THE TABLE AND DRESS.
THE TABLE: ITS HEIGHT--THE BODY--THE SHELF--THE
LEGS--VANISHING AND CHANGING TRAPS--ON USELESS MECHANICAL
ARRANGEMENTS--SIDE TABLES--HOW TO PASS ARTICLES DOWN TRAPS:
VARIOUS METHODS--THE DRESS: POCKETS--THE VEST--HOW TO
COMMENCE--INTRODUCTORY TRICKS.
Of very important assistance in Grand Conjuring are the specially
prepared tables, of which one, two, or three will be used, according
to the size of the room. These tables differ from ordinary ones, in
the first place, by being considerably higher, their height being from
2ft. 10in. to 3ft. This is to render it unnecessary for the performer
to stoop when taking anything from or placing anything upon the table,
as the action would take away a great deal from an effective execution
of many things. The next important difference (unknown, however, to
the audience) is that the body of the table is a hollow box, of which
that side which is unseen by the spectators is perfectly open, and
is furthermore provided with a protruding shelf, technically called
the _servante_. This shelf is one of the conjuror's most invaluable
assistants. It is always at hand to receive any article which it is
desirable to get rid of, and is a patient holder of others which it
may be required, at a particular moment, to produce from an invisible
source, but which are too large to be concealed about the person. This
shelf should be about 5in. or 6in. broad, and should have the ends
either rounded or cut off obliquely. If this is not done, the shelf
will be noticed by persons standing or seated at the extreme sides
of the auditorium. The edge should be furnished with a small raised
beading, to prevent articles from falling off. The depth of the body
of the table should not exceed 6in., or it will excite suspicion and
remark. If the shelf is fitted to the body of the table by means of
hinges, it will be found a great convenience. It will never become
mislaid or knocked about, and so be either missing or useless when
most required; and it also enables one to use the body of the table as
a means for conveying the bulk of the conjuring apparatus. The legs
should be made to screw on and off, so as to increase the portability
of the whole; but see that the worm of the screw is long and deep, or
the table will be unsteady.
But, if the back of the table is mysterious, the top of it is still
more so. For the speedy, easy, and complete vanishing of objects,
particularly solids, it has been found convenient to fit the tops
of tables with spring traps, which, yielding to certain pressure,
resume their position when it is removed. Judiciously used, these
traps are very useful, and the results attained by their use are
most bewildering. In a table 36in. by 18in. (a very convenient size)
there should be a round trap, 3-1/2in. to 4in. in diameter, in each
front corner, and an oblong trap, 9in. by 5in., in the centre. These
traps are made of zinc; but I would recommend no one to attempt
manufacturing them at home whilst they can be purchased so reasonably
at conjuring trick repositories. I would certainly recommend having
the table itself made, under personal supervision, by a carpenter,
who will let the traps into the top of the table. The ordinary
price for a 4in. trap is about 7s. 6d. There are many elaborate
mechanical traps devised for changing articles, but I have never
found them of much assistance in the hands of amateurs, so cannot
conscientiously recommend them. There are also several methods for
arranging piston rods, which work up and down by means of a string
drawn by a confederate at the side or rear, or by electricity. But
such assistance is so seldom required by the amateur conjuror, that
I cannot recommend him to encumber his table with more than three
traps. Everything beyond this he will find an unnecessary expense.
The amateur will also find that his sphere will be continually
changed, one day performing at this friend's house and the next day at
another's. Hence he will be unable to produce the results which are
attainable only by those who, like professional conjurors, have sole
dominion over their stage and its surroundings at all times. As these
chapters are written solely for the edification of amateurs, and not
for the purpose of training up professionals, I shall not launch out
into descriptions of things impossible to the great majority.
When the size of the room permits of it, the performer should have,
besides his oblong table in the centre, one or two small round tables
at the sides. These tables should be of the same height as the large
one, but only about 18in. in diameter. They should be provided with
one round trap and a small _servante_. The border should have a deep
fringe. The tops of all three tables should be covered with a check
pattern, in order to hide the lines of the traps. On a perfectly plain
surface these might be noticed. Do not forget to provide the smaller
traps with bags to receive the articles passed through. An egg would
make an unseemly mess inside the table, whilst an orange or a lemon
would descend with a thud sufficiently loud to reveal to the audience
what had taken place. The centre trap, being used almost exclusively
for vanishing live stock, need not be furnished with a bag.
Whilst on the subject of traps, I will describe the method for
passing articles through them. Supposing an orange has to be made to
disappear. After showing that it is a real orange and perfectly solid,
&c., place it upon the trap, the spring of which must, of course, be
strong enough to bear the weight without giving in the least. Turn
up your sleeves very deliberately, and then place the hands around
the orange as if about to take it up in them. Screened by the front
hand, the rear one presses the trap down quickly, and the orange
falls through, the hands being brought together as though holding
it. Advance towards the audience a step or two and commence rubbing
the hands together, gradually making the circumference of the hollow
smaller and smaller until the orange appears to have been rubbed away.
The action of vanishing the article must be assiduously practised,
for the hands must not dwell perceptibly on the table, but appear to
actually take up whatever they are supposed to. When pretending to
rub it away, the eyes must be directed attentively to the hands as if
interested in the experiment. When passing one article into another,
as an egg into a lemon, place the lemon just in front of the trap,
and, holding the egg in the rear hand, pass it down the trap under
cover of the front hand, which will at the moment be just closing upon
the lemon. The two hands then take the lemon, and, after rubbing it
about a little, show it _minus_ the egg, which you will say is inside.
In the drawing-room, without the table, the same results would have
to be arrived at by means of "vesting." The present instance affords
an excellent illustration of my remark that drawing-room conjuring is
more difficult than grand conjuring.
Another method for vanishing articles through traps is to fix a cord
to the under side of the trap, and, by means of a tiny pulley and
staples, bring it to a hole in the end of the table, on the outside of
which a knot is tied. The article can be then placed upon the trap and
covered with a hat, &c., and made to disappear by pulling the cord. It
is better to have the cord belonging to the right-hand trap coming out
at the left-hand side, and _vice-versâ_; otherwise the audience would
be likely to notice the action of the hand pulling the cord, from its
close proximity to the hat. By standing at that end of the table
which is opposite to the hat, the performer can turn sideways, and
point with his wand to the hat or tap it, when the action of pulling
the string will be concealed by his body. In covering any article with
a hat, be careful that the front or back part of it is towards the
audience. The arch formed by the side brim of the hat of the present
day enables one to see anything placed underneath it, and it must be
admitted that it would be rather awkward if any of the audience saw
the article suddenly drop into the body of the table. The uses of the
large trap will be dilated upon at another time and place.
The uses of the _servante_ being to hold things as occasion requires,
they will make themselves manifest in due course.
_Dress._--The conjuror's dress will command a great deal of
consideration, the disposition and capacity of the pockets being of
considerable importance. I will first take the coat, which will, of
course, be a dress one. The whole of the inside of each breast of
this should be one huge pocket, the opening of which is perpendicular
instead of horizontal, and about two inches from the edges, so as to
just escape observation. This enables large objects to be concealed,
and yet easily got at. The tail pockets are not used in performing,
so can be either entirely absent or else made in the usual way. One
tail, however, should have a large pocket about five inches deep at
the bottom, and right across its width. This pocket should be made
very loose so as to be always open to a slight extent, for it will
often have articles dropped into it at all sorts of odd times. Some
conjurors have copper wire in the edge to keep it open when required.
The vest is extremely important. It should be split right up the back
and then re-joined by three bands of broad elastic. This is to enable
one to put large articles in the breast without causing any unusual
wrinkles or bulging. For vesting purposes, some have a strip of thin
leather, about two inches broad, sewn round the bottom, inside, but I
do not find this sufficiently safe. I usually have some fine elastic
run in the hem by means of a bodkin. It should be tight enough to
hold an egg (a heavy, slippery thing, and awkward when dropped)
securely; but it must not pull the vest out of shape. The only extra
pockets required in the trousers are one at each hip, covered by the
tails of the coat. They should be about three inches long by one and
a half in depth, and constructed so as to be always partly open. They
are very handy for receiving such articles as coins, little balls,
rings, pocket-knives, &c., which it is desirable that the audience
should not see. Little pockets, of a similar nature, are sometimes
used behind the lappel of the coat; but those in the trousers are
far superior, as they are got at by the perfectly natural action of
dropping the arm. The inside turn-up of the sleeve of the coat I have
also seen similarly employed, but have not noticed any particular
advantage to be derived therefrom.
Starting now with his prepared tables and mysterious suit, and armed
with a fair amount of manipulative skill, the learner ought to be able
to bid defiance to the world, and to boldly attempt anything within
his particular scope or province that he has seen anyone else do.
Before commencing, always say a few words, to the effect that you are
there to conjure, and not to make speeches; so you will not detain
the audience with a history of conjuring from the year 1, but proceed
to show them what can be done in the present year. In family circles,
more talking should be done than in public places, where an impressive
style should be cultivated.
_Introductory Tricks._--Besides, by means of the few words the
performer addresses the company before commencing, it is quite in
order that he should introduce himself to the spectators magically;
that is to say, give them at once some little evidence of his skill,
without any formality of explanation. A well-used trick for this
purpose is that of causing a flower to appear instantaneously at
the button-hole. Just as the performer is about to step forward, he
perceives that he has forgotten his flower, but explains that the
omission is very soon rectified, as he notices a bouquet in the hands
of a lady, or some flowers in a coiffure, or about a costume. Asking
permission, and taking it at once, the wand is waved in the direction
of the visible flowers, and the button-hole then touched with it, when
instantly a flower appears. The flower is an imitation one, and is
attached to a piece of elastic, which passes through the button-hole,
and inside through the one next below, so that it may be fastened to
a vest button, or elsewhere. When the performer comes on, the flower
is concealed under the left armpit; so that, when the button-hole
is touched with the wand, all that is necessary is to raise the arm
slightly, when the flower, being released, flies instantly into
position.
Another common, but very effective, practice is to come on the stage
with the gloves on. As they are taken off the hands, they melt away,
apparently, for nothing more is ever seen of them. Elastic is again
at the bottom of this, one end passing round the wrist of the glove,
whilst the other is fastened round the biceps of the arm, or attached
to the brace. The glove is removed, care being taken not to let it
slip too soon, and, when held between the two palms, is allowed to
go, when it flies, unperceived, up the sleeve. The performer must not
dwell at all upon the fact that he is doing anything magical, but act
as though his gloves were merely performing their usual evolutions on
being taken off for the day.