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The
TRICK
BRAIN

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CHAPTER FOURTEEN

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Probably the most publicized effect in magic is overcoming the law of gravity. The effect as presented by magicians has taken a great variety of forms, and many types of things, in addition to human beings, have been caused to seem to float or rest suspended in air.

Yet despite the attention that has been focused upon this effect, despite the references in world literature, despite even the determined attempts of the world's most ingenious inventor-magicians, the methods at the disposal of the performer are extremely few and, unfortunately, mechanically crude.

Undoubtedly the first form of the effect is that known as the suspension in air. Here the subjects merely seem to rest in air, unmoving, without visible physical support.

Originally the subject seemed to float with his hands or elbows in contact with some connection to the earth. These supports were in pairs. They were swords, sticks, brooms and other similar objects.

But the supporting objects were not entirely what they seemed. They were specially constructed, firmly anchored both to the earth and to a cradle or harness that the subject wore beneath his clothing. Then, as stronger materials became available, one of the supports was discarded. This meant that the remaining support carried the entire weight of the subject.

Under special conditions, even the one remaining support was finally discarded. This was made possible by utilizing highly polished metal columns which reflected side drapes as the background curtains. In other cases the support was covered with a material to match the background, the lighting being carefully controlled, as in the black art principle.

Even today the suspension is being used. In its modern form it is little different from that of several decades ago, except that attempts have been made to use less suspicious-looking supports. Instead of sticks, swords and the like, saw horses or chairs have been used. Instead of the hidden harness, in the more simplified forms a narrow board has been used. Usually the board is laid across chairs or saw horses. The performer steps behind the subject and makes the usual conventional passes, after which one or both supports are removed. This depends upon the type of suspension.

In some cases some type of connection to the chair or saw horse is used. This connection usually is built into the board and the necessary supports are hidden by the drapes on the board. The board may have some type of hook that goes over the top of the chair back. Since the board is resting at this location, the hook is hidden. In addition, some type of support, metal or wood, drops from the board, bracket-wise and rests against the chair back, to take the thrust. This, of course, is covered either by means of a drape fastened to the board or thrown over the subject. Frequently some portions of the subject's attire masks the support.

Heavy weights have been used, weights which shift the center of gravity to the chair seat or back. But for the most part these have been impractical. In this case the subject, still stretched upon a board, balances with the chair seat or chair back or saw horse as a fulcrum.

Where both supports are removed, usually an extended arm supports the board. This arm extends back of the subject's body, curves around the body of the performer, who must stand behind the subject, and finally drops to the floor, concealed behind the magician's feet and legs. Of course, a pedestal or some other accessory, apparently not connected with the trick at all, may be substituted to mask the support.

The support may even extend straight back to the back curtain, passing through and dropping to the floor behind. Where a relatively considerable space intervenes, the problem of masking the rod is difficult. Usually the subject wears a full costume, with ample material to considerably drape the apparatus.

Winston Freer startled magicians some years ago by performing a suspension while standing in the middle of a floor entirely surrounded. I didn't see this performed. But from questioning magicians who did, I am convinced that no new principles were involved. Mr. Freer wore a cape that could effectively conceal any support that might be attached to his body. The subject, invariably a small girl, was suspended in front of him, but the performer stood very close to the subject. Unquestionably he wore some type of mechanism which would support the body of the subject. It was probably some type of folding and locking contrivance that would permit him some freedom of movement before and after the trick.

Finally the effect of the figure actually rising was accomplished. A gear-driven or winch-driven column is installed beneath the platform. The performer stands immediately in front of this column. The subject rests in a metal cradle that is built into a back-less couch. At the top of the column is a gooseneck support that comes around the side of the magician's body and extends forward to engage the cradle. When the column is lifted, concealed behind the performer's body, the subject rises in the air. An S-shaped curve in the supporting lever permits the performer to pass a hoop back and forth across the subject's body.

Nowadays, in addition to the lifting column, which necessitates a hole in the floor of the stage or platform, this type of levitation is made with an arm or lever that extends back through the backdrop. Behind the rear curtain is a jack or a winch for levering up the subject. In addition, other forms have utilized a counter-balanced boom, which operates very much on the principle of the familiar teeter.

Some years ago a floating piano act was a feature in vaudeville. This utilized a counter-balanced boom that operated on a fulcrum that could be moved about on casters, Black art was used as the mode of concealing the support and the operator.

What has been considered the finest piece of magical apparatus in existence was the levitation machine devised by Maskelyne and later used in this country by Kellar and Thurston. The subject is supported by means of the usual cradle with an arm extending backwards after the usual gooseneck twist. To this arm are affixed three cross-members at right angles to the supporting arm and parallel with the floor. To the cross-member nearest the subject are affixed some thirty fine, but very strong, steel wires. These wires are not on the same plane but swing alternately towards and away from the subject as they spread fan-wise upwards to a framework hanging from pulleys on the gridiron.

The second cross-member is similarly connected to the framework above.

The wires on the third cross-member extend downwards in a similar manner and connect to a framework hanging below the stage. These wires fan away from each other as they descend. This lower framework is counterbalanced to the weight of the subject.

All of the wires connect to their respective frameworks by means of leaf springs.

With a striped background and with proper lighting, the wires, which are dull gunmetal in color, are absolutely invisible from the audience.

The levitation is accomplished by means of a winch offstage that lifts and lowers the entire assembly consisting of subject, supporting arm, the frameworks and the counterweight.

Later another type of levitation was used. This simplified the lifting problem because the human subject was exchanged for a black wire framework simulating the figure. The subject is exchanged in the couch or table while the performer is apparently covering him or her with a large sheet. Two invisible black, or suitably colored, threads lift the framework and its cloth covering.

Parenthetically, it might be stated that the subject is later caused to vanish by suddenly dropping the form, or swinging it way at a distance while the performer is jerking away the covering cloth.

Really, by now almost all of the possible basic principles have been suggested. Fundamentally we have discussed

concealed or disguised supports, and
invisible supports.

There still remain two more—magnetic repulsion, where the weight is not too great, and atmospheric pressure in connection with liquids.

The Floating Ball has soared in the air these many years by means of the dependable black thread. It has soared with an assistant on either side of the stage to control its movements, even with an assistant planted in the balcony to cause it to float above the heads of the audience. Greatest deception has been accomplished when the thread has been approximately horizontal with the stage. But it has also floated about while manipulated by the performer himself, one end of the thread securely anchored at one side of the stage, the thread thence crossing to the ball, to a pulley at the opposite side of the stage, with the other end finally extending to the performer. Many and varied are the intricate maneuvers with the hands and the body, by means of which the ball seems to take the most impossible paths.

But this same type of arrangement has caused many things to float—glowing electric lamps, glasses of milk, ghosts, handkerchiefs, lighted candles, bubbles even hats and dishpans. And, of course, cards.

Yet a simple loop of fine black thread, looped about the neck of the performer, has served admirably to permit the magician to walk over the footlights with the covered wired form simulating a human being. It has even permitted magicians to parade up and down the aisles of theaters with floating light globes and floating glasses of milk.

We have mentioned concealed support in connection with human subjects. But it has been used in some interesting ways in connection with inanimate objects. A lighted match, apparently balanced on a matchbox, seems to float mysteriously when lifted secretly by means of a fine black wire. A rope end, dropped into a narrow-necked vase, lifts the vase by means of a concealed connection with the vase neck, supplied by a small cork ball. A heavy ball-bearing seems to float in a whiskey glass of milk when it is supported by a layer of mercury concealed by the milk. A large silk handkerchief stands upon the stage floor quite without visible support, when its weight is carried by a steel rule concealed beneath its folds. Even a ball or an orange, threaded on a piece of cord, stops falling when it is checked by a brake concealed within its volume. Or with the proper sort of pulley arrangement, supplying the necessary leverage, a ball or a block or a piece of bamboo may be made to rise.

Both the rising cane and the rising wand are examples of levitation by means of concealed support, since the wand or cane conceals the thread or elastic cord that causes the object to rise.

Some years ago a clever rising and floating silk trick was put on the market. This uses a spring card reel in the vest pocket. A small tack is driven diagonally into the tabletop. As the magician reaches for the silk that has been left on the table, he clips the button at the end of the thread between his fingers. This button is hooked about the tack. The result is a fine black thread stretched between the table and the performer's pocket. Because of the "take-up" in the reel, some flexibility of movement is permitted the performer. The silk handkerchief is tied in a bowknot, tied about the invisible thread at the same time. The performer may approach the floating silk or back away from it, the reel maintaining the proper tension. Yet when he wishes the silk to descend, the performer merely arrests the action of the reel and inclines his body in the direction of the silk.

Spring reels, pinned in the pocket of the performer, strapped to the wrist or hidden within the fingers, have caused cards, handkerchiefs, cigarettes, balls of paper and many other light objects to rise in the air. They have been built into decks of cards. Larger reels, in addition to the familiar manpower at the end of a thread, have furnished the motive power for card fountains.

Yet a long length of human hair, pushed upward by an extended finger, has caused many small objects to rise in addition to selected cards.

We cannot overlook the possibilities in a blast of air as a means of secretly lifting a relatively light object. If the object is not too heavy, the air velocity may be sufficiently low to be inaudible. Otherwise, some auxiliary masking noise must be supplied.

Magnetic repulsion has long fascinated the magician as a possibility in performing the levitation. One magical writer even went so far as to herald the levitation of a human in very extravagant terms, this trick to be performed in a sensationally new manner. But the promised explanation, based on new principles, as he claimed, was not forthcoming. Acquaintances later advised me that the projected method was based on magnetic repulsion.

But this method has many technical drawbacks, as anyone acquainted with the principles of electrical engineering will confirm. General Electric Co. in their House of Magic demonstration did exhibit the levitation of a light metal pan, with magnetic repulsion supplying the force. But the device howled and growled in multiple decibels. It howled so loud that I shudder to think what a wailing would go up—perhaps equivalent in volume to one of those super air raid sirens—should the weight be increased to that of even the smallest of human beings.

Magnetic repulsion has been practical only in very small form. Such levitations, accomplished through this principle, are available in the form of small floating iron bars or small mummies at most magic dealers.

Magnetic attraction, however, has been used to a limited extent. A rising card trick, in which the card seems to push open the lid of a small box, is available. There is a small powerful magnet built into the box lid. The cards, which are forced, have a small metal insert in one end. The end of the desired card, which contains the metal insert, is brought to the top edge of the deck. This card adheres to the under side of the box lid. The performer levers up the box lid, which gives the impression that the card is pushing it up. When the card has been lifted to the desired height, it is detached from the lid and taken from the deck. Al Baker is the inventor of this method.

Robert Houdin is said to have used magnetism for an antigravity trick that he called The Light and Heavy Chest. Here the chest at will was made too heavy to lift or sufficiently light to be lifted. The secret was magnetism. When the magnetic current was on the chest clung to the floor.

Other examples of weight control have been seen in demonstrations such as that given by The Georgia Magnet. The basis of this act was secret leverage principles.

Some years ago there was invented a new weight variation trick. The effect was that several cylindrical containers were placed on a scale, first, the smaller one weighed more than the larger one. Then, when the two weights were placed on the scale their combined weight was less than either of the containers weighed singly. As I recall, there were several other variations in the routine.

In that form, the trick was a novelty of the puzzle type. However, enlarged, using humans as the subjects, this idea is capable of being developed into a highly amusing and entertaining trick.

I am not informed as to the method used in the original apparatus. As a matter of fact that detail is relatively unimportant. It is obvious that the solution must come from two places. Either quick control of the spring tension of the scale is available, or one or a combination of the methods already discussed must be used. Personally, I believe the solution rests upon invisible support, concealed support or magnetic control. Concealed support seems the most logical.

At any rate, this trick presents fertile ground for invention. An excellent routine is possible to the magician who should care to adapt this trick to a bathroom scale, or better, to a large scale such as that used by the weight-guessers at carnivals, parks and fairs.

Under this heading we must still mention atmospheric pressure, as used in connection with liquid tricks. The trick of suspending a tumbler full of water inverted is accomplished, as is well known, by means of a thin disc supported by the pressure of the atmosphere.

Close to this principle, but combining that of adhesion, are more recent tricks, such as Tip-See. Instead of the disc, a wire screen is used. This permits a wire or a hatpin to be pushed into the container while held inverted. More recently this principle has been further developed with the advent of a trick called Anti-Gravico. This is made possible by a small celluloid cap that fits tightly over the mouth of a ginger ale bottle. A considerably larger hole is in the center of this cap. More recently a cap has been produced to fit over the mouth of a tumbler. A crescent-shaped hole just off-center permits of even more variation.

We have yet to deal with suspensions accomplished through shifting the apparent center of gravity. Probably the oldest of tricks of this type is the wand which when laid upon a table, with three-quarters of its length extending beyond the table top, seems to rest suspended mysteriously. It is not difficult to guess that the wand is heavily weighted at the end resting on the table. This trick is complicated a bit when a shifting mercury weight is used in a hollow wand. The wand is so built that the mercury may be released generally, or retained at either end. <-|!*!|C|I|1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9|10|11|12|13|14|15|16|17|18|19|20|21|22|23|24|25|26|27|28|29|30|31|32|33|34|35|->
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