Magical Originalities
Ernest E. Noakes
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The Transitoryist's Card
THE first explanations I shall give will be confined to tricks with cards, and I shall only illustrate a few of the card tricks which I have found permit of having little to carry or prepare, and yet find favour with the audience. My first trick described I christened "The Transitoryist Card."
A new pack of cards can be used for this trick with the seal unbroken. My presentation is as follows. I introduce the pack of cards, or, if preferred, make use of a pack belonging to some member of my audience. I request that a card should be freely selected, and ask the person selecting it kindly to take a fountain pen and mark the selected card well; also to take a penknife and cut away a portion of the card, and retain the portion.
I now ask some member of the audience to come and assist me, and to take the card and place it under a silk square, which I also have examined. I ask my assistant to stand beside me, and I will convince the audience that the selected card is really under the silk. Having satisfied them that the card is really there, I request my assistant to hold the top of the card in his right hand, whilst his left hand grasps the folds of the silk underneath. Having the card in safe custody, I now request some other member of my audience to come and stand on my left hand, and examine "this glass jug of water," and hold the same for me. I also request that an envelope be taken charge of by someone in the audience. Having satisfied my audience that all the items I use are quite free from preparation, I now ask the gentleman who has the jug of water to advance towards me. The folds of the silk are draped round the jug, the card is released and heard to fall into the jug. I now whisk off the silk, and the card has quite dissolved in the water apparently. I explain that the transitory quality of the water causes the card to really rebound, pass through the silk, and take an invisible flight through space. I ask the person who has been taking charge of the envelope all this time, kindly to open the same. There in the various envelopes the original card is found, and can be identified by its ink marks and the missing portion that was cut from it.
This is a bare outline of the presentation of the trick, but necessary to show just where the various moves are made, and the points at which misdirection covers the secret movements of the performer.
The requirements for the trick are as follows:--A pack of cards, a fountain pen, pocket-knife, stout piece of mill-board (to act as a desk and for the card to be cut upon), a glass jug, large silk square, tray, nest of envelopes, and the card fake (a piece of transparent xylonite of the thickness of a playing card, and cut to that shape), and "off" some water in another jug.
PREPARATION:
On stage table: Cards, fountain pen, pocket-knife, board, empty glass jug, and the silk square. At side of stage "off":-- Tray, nest of envelopes ready to seal up (partly pushed one into the other), and the water.
PRESENTATION:
The card is selected, marked and cut; the piece cut off, or out, of card retained by the person choosing the card. The "first assistant" from the audience places the card under the square of silk, and brings same to performer. Performer meantime palms the fake, and under cover of proving to the audience that the card is really there, switches the fake for the card, and requests the assistant to "hold it firmly, etc." Performer now steps to the table on stage "to pick up the jug," having the card palmed all the time. He now requests a second assistant to come forward and hold the jug of water. Assistant No. 2 takes the empty jug. Performer then discovers it is empty! He steps to side of the stage, and seizes this opportunity to hand the card to a confederate. He brings on the water, fills the jug that assistant No. 2 is holding, and allows time for the confederate to load the card into nest of envelopes. Then performer says: "It would be safer for the glass jug of water to be held at arm's length on a tray." He goes to side for the tray, which is handed to him with the nest of envelopes concealed behind it. He lays down the tray on the table a moment whilst he feels that "the card" is still in the safe custody of assistant No. 1, then he picks up the tray, and hands it to assistant No. 2.
Now the nest of envelopes is introduced and given to another responsible member of the audience, and the performer remarks that he will now "commence" the trick. He plays up to the various effects of dissolving the card, its "Transitoryist" peculiarities, etc., and pulls away the silk covering, showing that the card has vanished. If the performer will naturally ask for and "get" the items from the side of stage, there is no fear of the audience seeing the modus operandi. When this trick was performed by me on 18th June 1907 at the "Magic Circle" Social, it was well received. I fully explained in my lecture to the members of the Magic Circle, on 9th March 1911, the details of working.
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