An interesting array of Magic, including the famous wine and water effect in which wine, water, and milk are poured from a pitcher of water and then wine and milk combine to form water again. Also the wandering bottle experiment, a peculiar Three Card Monte effect with a bottle, the mysterious transposition of smoke, confetti and ribbon effect, and several cooking experiments.
This lesson gives you some very interesting chemical and mechanical magic. You learn the basic principles involved in these two types of magic so that you can use them to good advantage in your programs.
These eight excellent effects are taught to you:
1 - A Novel Transmission of Smoke
2 - Wine and Water
3 - The Wandering Glass and Bottle
4 - Comedy Version of Wandering Glass and Bottle
5 - Bottle, Bottle, Where's the Bottle?
6 - A Magical Transformation
7 - A Cooking Lesson
The material for the chemical magic can be purchased at almost any drug store. The special apparatus used for the mechanical magic is standard equipment and we can furnish you with it when you need it.
A NOVEL TRANSMISSION OF SMOKE We have Ellis Stanyon of England to thank for this fine experiment with smoke. EFFECT:
Magician calls attention to a glass pitcher containing clear water. He then pours some of the liquid into a glass tumbler. He stands at a distance from glass and blows smoke from a lighted cigarette toward it. The water in the glass gradually becomes milky, presumably because the smoke travels across the stage and gets into it.
1 -- Dilute solution of hydrochloric acid -- one part acid to ten parts water.
2 -- Saturated solution of hypo-sulphite of soda, commonly known as hypo.
3 -- A small glass pitcher.
5 -- A silk handkerchief or cloth to place in front of glass tumbler.
6 -- Cigarette and matches. SECRET AND PATTER:
Take the solution of hydrochloric acid and put about three parts of an ounce in the glass tumbler. Place glass on table.
In front of it place silk handkerchief or a book or some other object to cover lower part of glass so that it will look empty.
Figure 1 shows a side view of arrangement of glass and handkerchief.
Take the hypo-sulphite of soda or HYPO and make a saturated solution of it in cold water. Then dilute this solution by adding an equal quantity of water again. Pour this solution into the glass pitcher. Place pitcher on table.
When these two solutions are poured together in the experiment, the water becomes milky. When the solution is strong the change takes place instantly. As the solution is weakened, the change takes place more slowly. Experimenting will teach you just how strong to make solution for this effect so that you will have time to go some distance away and blow smoke at glass before it changes to milky color.
The milky effect in the water remains for some time and thus gives an excellent imitation of milk for use in a variety of magical effects.
Pick up glass with left hand. Be sure to screen fluid in glass with fingers of hand. Pick up pitcher in right hand.
"It is customary with lecturers and Fourth of July orators to stop and pour themselves a glass of water to quench their blazing vocal cords."
Pour hypo solution from pitcher to fill glass about three-fourths full. Replace pitcher on table and place glass, presumably containing water, in full view of audience. If desired, glass may be placed by itself on small stand.
"Being neither lecturer nor orator, I can only use the glass of water for scientific experiments."
Go some distance away from glass and light a cigarette. Puff on cigarette and blow smoke towards glass. Repeat.
"For instance, I can show you the modern way of condensing smoke so that it can be sold in bottles. We used to smoke hams in a smoke-house, but now we just paint them with liquid smoke."
Water gets milky gradually as you blow smoke at it. The chemicals, of course, accomplish the effect, but it appears that the smoke you blow at glass gets into water and makes it smoky.
"Water has a natural affinity for smoke and like a magnet drawing steel draws smoke unto itself, condensing it and coloring the water. A friend once had the idea of drying snow and selling it for salt. Why not condense smoke and sell it for milk?"
How popular this effect has been on many magician's programs! And especially since Prohibition, it has been excellent because of the comedy which can be employed in it. This is a chemical experiment and many different chemicals have been used to get the effect. I am going to teach you to perform it in a simple, safe manner without strong acids and alkalis.
Performer shows a glass pitcher half full of water, and five empty glasses. Into the first glass he pours water, into the second red wine, into the third gin, and into the fourth red wine. Each glass is filled about half full. He pours the contents of the first glass into the second and back into the first, giving wine in both. The third and fourth glasses are mixed, giving water in both. The first and second glasses of wine are poured back into the pitcher, making wine in the pitcher. The third and fourth glasses, containing water, are poured back into the pitcher, resulting in clear water as in the beginning. Magician then pours water from the pitcher into the fifth glass, changing it to milk.
1 -- A strong solution of phenolphthalein. Fill a bottle about one-fifth full of powdered phenolphthalein and fill bottle with alcohol.
2 -- Tartaric acid solution. Fill a bottle half full of powdered tartaric acid and fill bottle with water.
3 -- Potassium carbonate solution. Fill bottle half full of potassium carbonate or sodium carbonate and fill bottle with water.
Any druggist will sell you the above ingredients or make the solutions for you. To begin with use a six-ounce bottle of the phenolphthalein solution and six-ounce bottles of the others. The amounts can be increased according to your needs. SHAKE EACH SOLUTION WELL BEFORE USING.
4 -- A glass pitcher with more than enough water in it to fill four glasses about two-thirds full.
5 -- Five glass tumblers.
Arrange glasses in a row as in Figure 3. Into glass No. 1, place half teaspoonful of the potassium carbonate solution; into glass No. 2 a few drops of the phenolphthalein solution; into glass No. 3 a teaspoonful of the tartaric acid solution; into glass No. 4 a few drops of the phenolphthalein solution; and into glass No. 5 a teaspoonful or so of the phenolphthalein solution.
YOU WILL HAVE TO EXPERIMENT TO GET THE PROPER PROPORTIONS to use of these solutions, but once you know the principles on which the effect is based, you will have no difficulty in working it.
Phenolphthalein is used in medical laboratory tests. An alkaline solution turns it red and acid solution turns it colorless again. The color will vary from light pink to deep red, depending on the strength of the phenolphthalein and alkaline solutions.
Potassium or sodium carbonate, being alkaline, turns the phenolphthalein solution red; the tartaric acid, being acid, bleaches it out again.
Some performers in emergency use a little ammonia as the alkali and vinegar as the acid. Some prefer strong agents like caustic soda and hydrochloric acid as only a small amount is required. For all around use, however, potassium or sodium carbonate and tartaric acid are the best for with them there is no danger of accidents.
The milk effect is produced in the fifth glass by pouring water on the strong phenolphthalein solution. You must experiment here to learn just how much of the phenolphthalein solution to use in glass to produce about two-thirds of a glass of milk by pouring water over it.
Have pitcher of water and five prepared glasses on table. Glasses may be in a row or fifth glass may be in rear until needed at finish of effect.
Pick up pitcher of water with right hand and glass No. 1 with left hand.
"Seeing as how we have such a nice comfortable gathering here, it might be a good idea if we had a little drink between ourselves. The gentleman there, I believe would like a glass of water."
Pour water into glass, filling it about two-thirds. "Oh, pardon me, you seldom drink water."
Pour the glass of water back into pitcher again. This now gives you a solution of potassium carbonate in the pitcher.
"How about a little gin?"
Pour water back into glass No. 1 and place on table in full view.
Pick up glass No. 2 and pour potassium carbonate solution from pitcher into it, filling it about two-thirds full. This gives a bright red solution in glass.
"Or how about a little 'vin rouge' or red wine?"
If solution should happen to be too weak and you get a pink color, you can call it strawberry soda or Russian wine or whatever seems suitable for the occasion.
"All right, sir, a little gin for the gentleman over here."
Pour water from pitcher into glass No. 3. There is no chemical reaction here and fluid in this glass remains colorless like gin.
"And a bit of rare wine for the gentleman here."
Pour water into glass No. 4 and the potassium carbonate in it will produce a red liquid in this glass.
Set pitcher on table and pick up glasses No. land 2.
"What's that? You would rather have wine than gin? All the same to me."
Mix contents of the two glasses together, causing both to contain red liquid. You now have arrangement of liquids in glasses as shown in Figure 5.
"Or, better yet, why not have a whole pitcher of this rare vintage?"
Pour both glasses No. 1 and 2 into pitcher. Contents of pitcher are now colored red.
Pick up glasses No. 3 and 4.
"A glass of wine and a glass of gin. You want two gins instead."
Pour liquids back and fourth in these two glasses. The chemical action here changes the red solution to a colorless one like water or gin. Finish with half of the liquid in each glass.
Look toward rear of hall.
"Pardon me, the manager is trying to tip me off that the prohibition officers are just coming in."
Pour the two glasses of clear liquid back into pitcher, which causes contents of pitcher to turn colorless again.
"I am pleased to offer you, my friends, a nice drink of water."
Pick up glass No. 5 in left hand and pour colorless liquid from pitcher into it. "Or, how about a little milk?"
Pour solution from pitcher into fifth glass and effect of milk is produced.
A comedy touch may be added here, if desired, by picking up a sixth glass and pouring out a good imitation of a glass of beer. Have a cardboard sign to place in front of it, on which is lettered — 1/10 of One Per Cent.
To produce the beer have a little liquid soap (made by boiling soap bark) and some iodine in bottom of glass. When water from pitcher is poured over it, the iodine gives the color of beer and the soap gives the foam. Anilin dye may be used instead of iodine, or even some dark cake extract. To get a good bubble, seidlitz powders may be placed in bottom of glass instead of soap. Have bottom of glass screened by some object so that audience cannot see powders. When water is poured into glass, the powders will foam and bubble and the iodine gives the effect of beer.
The rest of this lesson will be given over to effects performed with special apparatus. Throughout the course, I have kept away as much as possible from mechanical apparatus. I not only wanted to cut down your expense, but also to give you a magical training with simple objects.
Now I think it is time that you learn some of these mechanical effects. They have played a very important part in the magician's program and I want you to be fully versed in them. From time to time you can add the various pieces of apparatus which they require and use the effects on your programs. They are old magical classics.
The Bran Vase, Dove Pan, and Rabbit Pan are useful especially when there are children in your audience, although they are also interesting for grownups. You will find that the introduction of a piece of apparatus of this nature here and there in an evening's performance is welcomed.
Be careful of the apparatus you buy. I have spent thousands of dollars for material which I could not use and that's why I warn you to beware and to buy only the very best. You can waste a great deal of money if you do not know how and what to buy. In selecting apparatus for the effects in this course, I have chosen only PRACTICAL THINGS which have stood the test of time and which will serve you for various different occasions. The apparatus we supply to students is the same kind which I use personally and it can be depended on. It is easy to operate and will hold up under use. The apparatus to be used for the following effects is not expensive, considering its workmanship and wearing qualities. It is excellent value for your money.
I can supply you with this apparatus now, if you desire, or from time to time as you need it and want it.
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Magick is the art and practice of moving natural energies to effect needed or wanted change. Magick is natural, there is absolutely nothing supernatural about it. What is taught here are various techniques of magick for beginners. Magick is natural and simple and the techniques to develop abilities should be simple and natural as well. What is taught on this site is not only the basics of magick, but the basics of many things.