Forum-goers:

I'm a Freemason and a fairly new practicioner of magic, and I was wondering if anyone would be able to lend me a hand.

In my lodge, I generally read or deliver an educational piece every month or two. For an upcoming meeting, I would like to give a brief history or report on a few different magicians who were also Masons. If possible, I'd also like to perform an illusion that each of these Freemasons would have used in their routines. Is anyone willing to point me in the direction of an illusion or two that I could learn for any of the following magicians?

Harry Kellar, Howard Thurston, Harry Houdini, Charles Carter, Harry Blackstone, Sr.

I'll likely only going to choose two or three magicians from the list to research. As far as illusions go, I won't be able to do anything that requires an elaborate setup (which I'm worried may rule out Houdini). I'm looking for things that would be simple but effective and would also pay proper respect to these men. I also won't deliver the educational topic until I have the illusions down solidly, as to do otherwise would be a disservice.

If anyone is willing or able to help get me started, please send me a PM. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Do have a question about your request. Do you need a trick ACTUALLY performed by these magicians or would a trick that could illustrate something about the magician be suffice but not be something they performed?

What is your performance situation, close up, parlor or stage?

What is your audience size?

Magically

Aus

I would like for the tricks to be ones that were actually used during their routines at some point in their careers. I just think it would be a nice touch. Of course, that may not be an option in e end; all of these brothers were giants in the field.

The audience would likely be around 15-20 people in a room, and the would all be seated. I'd probably set up a table inside (if needed). The distance is variable, though. I can be as close or far away as needed. No curtains or stage.

Here are my thoughts, of the five magicians you mention I feel that for coherent narrative reasons Harry Kellar, Harry Houdini and Howard Thurston would be the best choices.

The reason I say this is because both Houdini and Thurston ether took influence or association at different points in their careers with Harry Keller. In later life, Houdini claimed that the first part of his new name, Harry, was an homage to Harry Kellar, whom he also admired aside from Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin.

Howard Thurston on the other hand had an unhappy childhood and he ran away to join the circus, where his future partner Harry Kellar also performed and subsequently resulted in a show that they performed together. Thurston continued presenting the Thurston-Kellar Show following the retirement of Kellar for many years.

If you chose to perform a trick from each of these magicians then you could help build your talk on these associations.

Now as for the tricks you have a few choices.

Both Howard and Houdini at one stage or another billed themselves as "The King of Cards" before they became more prominent for their later endeavors, so there should be a multitude of card effects that you could draw upon for both Harry and Thurston.

Howard Thurston added the "Rising Cards" trick from Professor Hoffman’s Modern Magic, the book from which Thurston had learned the rudiments of magic. For this trick, he would walk into the audience and ask several people to choose cards from a deck of cards. The deck was shuffled and placed into a clear glass. Thurston would then call for the chosen cards. One by one the cards would rise up to the top of the deck. When audiences wanted the cards to rise higher, he developed a way of causing the cards to rise directly out of the pack. Howard Thurston did publish a book on card tricks in which he described his improved handling of the Rising Cards among many of his other offerings: http://www.lybrary.com/howard-thurstons-......151.html

Houdini did many card tricks as well but unlike Howard Thurston didn't seem to be famous for doing any particular one from his repertoire. Much of Houdini's card work can be found in this volume of his work: http://www.lybrary.com/houdinis-card-tri......908.html

If you want to look into Houdini for the aspects that he was more famous for (his escapes) then a look at his book Magical Rope Ties & Escapes: http://www.lybrary.com/magical-rope-ties-escapes-p-119.html

Well on the topic of rope ties the "Kellar Rope Tie" was an escape that Harry Kellar executed time and time again before large and curious audiences.

Harry Keller was mostly remembered for his famous decapitation and floating head illusion and lady levitation and few other large scale illusions, so I'm not sure that much of his work could be practical and economical in the circumstance your hoping to perform.

He did however performed the Nest of Boxes where Kellar borrows six finger rings from members of audience. He loads them into the barrel of a pistol, aims and fires the pistol at a chest that is hanging on the side of the stage. The chest is opened and inside is another, smaller chest. Inside that, are six boxes nested in each other. As each is opened, they are stacked on top of each other and inside the smallest one are the five rings each tied with ribbon to flowers. The five rings are returned to their owners. The owner of the sixth ring wonders what happened to hers, with Kellar pretending not to notice and later reproduces the final ring in the next trick.

If you are willing to make some concessions with props used and method I don't see any issue in maintaining Kellars sprite in performance of this routine with say a nest of envelops or a set of matryoshka dolls etc.

Hope that gives some ideas.

Magically

Aus

Wow. You went well above and beyond what I was hoping to hear. Thank you very much for that, Aus.

You also provided some insights that I hadn't come across. The shorter biographies I've read, so far, skipped a lot of the details you've touched on. Your short synopsis was far more interesting than a lot of the things I've come across.

I'll reference the links you've provided, and I'll use your suggestions as a starting point to build a small routine based around history (ever since seeing Ricky Jay's cups and balls routine, I've really wanted to tie historical references into a routine). I think it'll be a lot of fun, and I'm sure to learn a lot.

Thanks again!

Welcome Brother
http://www.invisiblelodge.org/

Boulder 45

As the International Chaplain of the Invisible Lodge and a relative of Harry Blackstone, Sr. Let me suggest you not bother to try to recreate one of the tricks of the old masters. Rather come up with your speech, perhaps on that magician/brother's masonic history or just a bit of his life and mention that he was a mason, then use magic to help you illustrate the story. That kind of story telling magic lends itself to masonic lecturing. There are a couple of books out on masonic related magic and history of magicians in masonry, both were available from our International President, whose address you can find in the post from Bro.Tree, above. Have you tried doing a web search on masonic magic, magicians in masonry, and the like? You would be surprised at how many brothers were top ranked magicians.
If you are still fixed on doing a Blackstone type trick (do not copy his performance), then you can generally find a vanishing birdcage from Abbots like the ones, Uncle Pete built for Uncle Harry. Simple enough to do and impressive. Many of the tricks and illusions performed by the greats require large stages, assistants, special lighting, etc. Besides how many in the lodgeroom do you think will know whether Houdini did the trick or not? I go to magic conventions all the time where someone claims to be doing a trick that Blackstone used to do that Uncle Harry never did, nor even cousin Harry, Jr. Generally, I'm the only one in the room who actually knows that.

Brethren,

I do appreciate the feedback. Perhaps it would be best, as suggested, to take inspiration from their works and not try to duplicate. I do believe you're probably right, Father Photius, in that capturing the spirit behind the performance(s) would be just as well. The presentation and performance are a very long way off, so I certainly have time to think it over and get things right.

Thrilled to see this new world for me. Thanks!

Welcome Brother St. Columba 150 LaPlata Md.. Unfortunately I cannot contribute to you request.