Reading through Buckley's book, "Card Control" I came across this. It caught my attention somewhat, and I was hoping someone could explain.

"Experiment No. 24, The Mix Up

THE EFFECT: The spectator is given a riffle peek at a card; performer cuts and riffle-shuffles the pack. Half the pack is reversed and the two halves are shuffled into each other, cut several times and spread ribbon wise face down on the table. the spectators card is seen in the middle of the pack face up. All the other cards are face down."

As far as I am aware, Dai Vernon first published Triumph in Stars of Magic, at some point in 1961.

The Buckley book was first published in 1946, fifteen years earlier.

Buckley does not credit Vernon at any point for this trick, but we know he had a friendship with Vernon and that Vernon assisted with the preparation of the book, as this is mentioned in the preface.

Had Vernon conceived Triumph fifteen years prior to publication, and was ripped off by Buckley, or did he take the idea from Buckley when he helped him prepare the book?

I'd find it interesting if anyone could expand on this.

Cheers,

Jack

1961 was the year the bounded volume of "Stars of Magic" was published. The "Stars of Magic" sereies began in 1945 and the Vol.2 in which 'Triumph' is was Series No.2. I am not sure the year Series No.2 was published, but it would be 1945 or 1946.

So Buckley wrote at almost the same time 'Triumph' was published.

Hideo Kato

Buckley's book is a little known gem of card magic, not many know about it today. I use his side steal (closely related to Erdnase's Diagonal Palm Shift) as one of my preferred controls.
I don't know which version of this plot came first, it does seem they were both published around the same time, and Buckley and Vernon knew each other and sessioned together, so it's hard to say. I suspect Vernon's version spread through the fraternity because he developed such an easy method of accomplishing the effect.

Wow Don, what a find....This routine reads a lot like Larry Jenning's "Outstanding Triumph" doesn't it? (sans the peek).

Rubiks

Hmm, I have "The Classic Magic of Larry Jennings" right here, I'm going to take a look and see, I think I remember the LJ routine as a walkaround Triumph, and fairly simple handling, but I haven't played with it in a while.

The version Larry demonstrated on his Thoughts On Cards dvd is more technically demanding than the published one.

From other source, I confirmed Vernon's 'Triumph' was published in 1946.

Hideo Kato

I have spent a couple of days playing around with this, and have several thoughts about Buckley’s “Experiment No. 24”.

First off, I do agree that this version is similar to a couple of Larry Jennings versions of Triumph (More on that later).

I found a couple of things about “Experiment No. 24” decidedly odd.
(Page numbers and paragraph counts I give here refer to the edition I have, published by “Gamblers Book Club” in 1973).

On page 180, the first two paragraphs read:



Buckley’s statement that “This does not mix the face-up cards with the face-down cards” is only certain to be true if the cuts of twenty six cards, (both the one he tells you to make, and the slip-cut of twenty-six from the middle of the deck that he neglects to tell you about) are precisely 26 cards, and the riffle shuffle is perfect. (As in a faro) This riffle is evidently “Buckley’s red and black false riffle shuffle”, as mentioned in the list of sleights.

The next paragraph is even more puzzling:



Reds? Red ones? This bizarre reference to red cards, as well as the description of the riffle method as a ‘red-black false shuffle”, leads me to believe that the trick Buckley originally meant to include here was a sort of Oil and Water, red-black separation trick.

He evidently reworked the trick to be a “Triumph” type effect, and rewrote the description to fit. Is it possible that he was intrigued by Vernon’s Triumph, and decided to work out his own version, using his red-black trick as a starting point, and decided to publish it in place of the original? It’s only speculation, but I think it’s a possibility.

Now, about the reference to Larry Jennings’ “Outstanding Triumph”. I agree there are some similarities, both employing a secret turnover of half the pack.
What struck me even more, was LJ’s apparent fascination with the “Triumph” plot.
“The Classic Magic of Larry Jennings” contains no less than FOUR versions, and ‘Dai Vernon’s Ultimate Secrets” gives yet another. It seems to me very likely that, given LJ’s evident attraction to this plot, that he would have studied the other versions that had come along, including Buckley’s, in the process of designing his own version(s).
Again, I’m only speculating, but I think this is very likely as well.

A clip from Whaley's Encyclopedic Dictionary, to confirm Hideo Kato's statement "So Buckley wrote at almost the same time 'Triumph' was published":

Triumph:
Invented by Sid Lorraine and first published as "The S.L. Reversed Card" in 1937 in Judah & Braun's Subtle Problems You Will Do. Adapted by Dai Vernon and first published by him as "Triumph" in 1946 in Stars of Magic (Series 2, No.1). A later mechanical version of the effect is Cheek to Cheek."

Thanks MueCard,
I would love to see Sid Lorraine's original handling.
I still think Buckley came up with his version by reworking a red-black separation trick, while Vernon took the route he did. Vernon's version caught on, possibly because it was more workable, and also possibly because his was presented as a fully fleshed out trick in the "Stars of Magic" series, complete with a great patter story, while Buckley's version was just the bare bones of the trick, and poorly explained at that.

I knew 1937 was the year Sid Lorraine published 'Slop Shuffle', but didn't know it was published as the Triumph type effect.

Buckley describes the Triumph effect with Slop Shuffle in "Card Control". If it is same as Sid Lorraine's, it means Arthur Buckley ommitted credit to Lorraine. I began to feel sad Buckley did not get credit for many tricks.

Hideo Kato

Kato-san,
I am beginning to think that prior to the 1950s, crediting effects was the exception, rather than the rule. According to David Ben's excellent biography of Dai Vernon, most of the material in Hugard's "Expert Card Technique" should rightfully have been credited to Vernon, and that is only one example.

There were far fewer in the craft back then and most of them could keep secrets and likewise few had aspirations to write stuff up seeking adulation.

As I heard it from the grapevine... Expert Card Technique was compiled by someone who was permitted to watch but then took it upon themselves to share in the name of preservation. Sometimes the material was reconstructed from interviews as well. Not such a nice thing to do without the permission of the folks whose material was being recorded.

The grapevine I heard that from was David Ben's book!

I got it from a friend and confidant of Vernon... but I'm waiting for the publication of the second half of the biography and will read both then.

As far as I understand, Charlie Miller was really p***ed off that "His" push-through shuffle was published in Expert Card Technique without his permission.

The trick now known as “Triumph” originated with Sid Lorraine. His trick, which included the first description of the Slop Shuffle, was published in 1937 in Subtle Problems You Will Do by Stewart Judah and John Braun. A more popular source is The Royal Road to Card Magic by Jean Hugard and Frederick Braue. Lorraine’s trick was republished in that book as “A Tipsy Trick.”

When Dai Vernon contributed “Triumph” to Stars of Magic, he submitted a false shuffle that could be used “To Maintain the Order of the Reds and Blacks” or “To Maintain the Order of the Entire Pack.” The trick associated with the shuffle, along with the presentation, was added by the “photographic interpreter,” George Karger, and the editor, George Starke! Look at the photographs... The cards in EVERY photograph for “Triumph” are ALL face down. If Vernon was demonstrating a trick in which half the deck was FACE UP, wouldn’t he have shown it in the photographs? All Vernon came up with was the false shuffling technique... The rest was added by Karger and Starke.

By the way, all of this information came from Ron Bauer, who got it DIRECTLY from Vernon.

If I read you correctly, we may want to think of the basic trick as Karger's then.

And about that shuffle... didn't Vernon disown the thing in favor of something else that was published later?

JT,
My understanding is that Vernon published the "Triumph" shuffle as a simple,-and accessible-substitute for a pull through, which was what he personally used when he performed "Triumph". This is what Johnny Thompson has said on the subject, and if I'm not mistaken, it's also discussed on the "Revelations" videos. This is the first time I've heard that Karger and Starke were the actual originators of the "Triumph" handling.
I do remember (from the Revelations video) Vernon saying when he was first approached by Karger about contributing some material for "Stars of Magic", he was just preparing to go on a road trip, so was unable to prepare any lessons. John Scarne was available, so the first lessons in the series were his material. It's possible Vernon posed for the photos of the shuffle, and then went out on the road, leaving Karger and Starke with the task of developing a trick using it.
I had been bothered in the past by the fact that the photos accompanying the lesson didn't appear to show Vernon actually performing "Triumph", and this idea that Karger and Starke originated it for the lesson is at least a plausible explanation .