Magic Auctions Coming Soon

I just downloaded the catalog for the upcoming Potter & Potter Auction. It's filled with tons of magic apparatus and a great deal of books. As with any auction there are some really cool items in the mix. I'm partial to more of the unusual items and there are more than a few of those. One set of books caught my eye, which includes; Okito on Magic, Our Magic, Sachs Sleight of Hand, NEO Magic and several other books. The starting price is pretty low and I will say, that I paid close to the starting price for a single copy of NeoMagic a few years ago, so this lot is a steal. If you would like to check out a downloadable copy of the catalog or purchase a hard copy edition for yourself, go to
http://www.potterauctions.com/auctions/upcoming

Though it's not an auction, Lupe Nielsen of Nielsen Magic sent out an email a few weeks ago letting people know they were open to finding a buyer for their collection of Magic Posters. They wish to sell the entire collection. So the price is going to be high. But if you are someone with a big bankroll and would like one of the most incredible collections of vintage magic posters on the planet, then by all means contact Lupe. Serious inquiries only please. You can reach Lupe through their website http://nnmagic.com/index.htm

The Magic Detective in 2015

I've gotten a bit overwhelmed with shows and other projects the last couple months so this blog has sadly suffered. But never fear, I've got some cool things in store for 2015. About mid-month in July, I'll be doing an radio interview about Magic History. I'll post more on that as we get closer.

I'm also working to retool the Magic Detective Show on Youtube. First time it aired, I think I got out 6 episodes and then my camera broke. When I returned a year or so later, I changed some things about the content and then, well got busy with other stuff. I'm really having fun with the 'Victorian Magic' from Hoffmann segment, so I think that will be the emphasis going forward. However, I'm also hoping to do a few episodes where I visit different magic collectors and have them demo so of these wonderful gems from yesteryear. I'm still sorting out the different details, but I hope to have it back up and running in January.

The next thing on the agenda is my Houdini Book, which is close to being completed. More info on that once it's ready. Expect a 'March/April' (aka Houdini Birthday) time frame. I have a landing page set up for the book http://houdinimarketingbook.com/   If you're interested you can get on the waiting list and get to read one of the chapters now. (BTW, it's been brought to my attention there are a couple grammatical errors in the text. All will be fixed by the time the book is completed)

OH, AND I think I may be on hot on the trail of some new Daisy White revelations! That just

happened yesterday, so when we return in 2015, I hope I can share that information with you. I know they called Houdini the Elusive American, but that title really belongs to Daisy White! lol

A True Forgotten Illusion

Back in 1998, I purchased an unusual little booklet called Chung Ling Soo's Mechanists -They

Stayed Behind, by Brian McCullagh and Dr. J. Ernest Aldred. It's only 38 pages long and has some interesting photos and information within. The booklet is about two 'mechanists' from the Soo show, Phil Davies and Ernest Aldred, who stayed in Australia after Chung and the rest of the company moved on.

Within the 38 pages is a page on an illusion called The Lantern Illusion. This was created by Soo in 1907 and was also known as the Glass Casket, and also known as The Slave of the Lamp. I still remember reading about this illusion back in 1998, it had left a large impression on me. The illusion seemed incredible. A large 'lantern' made of glass was brought on stage and was proven to be empty. Then a cable was connected to the top and it was lifted off the stage. It was then spun and as it spun in circles the light would catch it and it made an incredible sight to see. Then, suddenly the figure of a woman appears inside the lantern as the cage is spinning. Except, the woman faces forward and does not spin, only the lantern surrounding her spins. Sounds pretty amazing and I sure don't recall seeing anything like this in any show of modern times.

So that brings me to the illustration here of Thurston presenting 'The Whirling Crystal Cage and Mysterious Production'. I had come across this on the internet maybe a year ago and the moment I saw it I remembered the Chung Ling Soo booklet. This must be the spinning lantern trick I had read about years before. Much like a LOT of magic back then, more than one performer was presenting it, sometimes legally, sometimes not. There were two copies made in Australia by Phil Davies. Thurston had a copy, which I assume he got permission to build from Soo. Though, Harry Kellar was known to steal everything, Thurston, as far as I can tell, got permission.

There is one Soo Poster that depicts the illusion. It can be seen in the Gary Frank book Chung Ling Soo the Man Behind the Legend. AND it can be seen in the Todd Karr book, The Silence of Chung Ling Soo, it's poster #36 near the front of the book and there it is called 'The Spinning Cage'.

In the Silence of Chung Ling Soo, Jim Steinmeyer has a short chapter on the illusion. It appears on pages 16-20. Jim describes the method used for the illusion, which I must say is quite elaborate. And he mentions that the illusion must have weighed upwards of 750 lbs. If you add the weight of the assistant, you've got 850lbs. That wouldn't be such a big deal except this big behomoth is spinning in the air!

I so want to see this thing in action!!! But, I don't think that is ever going to happen. It must have been a thing of true beauty. In fact, Percy Abbott, in his biography, A Lifetime of Magic, says this about the illusion, "This was a beautiful and spectacular effect. I can safely say one of the most beautiful I have ever witnessed and, believe me, to make that statement after viewing magic for more than sixty years, is unusual."

Does anyone know if any of the 5 Spinning Cage/Lantern Illusions exist anymore?