Magical Originalities
Ernest E. Noakes
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Production of a Large Bowl

ANOTHER "Bowl and Water" trick I introduced some ten years ago, and which trick is to-day worked by nearly all the leading illusionists, gives an opportunity of producing a load that the performer could not possibly carry. In the original trick, the performer shows a table-cover and draws it through his hand to prove its emptiness, and then waving it in the air an outline of a large bowl is seen. The performer staggers to the table with it, places the bowl thereon, and the cloth is snatched away, showing a large glass bowl of water. The bowl is 15 inches across, 4 inches deep, and holds a considerable quantity of water. The table is one of the ordinary "stand" pattern with only a half-inch stem.

Circle of Wire The secrets of the trick are as follows: The performer has a circle of wire, hinged so as to fold in halves, concealed. The cover used is quite unprepared. Whilst showing the cover back and front, he gets hold of the wire fake. The cover is raised into the air, the fake dropped open and pushed against the cover, and the performer then with "great difficulty" carries the lot to his table. He allows the cover to drape the top of the table for a second, under cover of which a ring is pulled, releasing the sides of the table which drop straight down, and a loose covering, which has been on the top of the square case forming the side of the table is gripped through the cover, which together with the folding wire fake is now thrown aside.

To prepare the trick you have, firstly, a table stand, with a square top larger than the diameter of the bowl. This is covered with a piece of fancy material to match any other tables that the performer uses, and the material is tacked on, but no bordering is used. Underneath the table are four pieces of metal about 3 inches long, and half twisted, with a hole in each end to support the fake, see drawings.

Table 1 One end of each piece is screwed to the table near the corners, leaving about three-quarters of an inch projecting, and with sufficient play on the head of the screw for them to turn easily. A string is now fastened to each of the outside ends of the metal supports, and the four strings are led through small screw-eyes to a ring at the back of the table, as per illustration, so that when the ring is pulled the four projecting arms are pulled in under the table at the same moment. On these four arms is stood the square tin fake that forms the "sides" of the table after the bowl is produced. The material is not fixed on flat, but a table-cover is taken and a square cut out of the middle, so that the table has the appearance of having a cloth thrown over it. The piece of material fixed to the table top must of course match this cloth. See table.

The four-sided tin fake must be as high as the bowl when it is in position on the table top, and across each corner of the fake is a piece of metal which prevents the square fake falling lower than the top of the table. A loose piece of material to match the table cover is supported across the loaded bowl by means of three wires sewn into it, one at front, centre, and back. This table then is exactly the same in appearance as performer's other tables, and when the release is made, the audience do not notice that the table is "shorter" by the depth of the "sides" of the fake. See bowl produced on table.

Tin Fake Bowl on Table
The first person I showed this effect to was a great illusionist of to-day, who instantly purchased it (August 1905). Instead of the glass bowl of water, a telescopic fire bowl could be used, which would permit of the produced bowl standing a foot or more high; or a solid bowl could be used with flowers hinged to cross bars at the top of the bowl, permitting the flowers to lay towards each corner of the square side fake, and which would spring to an erect position upon releasing the top cover.

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