Around the turn of the century this was,along with the cups and balls,considered the ultimate test of a magician's skill. https://www.lybrary.com/vanishing-doll-p-923220.html a great pocket trick and easy to do.

Really?

You betcha...

I first became aware of Bonus Genius from Hocus Pocus Jr. that's a lot further back than the turn of the century. That might be what the esteemed Mr Palmer is getting at.

Patrick

That was a whopping almost 20 years ago.

Exactly.

Nobody suggested that it was invented around the turn of the century,it became POPULAR as a pocket trick, sort of a fad, in the early 1900's,hence Houdini's, which was included in a recent magi mag article on the subject...

True enough. When I read it, I assumed an implication of origination that I see on rereading was not actually there.

It is a great trick. No question. Also the first in-print example I’ve found for the egg bag method of vanishing objects, which makes it really fascinating to me.

Patrick

The older abbott catalogue sold a bunch of themed dolls,indian,soldier,etc. and somebody sold them during the war of hitler,tojo,mussolini w/a "make them disappear"slant...a treat to see it done w/the figurine, good dodge of the method...