Magic; stage illusions and scientific diversions, including trick ...
567
Click here to load reader
Transcript of Magic; stage illusions and scientific diversions, including trick ...
Magic; stage illusions and scientific diversions, including trick photographyINCLUDING TRICI{ PHOTOGRAPHY
CO~IPILED AND EDITED llY
ALBERT A. HOPI{INS EDITOR OF THE" SCIENTIFIC Al\IEIUCAN CYCLOPEDIA OF RECEIPTS, NOTES AND QUERIES," ETC.
WITH AN I NTRODUCTION llY
HENRY RIDGELY EVANS AUTHOR OF "HOURS WITH THE GHOSTS: OR, XIX. CENTURY WITCHCRAFT," ETC.
WITH FOUR HU.LVDRED ILLD"STRATIONS
LI~IITED
1897
EN'I'ERED AT STATIONERS' HALL, LONDON, El\GLAND
The articles u:;ed from the SCIENTH'IC .AliiEHlCAN ancl the ScrE:\TIFIC .A ;IJEHIC.\N f:PPPLEMENT
are copyrighted
'fliE 1-iKIH'l' DAN('Jr,.
PREF.1\._CE .
It is believed that the present work occupies a nnique field in the exten sive literature of magic. 'rhere are already a large number of treatises on natural magic and legerdemain, bnt in most of them very little attention has been given to the expose of stage illnsions, which are of g1·eat 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 siecle presticligitateur. In the present work great attention has been paid to elaborate tricks of this natnre, and in many cases the e.Yposes ha,·c been obtained from the prestidigitateurs themselves. In the first few chapters many of the best illusions of Robert-Houdin, Dr. Lynn, Professor Pepper, Bautier de Kolta, Heller, Herrmann, 1\Iaskelyne and Cooke, and Kellar will be found clearly explained.
Conjuring tricks have been by no means neglected, but the number of them which are given has been limited~ owing to the fact that many of the books on magic have gone into this snhject qnite extensi,·ely. \ rentriloqnism. shadowgraphy, mental magi<~, etc., will also be fonnd treated in the present work.
The chapters relating to "Ancient "J[agic" take up the temple tricks of the ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Roman thanmatnrgists, as well as a nmnbcr of automata which arc very interesting in view of their ,·ery early epoch. It is believed this will be found a particularly entertaining fcatnrc of the hook.
'rhere is always a great charm about the stage, and the methods of prOlluc ing the effects which gi,·e realism to the drama. 'l'he chapters dc,·oted to "Theatrical Science" will he found to contain a ,·ery large m1mber of effects and illusions, many. of which are here presented for the first time. 'rhns an entire opera, " Siegfried," is taken np, and the methods by which the "·on derful effects are obtained are fnlly illustrated and described. Snch amnse ments as cycloramas, the nautical arena_, and fireworks with dramatic acces sories are not neglected.
The chapters on "Automata" and "Curious Toys" describe many inter esting tricks and mechanisms of an amnsi11g nature.
The last few chapters of the book deal with " Photographic Di,·ersiontl. '' and here will be fonnd some of the most cnrion~ and interesting trick~; awl deceptions which may be performed by the aid of photography. 'rhe practical side of scientific photography will also be found represented. The chapter
vi PREFACE.
on "Chronophotography" describes the photography of moving objects of dl kinds, and shows how the resnlts obtainecl are of valne to the saraut. The projection of moriug pictures 11pon a screen is thoronghly treated, a 11nmber of different forms of the apparatus being described.
The introrlnction is a nniqne featnre of the work, being written by ~[r. Henry Hitlge1y Emns. of \Yashington, D. C., anthor of "Hours with the Ghosts ; or, Xinetcenth Centnry \ritchcraft." It contains a brief but remarkably complete hi1:)tory of magic a1't from the e:1rliest times to the p1·esent date_. especial attention being give11 to anmsing inciclents in the careers of celebratetl necromancers. This Iutrotlnct.ion will be fom11l one of the most entertaining parts of the present book. .Mr. Evans has also contributed two chapters-one on ·• :3haclo,rgraphy," or "Treweyism." as it has been called, in honor of )I. I•'elician 'l'rewcy, the classic exponent of the art ; the other on ''.:\I ental )lagic," o1· second-sight experiment.. 'J'he chapter on "Shadow graphy" is Hot only interesting bee<lll8C of the e:IJJOse of the art of tl1eatrical f.:ilhonette-nwki11g, bnt on aceonnt of the sketch of the life antl adventnres of .:\1. 'J'rewey. who if' a personal friend of the writer. Mr. Entns is also the compiler of the excellent Bibliogmphy which conclntles the book. Thongh thio Bibliograpl1y makes no preten::;e Lo ahsolnte completeuess, it is believed to be more extem;i,·c than any other bibliography of the snbjeet, and it will Le found of great valne to the stmlent of psychology. as well as to the student of modern magic. Other acknowleLlgments are clue to .:\Ir. \Yilliam E. Robinson, the we11-k:Jlown pret:itidigitatenr, for many snggestirms _;.tnd favors and for important help in runnection with the Bibliography; ~Ir. Hobinson having a very re!llarknhle r-olledion of Looks npon magic. which he has gathered at home and abroad clnring a long period. \Ye are also indebted to 1\Ir. II. J. Burlingame, of Chinago, for permission to 11se extracts from his writings and for :issistance in the Bibliography.
The matter fur the present work is very largely compiled from articles \\'}Jich ha,·e appeared in the ''Scientific A111erican" aud the ''Scientific American Supplcmeut," with the addition of much 1natcrinl hitherto nnpnb lit'lll'<L Esp<.:'r·ial acknowlc<lglllents arc due to our French all<1 German con tenquJrari(•f.:. part.icular1.Y .. fAt .J.Y((/IIre." rrhe section 011 "Aneicut Magic" i:-: 1ak!·ll allll(Jst wltolly from the articles of Colonel .A. de Hoehn::; in "La .. \ .fl!ln·r·." 'l'he~u artiul(~o were afterw:mh; amplit1e(1 hy him and pub]i:-;hed in a r11o:-;l. iJILl're."'tillg hook (mLitletl '· IA~s Or/,lj/1/es de la Science." It is hoped lind. the pn·s<~llt work will prove entertai11ing to those who arc fond of the
arl '"''!li'J'"'·
INTRODUCTION.
Ancient Magic-Division qf l\Ingic-Cagliostro-Hobertson-Comte de Chisi-Rohert Houdiu-Carl Herrmann-Signor Blitz-Hobert Heller-Alexander Herrruann- Bautier de Kolta-Harry Kellar, 1
BOOK I.
CHAPTEH I.
MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANC'ES.
"Vanity Fair"-" After the Flood "-" The .:\Iagic Palanquin''-" Cassadaga Propa ganda"-" The Appearing Lady "-" The Dbappearing Lady"-" The ~Iys
terious Trunk"-" The Indian Basket Trick"-" Decapitation "- " Spiritualistic Ties," .
CHAPTER II.
OPTICAL THIC'KS.
The "Cabaret du Neant "-The Thrt>e-Ht·ad(·d \Yoman-" Amphitrite"-" rhe :Mystery of Dr. Lynn ''-" Black Art "-ThP Talking Head-The Lh·ing Half. \\roman-" She"-" The Queen of FlowPrs "-The" Decapitated PriJH't>:,;s" -"Stella "-Homlin's :\Iagic Cabinet-A .:\Iystic l\Iaze-Platinized Glass-Statue giving a Double Image, .
CHAPTER III.
" Trilby " -The " Haunted Swing "-The "Scnrimobile "-The Xeooccultism-" The
5.)
viii CO.i.VTENTS.
CcrxJumxn THIC'KR.
Trick with an Egg and a Handkerchief-The Cone of Flowers-The Magic Hosebn:-;h " .:\lagic Flowers "-The "Birth of Flower::; ''-Tricks with a Hat-A Cuke Baked in a Hat-The Egg and Hat Trick-1\fnltiplication of Coins-l\lagic Coiu:s-The Dbsoldng Coin-The ~pirit Slates-Second Sight-~lagic Cabinets-The Travt>l ing Bottle and Ulass-Disappearance of an Apple anu a Xinepin-A Uo!Jlet of Ink l'onwrted into an A<piarinm-The lnYi:sible Journey of a Ulass of \\·ine-The \\·ine Changed to \\'ater-TLe Animated ~lonse-'fhe Sand Frame 'frick-
PAI_;E
Jng-gler:-;-The Leamy ReYolYing Trapeile-,Yalking on the Ceiling Head Down-The ~Iysterious Ball, 139
CHAPTER VI.
Fnm K\TF.ll~ AND ~WORD TRICKS.
Fin· Eat,·rs, Tri(·k:-; with Fir<·-A ~tab through the Abdomen-The 1luman 'rarget- Sword ~wallowers-Sword \\·alkei·-Danccrs on Glass, 14!)
C'IIAPTEH Ylf.
('IJAPTEH Yllf.
~JIAJ)<IWGitAPIIY.
!'lllldowgrapl1y-FreneL Shadows, .
~I 1<:1'\T.\ 1. :\1.\oiC.
Holu·J'I I l•·ll,·r-Sr·r·"'Hl Sigl1t-Tiw Bnldwins nJlll Rf•c'olHl ~ight-Rilent Thonght Trans fr· r(•Jwr~,
Hi-!
173
184
CONTENTS.
TKUPLE TmCKf; OF THE GnEEKS.
Puppet Shows among the Greeks-The Shrine of Bacchus-The First Automobile Vehicle-The Statue of Cybele-~IarYelous Altars-The :Machinery of the Temples -Sounding of Trnmpets when a Door was Opened-Opening and Closing Doors when a Fire was Lighted on the Altar-InYention in 1880 A.D. Ys. hn·ention n.c.
ix
PAGE
CHAPTEH II.
The Dicaiometer-:Miraculons Yessels-::\Iagical Pitchers-A pparatns for Permitting the l\Iixing of "rine and \Yater in Definite Proportions-The ::\Iagieal Bottle Ancient Urgans,
CHAPTER Ill.
The Eolipile of Herqn-Heron's l\IarYelons Altar-Heron's Tnbnlar Boiler, •
CHAPTER IV.
Perpetual Lamps-An Ancient Automaton-A Greek Toy-The Decapitated Drinking Horse-Odometers, , ~ao
BOOK III.
CONTENTS.
I' AGE
CHAPTER III.
STAGE EFFECTS.
CHAPTER IV.
THEATER SECRETS.
Traps-ThP Rwan in "Lohengrin "-The Floating Rhine Daughters in "Rheingold" -Tl~e " ~un Hohe "-The Ship on the Stage-:\liscellaneons Stage Effects-The DPstruction of the 'femple of Dagon-The Horse Race on the Stage-The Effects in " fii<>gfri<'d "-~ieg-friecl's Forge-Siegfried's Anvil-The Dragon Fafner \\' otan's Spear-The Bed of 'fulips an<l the Electric Firefly-The Electric Torch and Eledric Jewels-An Electrkal Duel-The Skirt Dance, . 311
CHAPTER V.
CHAPTER VI.
CIIAPTEH VII.
CilAJ>Tl•~n VIII.
GO.~.YT E.~.VTS.
BOOK IV.
CHAPTER I.
AUTO::IL\TA.
Automaton Chess Players-The Automaton Chess Playe1·-A Curious Automaton-The Toy Artist-A Steam ~Ian,
CHAPTER II.
Cumocs ToYs.
An Optical Illusion-The l\Ioney ~faker-Experiments in Centrifugal Force and Gravity-The ~Iagic Hose-Electrical Toys-The Electric Hace Course-~Iag netic Oracle-The Dancers-An Ancient Counterpart of a ~Iodern Toy-C n balanced Toy Acrobats-Columbus's Egg-JacoU':; Ladder-The ~Iikado-A Toy
xi
367
Interesting Tricks in Elasticit~·-X ovel Puzzle-Simple ~latch Trick-Crystallized Ornaments-~Iagical Apparition on \Yhite Paper-:\fagic Portrait>'-.-\. Trick Opera Glass-A Toy llircl that Flies-The Planchette Table-Japanese ~lagic Mirrors-l\Iagic l\Iirrors, . 40G
BOOKY.
:xii CONTENTS.
CHAPTER II.
CHRONOPIIOTOGRAPHY.
PAGE Chronophotography-The Registration and A11alysis of the l\1o\'ements of Men, Animals,
Birds, Fishes, Insects, etc.-Amateur Chronophotographic Apparatus, . 462
CHAPTER III.
THE PROJECTION OF l\J OYING PICTURES.
The Edison Kinetograph-Heynan<l's Optkal Theater-Electric Tachyscope-Apparatus for Projecting l\Ioving Pictures by the Denwny, JPnkins, Lumiere, and Other Forms of Apparatus-The Kinetoscupe Stereopticon-The l\I utoscope and the l\1 utograph, with Illustrations of l\Ioving Objects-" Cinematograph" Camera -Camera for Ribbon Photography.-The Micromotoscope, . 488
APPENDIX.
ADDITIONAL TRICKS.
Th<> :\fag-ic Table-'' Oone "-The Spider and the Fly-The Trunk Trick-" La Stro- l>eika Pcrsane''-" l\f Ptem psyclwsis," 519
BIBLlOGitAPHY OF \VORKS ON NATURAL MAGIC, • 539
INDEX, 553
INCLUDING TRICK: PIIOTOGRAPHY.
BY IIENitY RIDGELY EVANS.
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 magi cians of Egypt, according to the Dible chronicle, contended against Aaron, at the court of Pharaoh. 'l'he Hebrew prophet "cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent. 'l'hen 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 cast down every man his rod and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods." [Exodus vii. 10, 11, 12.]
The late Hobert H eller, prestidigitateur, tnwcler in the Orient, and skeptic, once told me that he had seen this feat performed in Cairo many times by the Dervishes. 'rhc rods actually were serpents and hypnotized to such an extent as to become perfectly stiff and rigid. \Vhcn thrown npon the earth a11d recalled to life lJy sundry mystic passes and strokes, they crawled away alive and hideous as ever. Said Heller: "It "'as in the open air that I saw this strange feat _performed. Transferred to the gloomy an<lience chamber of some old palace, where th e high roof is supported hy pondl'l'OliS stone colnmns painted "·ith hieroglyphics. where rows of h1ack marl>l0 sphinxes stare at you with unfathomable eyes, where the mise rn sr(me is awe-inspiring -this trick of the rods tnrning into serpents becomes doubly impressi\Te, and indeed to the uninitiated a miracle."
In the British l\Insenm is an Egyptian pap~rrns, which contains an account of a magical seance given by a certain 'rchatcha-em-nnkh before King Khufu, B.C. 37GG. In this manuscript it is stated of the magician: "He knoweth how to bind on a head which hath been cnt off. he knoweth how to make a lion follow him as if led by a rope, and he knoweth the number of the stars of the
fN1'RODtJCTION.
house (constellation) of Thoth." The decapitation trick is thus no new thing, while the experiment performed with the lion, undouLtcdly a hypnotic feat,
sho"·s hypnotism to be old. 'rhe art of natural magic, then, elates back to the remotest periods of an
tiquity. It was an art cultivated by the Egyptian, Chaldean, Jewish, Homan, and Grecian priesthoods, Leing used Ly them to dupe the ignorant masses. \\eeping and Lleeding statues, temple doors that flew open with thunderous sound and apparently Ly supernatural means, ana perpetual lamps that flamed foreYer in the tombs of holy men, were some of the thaumaturgic feats of the P<~gan priests. Heron, a Greek mechanician and mathematician, who lived in the second cent nry before Christ, wrote several interesting treatises on auto mata and magical appliances, used in the ancient temples. Colonel .I\. De Hochas. in an interesting work Les Origines de la 8c£ence, has giYcn in drtail JJ eron·8 accounts of i lwf'e wo11<lerful automata and experiments in natural magic. St. IIippolytus, one of the Fathers of the early Christian Church, also <lescriLccl and exposc<l in his works many of these wonders.
Magic is divided, according to old writers on the occult, into: lYhite nwgt~c, J1lrt ck magic, and .X errmnancy. :ilio<1ern magic, or conjuring. is divided ],y UoLcrt-IT ouclin into five classes, as follows:
1. F E ATS OF ])E XTEitrTY. 'l'lw han(ls and tongue being the only means n;;c<l for t he pro<1uction of these illusions.
2. ExPF;HDlENTS IN NATURAL ::\[AGIU, Expedients derived from the sci < ~ ncc:s, and which arc worked in combination with feats of dexterity, the colllhine<l result constituting" conjuring tricks."
3. 1\IE NTAL Cox J U RING. A control acquired over the will of the spectator; sec ret t h<mght rend by nn ingeni011s sy:stem of diagnosis, and sometimes com pell e(l t o i nk<' a parti cular direction lJy certnin suLtlc artifices.
4. L'H ETEX J> E l> 1\T ES)IERIS:M. Imitation of mesmeric phenomena, sccond :-:i.!.(' ld, <·lain·oymwe, <l i ,·ination, tranc·e, catnlcpsy.
ii. Jf Ellll1)1KIII I' . ~pi1·itnali:-;m or prctcmlcd evocation of spirits, table- turning. rapping :mel writing, 1nystrrions eahinds, etc.
I n l l1r .:\1 i<l <lle Ag<'s Ill:lg ic \\':lH g rrnt ly in vogllc :m<l W<' rend strange stories of g]JoHtH. gol,li llH, :1 11<l g noiii<'S in ill<• litnratnre of that pc•riod. Shriveled 11l<l \1'11111 1'11 \\'<']'(' h u r iH •d at ih<' stake for the c·rime of witchcraft, monks in III<'ir glo11 my <·c·1ls \r n ~~·dl<'<l \rith Nntnn and the powers of <lnrkncss, and grimy" :Ikii<'Illi:·ds toilc·d <l<~,Y :1 11<1 ni ght o1•er ilic red fires of their fnrnaccs, seeking in \':Jill for tlH· t:dis1nanie p]Iilosopll r r \; f·doil<' :m<l won<lrOliS elixir of life. \Vith th<• nirl of tl1c f•OJ1<':1YP lllil'l'or, lll:lgic·i:ms of il1c perio(l wrrc able to pro<1nce "~'~'.Y fnir gl1oHt ill11sions to g ull n Rll f' <·c ptihlc pnl,Jic. Henv<'lllli.o Cellini chron ic·lc•f' OIIC' in IIi:;; fnsc·in:li ing atd ohi ogTnphy.
f'c·llini, ns gllilt·]c·~s as n <·IJi]cl in 111:1ttC'rs of sriPIH'e, d<•f'iring to stml.v sor f'f'l'j', :tppli•·d t.o n Ni('ilirm pric ~:;; t. wl10 wns n professed clnlJLler in the occult
INTRODUOTI01Y. 3
art. One dark night they repaired to the rnins of the Coliseum, at nome; the monk d.cscribccl a cirele on the ground and placed him::;elf ancl the great gol<l smith within its mystic outlines; a fire \\'as built. intoxi~ating perfumes cnst on it, and soon an impcnctrn blc smoke arose. 'l'he man of the cowl then \\'aYcd his wand in the air, pronounced sundry calJali:;tic words, tm<l legions of clemons were seen dancing in the air, to the great terror of Cellini. 'rllC
story of this spirit seance reads like an ~habian talc. hut it is cnsi ly explainable. The priest had a lJrothcr confederate c:one:eall·<1 among the ruins, wl1o manipu lated a conca,·c mirror, by means of which painted images were throw11 on the smoke. Later on 1\ostrnclamns conjured np the Yision of the future King of },ranee for the hencfit of the loYely ~farie cle Mcclie:is. 'l'his lllnsion was ac complished by the aiel of mirrors adroitly secreted amid hanging draperies.
II.
\
INTRODUCTION.
cleYils (Joseph's boon companions " ·ith cork-blackened visages) rushed from behind the rocks, pouuced npun the goldsmith, and nearly beat him to death with their pitchforks. 'rhe enchanter, in onler to escape the vengeance of the furious l\Iarano, was compelled to flee his native city. In company with a Greek, Althotas, he visited various places-Greece, Egypt, Arabia, Persia, Hhodes, 1\Ialta, Naples, Venice and Rome. According to his own account, he studied alchemy at l\Ialta in the laboratory of Pinto, Grand 1\Taster of the Knights of Malta and St. J olm. At Rome he married a beautiful girl, Lorenza F eliciani, daughter of a girdle maker, who proved of great assistance to him in his impostures. 'rhey travelled over Europe in a coach-and-four with a retinue of servants garbed in gorgeons liveries. Balsamo changed his name to the high-sounding title of the Comte de Cagliostro, and scattered money right and left. " .At Stras1Jonrg,'' says one of his biographers, "he reaped an abnntlant harvest by professing the art of making old people young; in which pretension he was seconded lJy his wife, Lorenza Feliciani, who, though only twenty years of age, dl•clared that she was sixty and that she hall a son a Yeteran in the Dutrh service." Cagliostro also pretend eel·. to be of a great age. and solemnly declared that he had hobnobbed with Alexander and Julius C\e~ar ; that he \Yas present at the burning of nome under Nero and ·was an eye-witness of the crucifixion of Christ. Cardinal de Rohan, of France, who hecam c a firm belieYer in the pretensions of the charlatan. entertained him in Paris, introducing him to that gay world of the Old Regime which went out f orcYer with the French HeYolution. This was in 1785. All Paris went will!. on'r the enchanter, and thronged to his magieal soirees at l1is residence in the Hue St. Claude. Cagliostro coined money in the French capital with 11 is ~puriou s I•:gyptinn J:ite of Freemasonry, which promised to its Yotaries the }pngth of life of the Noachites, and superhuman power over nature and her lnws. lmlJert ~aint- ... \111aml. the interesting anthor of" 1\farie Antoinette and tlw I·:nd of t he Old H{•gime,'' says (Scribner Edition): "'l'he mania for the ~upernabtraL il1 c r:~ ge for the lll:li'Yl'lons, prt>vailed in the last years of the <.·ight <'<'Jitll e<· td u ry, wh i(' h ltad w:mt only cleri<lccl e\'ery ~acre<l thing. N<'vcr \r<'l'<' the I :o~i<·ru eian s , tlw ndPpt s, Rnrecrers. and prophets RO m1merons and so I'<'~IH'<·i<·<l. ~c· r i ot ls nll<l eull<·ai<·<l lllt>ll, m:1gistrates, courti<' rR, declared them ~<·lr<·s <'}'<'-wi t m·~s< · s of all<·ge<l 1niracles. '\Yhcn Cngliostro came to FrniJ<·<·, lH~ fou n<l t IH ~ gnnm<l prcparc<l for l1is magical operations. A socic•ty <'<lg<·r for <li~l.rndi on s nll<l <'IIH>tionR, ill<lnlge<l to every form of extravnganec, Jl<•< · f·~ s :Jrily w<·l< ·ot ll<'d sn<·h a 111:111 :J]](1lwilt·d him as its gni<lc. \Vhc·nee did he <'lllll<'r \rl1:ti was lli s <·otmtry, his age, his origin? \Ylwre <lid he get those <·xtrnonlill:ti'Y <limnoml s w1Jielr:l<lonl<'<lhis clrc>ss. tl1c gnl<l whirh he sqnamlerc>d ~~~ fn·<'ly? rt was all :t myst<'ry. Ro far as was known, Cagliostro had no n·sonrr·r·s, n o 1<·1 h~r of < · n~cl it, aml yet he ]ivcfl in ]uxn ry. He treatcfl and (·nr<·d th" poor \r itl1 o ttl pay, :mel not s:ttisfiPfl with restoring tlwm to health, he
Jna<lc thett t large presents of money. Ilis generosity to the poor, his scorn for
INTRODUCTION. 5
the great, aroused universal enthusiasm. The Germans, who lived on legends, imagined that he was the \Vandering Jew. Speaking a strange gib berish, which ·was neither French nor ltalian, ,,·ith which he mingled a jargon which he did not translate, but called Arabic, he used to recite with solemn emphasis the most absurd fables. \\"hen he repeated his conversation with the angel of light and the angel of darkness, "\rhen he spoke of the great secret of l\Icmphis, of the IIierophant,…
CO~IPILED AND EDITED llY
ALBERT A. HOPI{INS EDITOR OF THE" SCIENTIFIC Al\IEIUCAN CYCLOPEDIA OF RECEIPTS, NOTES AND QUERIES," ETC.
WITH AN I NTRODUCTION llY
HENRY RIDGELY EVANS AUTHOR OF "HOURS WITH THE GHOSTS: OR, XIX. CENTURY WITCHCRAFT," ETC.
WITH FOUR HU.LVDRED ILLD"STRATIONS
LI~IITED
1897
EN'I'ERED AT STATIONERS' HALL, LONDON, El\GLAND
The articles u:;ed from the SCIENTH'IC .AliiEHlCAN ancl the ScrE:\TIFIC .A ;IJEHIC.\N f:PPPLEMENT
are copyrighted
'fliE 1-iKIH'l' DAN('Jr,.
PREF.1\._CE .
It is believed that the present work occupies a nnique field in the exten sive literature of magic. 'rhere are already a large number of treatises on natural magic and legerdemain, bnt in most of them very little attention has been given to the expose of stage illnsions, which are of g1·eat 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 siecle presticligitateur. In the present work great attention has been paid to elaborate tricks of this natnre, and in many cases the e.Yposes ha,·c been obtained from the prestidigitateurs themselves. In the first few chapters many of the best illusions of Robert-Houdin, Dr. Lynn, Professor Pepper, Bautier de Kolta, Heller, Herrmann, 1\Iaskelyne and Cooke, and Kellar will be found clearly explained.
Conjuring tricks have been by no means neglected, but the number of them which are given has been limited~ owing to the fact that many of the books on magic have gone into this snhject qnite extensi,·ely. \ rentriloqnism. shadowgraphy, mental magi<~, etc., will also be fonnd treated in the present work.
The chapters relating to "Ancient "J[agic" take up the temple tricks of the ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Roman thanmatnrgists, as well as a nmnbcr of automata which arc very interesting in view of their ,·ery early epoch. It is believed this will be found a particularly entertaining fcatnrc of the hook.
'rhere is always a great charm about the stage, and the methods of prOlluc ing the effects which gi,·e realism to the drama. 'l'he chapters dc,·oted to "Theatrical Science" will he found to contain a ,·ery large m1mber of effects and illusions, many. of which are here presented for the first time. 'rhns an entire opera, " Siegfried," is taken np, and the methods by which the "·on derful effects are obtained are fnlly illustrated and described. Snch amnse ments as cycloramas, the nautical arena_, and fireworks with dramatic acces sories are not neglected.
The chapters on "Automata" and "Curious Toys" describe many inter esting tricks and mechanisms of an amnsi11g nature.
The last few chapters of the book deal with " Photographic Di,·ersiontl. '' and here will be fonnd some of the most cnrion~ and interesting trick~; awl deceptions which may be performed by the aid of photography. 'rhe practical side of scientific photography will also be found represented. The chapter
vi PREFACE.
on "Chronophotography" describes the photography of moving objects of dl kinds, and shows how the resnlts obtainecl are of valne to the saraut. The projection of moriug pictures 11pon a screen is thoronghly treated, a 11nmber of different forms of the apparatus being described.
The introrlnction is a nniqne featnre of the work, being written by ~[r. Henry Hitlge1y Emns. of \Yashington, D. C., anthor of "Hours with the Ghosts ; or, Xinetcenth Centnry \ritchcraft." It contains a brief but remarkably complete hi1:)tory of magic a1't from the e:1rliest times to the p1·esent date_. especial attention being give11 to anmsing inciclents in the careers of celebratetl necromancers. This Iutrotlnct.ion will be fom11l one of the most entertaining parts of the present book. .Mr. Evans has also contributed two chapters-one on ·• :3haclo,rgraphy," or "Treweyism." as it has been called, in honor of )I. I•'elician 'l'rewcy, the classic exponent of the art ; the other on ''.:\I ental )lagic," o1· second-sight experiment.. 'J'he chapter on "Shadow graphy" is Hot only interesting bee<lll8C of the e:IJJOse of the art of tl1eatrical f.:ilhonette-nwki11g, bnt on aceonnt of the sketch of the life antl adventnres of .:\1. 'J'rewey. who if' a personal friend of the writer. Mr. Entns is also the compiler of the excellent Bibliogmphy which conclntles the book. Thongh thio Bibliograpl1y makes no preten::;e Lo ahsolnte completeuess, it is believed to be more extem;i,·c than any other bibliography of the snbjeet, and it will Le found of great valne to the stmlent of psychology. as well as to the student of modern magic. Other acknowleLlgments are clue to .:\Ir. \Yilliam E. Robinson, the we11-k:Jlown pret:itidigitatenr, for many snggestirms _;.tnd favors and for important help in runnection with the Bibliography; ~Ir. Hobinson having a very re!llarknhle r-olledion of Looks npon magic. which he has gathered at home and abroad clnring a long period. \Ye are also indebted to 1\Ir. II. J. Burlingame, of Chinago, for permission to 11se extracts from his writings and for :issistance in the Bibliography.
The matter fur the present work is very largely compiled from articles \\'}Jich ha,·e appeared in the ''Scientific A111erican" aud the ''Scientific American Supplcmeut," with the addition of much 1natcrinl hitherto nnpnb lit'lll'<L Esp<.:'r·ial acknowlc<lglllents arc due to our French all<1 German con tenquJrari(•f.:. part.icular1.Y .. fAt .J.Y((/IIre." rrhe section 011 "Aneicut Magic" i:-: 1ak!·ll allll(Jst wltolly from the articles of Colonel .A. de Hoehn::; in "La .. \ .fl!ln·r·." 'l'he~u artiul(~o were afterw:mh; amplit1e(1 hy him and pub]i:-;hed in a r11o:-;l. iJILl're."'tillg hook (mLitletl '· IA~s Or/,lj/1/es de la Science." It is hoped lind. the pn·s<~llt work will prove entertai11ing to those who arc fond of the
arl '"''!li'J'"'·
INTRODUCTION.
Ancient Magic-Division qf l\Ingic-Cagliostro-Hobertson-Comte de Chisi-Rohert Houdiu-Carl Herrmann-Signor Blitz-Hobert Heller-Alexander Herrruann- Bautier de Kolta-Harry Kellar, 1
BOOK I.
CHAPTEH I.
MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANC'ES.
"Vanity Fair"-" After the Flood "-" The .:\Iagic Palanquin''-" Cassadaga Propa ganda"-" The Appearing Lady "-" The Dbappearing Lady"-" The ~Iys
terious Trunk"-" The Indian Basket Trick"-" Decapitation "- " Spiritualistic Ties," .
CHAPTER II.
OPTICAL THIC'KS.
The "Cabaret du Neant "-The Thrt>e-Ht·ad(·d \Yoman-" Amphitrite"-" rhe :Mystery of Dr. Lynn ''-" Black Art "-ThP Talking Head-The Lh·ing Half. \\roman-" She"-" The Queen of FlowPrs "-The" Decapitated PriJH't>:,;s" -"Stella "-Homlin's :\Iagic Cabinet-A .:\Iystic l\Iaze-Platinized Glass-Statue giving a Double Image, .
CHAPTER III.
" Trilby " -The " Haunted Swing "-The "Scnrimobile "-The Xeooccultism-" The
5.)
viii CO.i.VTENTS.
CcrxJumxn THIC'KR.
Trick with an Egg and a Handkerchief-The Cone of Flowers-The Magic Hosebn:-;h " .:\lagic Flowers "-The "Birth of Flower::; ''-Tricks with a Hat-A Cuke Baked in a Hat-The Egg and Hat Trick-1\fnltiplication of Coins-l\lagic Coiu:s-The Dbsoldng Coin-The ~pirit Slates-Second Sight-~lagic Cabinets-The Travt>l ing Bottle and Ulass-Disappearance of an Apple anu a Xinepin-A Uo!Jlet of Ink l'onwrted into an A<piarinm-The lnYi:sible Journey of a Ulass of \\·ine-The \\·ine Changed to \\'ater-TLe Animated ~lonse-'fhe Sand Frame 'frick-
PAI_;E
Jng-gler:-;-The Leamy ReYolYing Trapeile-,Yalking on the Ceiling Head Down-The ~Iysterious Ball, 139
CHAPTER VI.
Fnm K\TF.ll~ AND ~WORD TRICKS.
Fin· Eat,·rs, Tri(·k:-; with Fir<·-A ~tab through the Abdomen-The 1luman 'rarget- Sword ~wallowers-Sword \\·alkei·-Danccrs on Glass, 14!)
C'IIAPTEH Ylf.
('IJAPTEH Yllf.
~JIAJ)<IWGitAPIIY.
!'lllldowgrapl1y-FreneL Shadows, .
~I 1<:1'\T.\ 1. :\1.\oiC.
Holu·J'I I l•·ll,·r-Sr·r·"'Hl Sigl1t-Tiw Bnldwins nJlll Rf•c'olHl ~ight-Rilent Thonght Trans fr· r(•Jwr~,
Hi-!
173
184
CONTENTS.
TKUPLE TmCKf; OF THE GnEEKS.
Puppet Shows among the Greeks-The Shrine of Bacchus-The First Automobile Vehicle-The Statue of Cybele-~IarYelous Altars-The :Machinery of the Temples -Sounding of Trnmpets when a Door was Opened-Opening and Closing Doors when a Fire was Lighted on the Altar-InYention in 1880 A.D. Ys. hn·ention n.c.
ix
PAGE
CHAPTEH II.
The Dicaiometer-:Miraculons Yessels-::\Iagical Pitchers-A pparatns for Permitting the l\Iixing of "rine and \Yater in Definite Proportions-The ::\Iagieal Bottle Ancient Urgans,
CHAPTER Ill.
The Eolipile of Herqn-Heron's l\IarYelons Altar-Heron's Tnbnlar Boiler, •
CHAPTER IV.
Perpetual Lamps-An Ancient Automaton-A Greek Toy-The Decapitated Drinking Horse-Odometers, , ~ao
BOOK III.
CONTENTS.
I' AGE
CHAPTER III.
STAGE EFFECTS.
CHAPTER IV.
THEATER SECRETS.
Traps-ThP Rwan in "Lohengrin "-The Floating Rhine Daughters in "Rheingold" -Tl~e " ~un Hohe "-The Ship on the Stage-:\liscellaneons Stage Effects-The DPstruction of the 'femple of Dagon-The Horse Race on the Stage-The Effects in " fii<>gfri<'d "-~ieg-friecl's Forge-Siegfried's Anvil-The Dragon Fafner \\' otan's Spear-The Bed of 'fulips an<l the Electric Firefly-The Electric Torch and Eledric Jewels-An Electrkal Duel-The Skirt Dance, . 311
CHAPTER V.
CHAPTER VI.
CIIAPTEH VII.
CilAJ>Tl•~n VIII.
GO.~.YT E.~.VTS.
BOOK IV.
CHAPTER I.
AUTO::IL\TA.
Automaton Chess Players-The Automaton Chess Playe1·-A Curious Automaton-The Toy Artist-A Steam ~Ian,
CHAPTER II.
Cumocs ToYs.
An Optical Illusion-The l\Ioney ~faker-Experiments in Centrifugal Force and Gravity-The ~Iagic Hose-Electrical Toys-The Electric Hace Course-~Iag netic Oracle-The Dancers-An Ancient Counterpart of a ~Iodern Toy-C n balanced Toy Acrobats-Columbus's Egg-JacoU':; Ladder-The ~Iikado-A Toy
xi
367
Interesting Tricks in Elasticit~·-X ovel Puzzle-Simple ~latch Trick-Crystallized Ornaments-~Iagical Apparition on \Yhite Paper-:\fagic Portrait>'-.-\. Trick Opera Glass-A Toy llircl that Flies-The Planchette Table-Japanese ~lagic Mirrors-l\Iagic l\Iirrors, . 40G
BOOKY.
:xii CONTENTS.
CHAPTER II.
CHRONOPIIOTOGRAPHY.
PAGE Chronophotography-The Registration and A11alysis of the l\1o\'ements of Men, Animals,
Birds, Fishes, Insects, etc.-Amateur Chronophotographic Apparatus, . 462
CHAPTER III.
THE PROJECTION OF l\J OYING PICTURES.
The Edison Kinetograph-Heynan<l's Optkal Theater-Electric Tachyscope-Apparatus for Projecting l\Ioving Pictures by the Denwny, JPnkins, Lumiere, and Other Forms of Apparatus-The Kinetoscupe Stereopticon-The l\I utoscope and the l\1 utograph, with Illustrations of l\Ioving Objects-" Cinematograph" Camera -Camera for Ribbon Photography.-The Micromotoscope, . 488
APPENDIX.
ADDITIONAL TRICKS.
Th<> :\fag-ic Table-'' Oone "-The Spider and the Fly-The Trunk Trick-" La Stro- l>eika Pcrsane''-" l\f Ptem psyclwsis," 519
BIBLlOGitAPHY OF \VORKS ON NATURAL MAGIC, • 539
INDEX, 553
INCLUDING TRICK: PIIOTOGRAPHY.
BY IIENitY RIDGELY EVANS.
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 magi cians of Egypt, according to the Dible chronicle, contended against Aaron, at the court of Pharaoh. 'l'he Hebrew prophet "cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent. 'l'hen 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 cast down every man his rod and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods." [Exodus vii. 10, 11, 12.]
The late Hobert H eller, prestidigitateur, tnwcler in the Orient, and skeptic, once told me that he had seen this feat performed in Cairo many times by the Dervishes. 'rhc rods actually were serpents and hypnotized to such an extent as to become perfectly stiff and rigid. \Vhcn thrown npon the earth a11d recalled to life lJy sundry mystic passes and strokes, they crawled away alive and hideous as ever. Said Heller: "It "'as in the open air that I saw this strange feat _performed. Transferred to the gloomy an<lience chamber of some old palace, where th e high roof is supported hy pondl'l'OliS stone colnmns painted "·ith hieroglyphics. where rows of h1ack marl>l0 sphinxes stare at you with unfathomable eyes, where the mise rn sr(me is awe-inspiring -this trick of the rods tnrning into serpents becomes doubly impressi\Te, and indeed to the uninitiated a miracle."
In the British l\Insenm is an Egyptian pap~rrns, which contains an account of a magical seance given by a certain 'rchatcha-em-nnkh before King Khufu, B.C. 37GG. In this manuscript it is stated of the magician: "He knoweth how to bind on a head which hath been cnt off. he knoweth how to make a lion follow him as if led by a rope, and he knoweth the number of the stars of the
fN1'RODtJCTION.
house (constellation) of Thoth." The decapitation trick is thus no new thing, while the experiment performed with the lion, undouLtcdly a hypnotic feat,
sho"·s hypnotism to be old. 'rhe art of natural magic, then, elates back to the remotest periods of an
tiquity. It was an art cultivated by the Egyptian, Chaldean, Jewish, Homan, and Grecian priesthoods, Leing used Ly them to dupe the ignorant masses. \\eeping and Lleeding statues, temple doors that flew open with thunderous sound and apparently Ly supernatural means, ana perpetual lamps that flamed foreYer in the tombs of holy men, were some of the thaumaturgic feats of the P<~gan priests. Heron, a Greek mechanician and mathematician, who lived in the second cent nry before Christ, wrote several interesting treatises on auto mata and magical appliances, used in the ancient temples. Colonel .I\. De Hochas. in an interesting work Les Origines de la 8c£ence, has giYcn in drtail JJ eron·8 accounts of i lwf'e wo11<lerful automata and experiments in natural magic. St. IIippolytus, one of the Fathers of the early Christian Church, also <lescriLccl and exposc<l in his works many of these wonders.
Magic is divided, according to old writers on the occult, into: lYhite nwgt~c, J1lrt ck magic, and .X errmnancy. :ilio<1ern magic, or conjuring. is divided ],y UoLcrt-IT ouclin into five classes, as follows:
1. F E ATS OF ])E XTEitrTY. 'l'lw han(ls and tongue being the only means n;;c<l for t he pro<1uction of these illusions.
2. ExPF;HDlENTS IN NATURAL ::\[AGIU, Expedients derived from the sci < ~ ncc:s, and which arc worked in combination with feats of dexterity, the colllhine<l result constituting" conjuring tricks."
3. 1\IE NTAL Cox J U RING. A control acquired over the will of the spectator; sec ret t h<mght rend by nn ingeni011s sy:stem of diagnosis, and sometimes com pell e(l t o i nk<' a parti cular direction lJy certnin suLtlc artifices.
4. L'H ETEX J> E l> 1\T ES)IERIS:M. Imitation of mesmeric phenomena, sccond :-:i.!.(' ld, <·lain·oymwe, <l i ,·ination, tranc·e, catnlcpsy.
ii. Jf Ellll1)1KIII I' . ~pi1·itnali:-;m or prctcmlcd evocation of spirits, table- turning. rapping :mel writing, 1nystrrions eahinds, etc.
I n l l1r .:\1 i<l <lle Ag<'s Ill:lg ic \\':lH g rrnt ly in vogllc :m<l W<' rend strange stories of g]JoHtH. gol,li llH, :1 11<l g noiii<'S in ill<• litnratnre of that pc•riod. Shriveled 11l<l \1'11111 1'11 \\'<']'(' h u r iH •d at ih<' stake for the c·rime of witchcraft, monks in III<'ir glo11 my <·c·1ls \r n ~~·dl<'<l \rith Nntnn and the powers of <lnrkncss, and grimy" :Ikii<'Illi:·ds toilc·d <l<~,Y :1 11<1 ni ght o1•er ilic red fires of their fnrnaccs, seeking in \':Jill for tlH· t:dis1nanie p]Iilosopll r r \; f·doil<' :m<l won<lrOliS elixir of life. \Vith th<• nirl of tl1c f•OJ1<':1YP lllil'l'or, lll:lgic·i:ms of il1c perio(l wrrc able to pro<1nce "~'~'.Y fnir gl1oHt ill11sions to g ull n Rll f' <·c ptihlc pnl,Jic. Henv<'lllli.o Cellini chron ic·lc•f' OIIC' in IIi:;; fnsc·in:li ing atd ohi ogTnphy.
f'c·llini, ns gllilt·]c·~s as n <·IJi]cl in 111:1ttC'rs of sriPIH'e, d<•f'iring to stml.v sor f'f'l'j', :tppli•·d t.o n Ni('ilirm pric ~:;; t. wl10 wns n professed clnlJLler in the occult
INTRODUOTI01Y. 3
art. One dark night they repaired to the rnins of the Coliseum, at nome; the monk d.cscribccl a cirele on the ground and placed him::;elf ancl the great gol<l smith within its mystic outlines; a fire \\'as built. intoxi~ating perfumes cnst on it, and soon an impcnctrn blc smoke arose. 'l'he man of the cowl then \\'aYcd his wand in the air, pronounced sundry calJali:;tic words, tm<l legions of clemons were seen dancing in the air, to the great terror of Cellini. 'rllC
story of this spirit seance reads like an ~habian talc. hut it is cnsi ly explainable. The priest had a lJrothcr confederate c:one:eall·<1 among the ruins, wl1o manipu lated a conca,·c mirror, by means of which painted images were throw11 on the smoke. Later on 1\ostrnclamns conjured np the Yision of the future King of },ranee for the hencfit of the loYely ~farie cle Mcclie:is. 'l'his lllnsion was ac complished by the aiel of mirrors adroitly secreted amid hanging draperies.
II.
\
INTRODUCTION.
cleYils (Joseph's boon companions " ·ith cork-blackened visages) rushed from behind the rocks, pouuced npun the goldsmith, and nearly beat him to death with their pitchforks. 'rhe enchanter, in onler to escape the vengeance of the furious l\Iarano, was compelled to flee his native city. In company with a Greek, Althotas, he visited various places-Greece, Egypt, Arabia, Persia, Hhodes, 1\Ialta, Naples, Venice and Rome. According to his own account, he studied alchemy at l\Ialta in the laboratory of Pinto, Grand 1\Taster of the Knights of Malta and St. J olm. At Rome he married a beautiful girl, Lorenza F eliciani, daughter of a girdle maker, who proved of great assistance to him in his impostures. 'rhey travelled over Europe in a coach-and-four with a retinue of servants garbed in gorgeons liveries. Balsamo changed his name to the high-sounding title of the Comte de Cagliostro, and scattered money right and left. " .At Stras1Jonrg,'' says one of his biographers, "he reaped an abnntlant harvest by professing the art of making old people young; in which pretension he was seconded lJy his wife, Lorenza Feliciani, who, though only twenty years of age, dl•clared that she was sixty and that she hall a son a Yeteran in the Dutrh service." Cagliostro also pretend eel·. to be of a great age. and solemnly declared that he had hobnobbed with Alexander and Julius C\e~ar ; that he \Yas present at the burning of nome under Nero and ·was an eye-witness of the crucifixion of Christ. Cardinal de Rohan, of France, who hecam c a firm belieYer in the pretensions of the charlatan. entertained him in Paris, introducing him to that gay world of the Old Regime which went out f orcYer with the French HeYolution. This was in 1785. All Paris went will!. on'r the enchanter, and thronged to his magieal soirees at l1is residence in the Hue St. Claude. Cagliostro coined money in the French capital with 11 is ~puriou s I•:gyptinn J:ite of Freemasonry, which promised to its Yotaries the }pngth of life of the Noachites, and superhuman power over nature and her lnws. lmlJert ~aint- ... \111aml. the interesting anthor of" 1\farie Antoinette and tlw I·:nd of t he Old H{•gime,'' says (Scribner Edition): "'l'he mania for the ~upernabtraL il1 c r:~ ge for the lll:li'Yl'lons, prt>vailed in the last years of the <.·ight <'<'Jitll e<· td u ry, wh i(' h ltad w:mt only cleri<lccl e\'ery ~acre<l thing. N<'vcr \r<'l'<' the I :o~i<·ru eian s , tlw ndPpt s, Rnrecrers. and prophets RO m1merons and so I'<'~IH'<·i<·<l. ~c· r i ot ls nll<l eull<·ai<·<l lllt>ll, m:1gistrates, courti<' rR, declared them ~<·lr<·s <'}'<'-wi t m·~s< · s of all<·ge<l 1niracles. '\Yhcn Cngliostro came to FrniJ<·<·, lH~ fou n<l t IH ~ gnnm<l prcparc<l for l1is magical operations. A socic•ty <'<lg<·r for <li~l.rndi on s nll<l <'IIH>tionR, ill<lnlge<l to every form of extravnganec, Jl<•< · f·~ s :Jrily w<·l< ·ot ll<'d sn<·h a 111:111 :J]](1lwilt·d him as its gni<lc. \Vhc·nee did he <'lllll<'r \rl1:ti was lli s <·otmtry, his age, his origin? \Ylwre <lid he get those <·xtrnonlill:ti'Y <limnoml s w1Jielr:l<lonl<'<lhis clrc>ss. tl1c gnl<l whirh he sqnamlerc>d ~~~ fn·<'ly? rt was all :t myst<'ry. Ro far as was known, Cagliostro had no n·sonrr·r·s, n o 1<·1 h~r of < · n~cl it, aml yet he ]ivcfl in ]uxn ry. He treatcfl and (·nr<·d th" poor \r itl1 o ttl pay, :mel not s:ttisfiPfl with restoring tlwm to health, he
Jna<lc thett t large presents of money. Ilis generosity to the poor, his scorn for
INTRODUCTION. 5
the great, aroused universal enthusiasm. The Germans, who lived on legends, imagined that he was the \Vandering Jew. Speaking a strange gib berish, which ·was neither French nor ltalian, ,,·ith which he mingled a jargon which he did not translate, but called Arabic, he used to recite with solemn emphasis the most absurd fables. \\"hen he repeated his conversation with the angel of light and the angel of darkness, "\rhen he spoke of the great secret of l\Icmphis, of the IIierophant,…
