks requiring very little skill, and no, or very simple, apparatus. These Tricks are, as the title suggests, especially suitable for a few minutes' amusement after dinner, or tofillup what might become an awkward pause, as the time occupied in the presentation of each is very short.
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HANDKERCHIEF MAGIC HOW TO ENTERTAIN AND AMUSE CHILDREN OR ADULT AUDIENCES WITH A POCKET HANDKERCHIEF
BY
WILL BLYTH, M.I.M.C, S.I.C.M. MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL OF THE "MAGIC CIRCLE' VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE "SHEFFIELD CIRCLE OF MAGICIANS" AUTHOR OF "PAPER MAGIC," "MATCH-STICK MAGIC," ETC.
WITH A FOREWORD BY
CAPTAIN E. CLIVE MASKELYNE, M.C.
ILLUSTRATED BY 95 DIAGRAMS
London
C. Arthur Pearson, Ltd. Henrietta Street, W.C. 1922
DEDICATED WITH FRATERNAL REGARDS TO
MY BROTHER MAGICIANS IN THE FOLLOWING SOCIETIES AFFILIATED TO THE " MAGIC CIRCLE " British Magical Society (Birmingham) Bristol Society of Magicians Glasgow Society of Magicians Mahatma Circle of Magicians (Liverpool) Northern Magical Society Order of the Magi (Manchester) Sheffield Circle of Magicians West of England Magical Society
Printed in Great Britain at The Mayflower Press, Plymouth. William Brendon & Son, Ltd.
FOREWORD I HAVE perused the manuscript of Will Blyth's new production, Handkerchief Magic, with great interest, and have much pleasure in responding to his request that I should write a Foreword to the book. The author has already given us useful works in Paper Magic and Matchstick Magic, both of which I understand have had a large sale, and no doubt resulted in many additions to the already large number of amateur conjurers. In his latest work, there is no doubt that Mr. Blyth has again supplied a long felt want in the literature of the magical world, and I am sure that the book will be read with pleasure and profit, not only by magicians, but also by a large number of others, who will probably be encouraged by the book to devote themselves to the fascinating art of magical entertaining. A feature of the book is, that the descriptions, aided by well-drawn diagrams, are so simple and lucid that no one should find any difficulty in entertaining and amusing at festive gatherings. Handkerchief tricks are always popular, and the selection given in Handkerchief Magic is not only ingenious and amusing, but, where an old principle or an old piece of apparatus has been employed as the foundation of an effect, the author has given it such new surroundings that " old lamps " indeed " become new." I can heartily recommend Handkerchief Magic as a useful and practical work for all those who desire to amuse and entertain others. E. CLIVE MASKELYNE. ST. GEORGE'S HALL, LANGHAM PLACE, LONDON, W. I.
CONTENTS PAGE
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PART III TRICKS WITH PREPARED HANDKERCHIEFS M A G I C
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PART IV HANDKERCHIEF MISTLETOE
BOUGH,
DOMESTIC EPISODE,
THE
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MAKING THE U N I O N CITY GOOD
SHOPPING B Y E
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8
HANDKERCHIEF MAGIC INTRODUCTION IT may not be out of place in commencing the study of a book on magic to ask what is meant by " magic." The dictionary defines the word thus : " MAGIC—The pretended art of bringing into action the agency of supernatural beings ; a wonderful effect produced in some mysterious way; sorcery ; witchcraft." Again, in an encyclopaedia it is explained : " MAGIC is a word of sacerdotal origin, being derived from the Magi, the name, according to Herodotus, of certain priests of the Medes and Persians who formed one of the six Median tribes. Their earlier functions were prophetic, but later in the Persian court they became magicians." To sum up, we may say that magic is the art practised by conjurers. If the reader of this book is possessed with a desire to be a conjurer, he is urged to consider well one of the dictionary definitions of magic, " a wonderful effeci produced in some mysterious way." This must be the ideal to be aimed at in every trick that is attempted. If the effect fails to cause wonder among the audience ; or should the result not appear to have been brought about in some wonderful way, then there is something wrong, either in the trick or in its presentation. The aspirant to magical fame must therefore define, and then remedy that part of his trick which prevents a perfect rendering of magic as just denned. In view of the fact that handkerchiefs are so extensively used in conjuring tricks, it is somewhat surprising that, up to the advent of the present book, there has been no work 13
11 HANDKERCHIEF MAGIC dealing exclusively with handkerchief tricks. There are, it is true, certain magical text-books which contain a few examples of tricks with handkerchiefs, but the conjurer of to-day is more or less a specialist and requires more than this. It is therefore claimed that in Handkerchief Magic he will find ample fare for his needs. But it is not only to conjurers that the book will be useful, as there are innumerable hosts and hostesses who entertain at times, and who are often in difficulties to know how to maintain the interest of their guests during the evening. Provided with a copy of Handkerchief Magic, however, and a pockethandkerchief, they will be in possession of new and interesting ways of entertaining their guests. The first part of the book contains items which are specially suited for presentation at children's parties and will be found productive of much fun and amusement. The book does not in the slightest degree claim to be a complete exposition on the subject of Handkerchief Magic. In fact it merely gives a few examples of the subject. The object of the book is to place in the possession of amateur conjurers and others a series of handkerchief tricks which may be made very effective to an audience, and yet arc not difficult to perform. Just a word of warning, however, upon this point. Do not despise a trick because the result may be arrived at by very simple means. If a trick is well presented and the secret not fathomed by the audience, the effect upon them will be as great as if a great illusion had been performed. The great illusion may be the result of large mechanical or electrical devices, and the small trick the result of a simple thread or feint, yet the effect upon the audience is practically the same. If there is any diffeience, the audience are more likely to appreciate the cleverness of a performer's sleight of hand, than they would the momentary surprise following a big illusion, which is obviously either the work of science, or of stage assistants, the illusionist merely acting as a lecturer. In this connection, Col. Stodare (inventor of the Sphinx illusion and the Stodare egg) in his Fly Notes, or Conjuring Made Easy, published in 1867, wrote : " The more the conjurer advances in dexterity of hand, quickness of eye, instantaneous adaptability of his words and movements to
INTRODUCTION 15 contingencies as they arise, the more able will he become to elude the observation of the most watchful spectators, and to mislead their imagination, so that they shall fancy that they see him do things which he only appears to do, and shall blindly fail to observe actions and movements, carried out before their very eyes. And here let me say, that I have, by long experience, come to the conviction that the simpler and more common the objects are on which, and with which, a trick is performed, and the less anything beyond dexterity of the hand is openly used, the greater will be the astonishment and the amusement of the spectators." Tricks with handkerchiefs have always been popular with conjurers. At one time the cambric handkerchief was utilized for many tricks of destruction and restoration, production and evanishment. Of later years, however, silk handkerchiefs have been largely employed. These are made up in various colours from Japanese silk and are generally about twelve to fifteen inches square. They compress into a very small compass, and, if confined, will of course keep in that condition. But immediately they are released, they expand to very bulky proportions owing to the elastic nature of the silk. Another important advantage to be gained from the use of handkerchiefs made from Japanese silk, with its charming variety of brilliant colours, is that conjurers can produce very pretty spectacular effects which are always appreciated by all classes of audiences. For the performance of a trick in which a white pockethandkerchief is used, it is always best to use a borrowed one. This prevents any suspicion on the part of the audience that there is any special preparation about the handkerchief. It does not, however, prevent the use of a specially prepared handkerchief after all. The performer is able to change the borrowed handkerchief by one of the methods known to him (several of which are given in these pages) and proceeds to perform his trick as though he were actually using the borrowed handkerchief. At the conclusion of the trick, a re-exchange is effected and the borrowed handkerchief returned to its owner with grateful thanks for being permitted to " use " i t .
16
HANDKERCHIEF MAGIC
This introduction has perhaps been somewhat lengthy, but it is hoped that the peiusal of it will provide the reader with useful and interesting facts concerning the fascinating subject of Handkerchief Magic. Finally, I would express the hope that the book may prove to be a helpful and instructive assistant to all those who seek to produce wonderful effects in a mysterious way. WILL BLYTH. MAGIC CIRCLE CLUBROOM, ANDERTON'S HOTEL, FLEET STREET, E.C.
October, 1922.
4.