Medium's Table

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degrisy
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Medium's Table

Postby degrisy » April 12th, 2015, 3:22 am

In the middle of the last century a table was developed to help mediums to learn what a spectator wrote on a plain sheet of paper while set against the tabletop. Robert Nelson briefly described it in one of his many books, I read it many years ago, but now I do not find it. Can anyone help me to trace the source? Thank you.
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hugmagic
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Re: Medium's Table

Postby hugmagic » April 12th, 2015, 7:39 am

This was a table developed by Roydon. The original is owned by Ken Klosterman. Permission was given to Joe Stevens recently to reproduce a limited number of these tables.
It is a very ingenious mechanism that is very practical in a medium's parlor for readings.
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Brad Henderson
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Re: Medium's Table

Postby Brad Henderson » April 12th, 2015, 3:16 pm

Prior to Steven's most recent batch, Venture 111 sold a few of them (and I believe Stevens handled them as well at that time). I think one other person may have made a version that was more of a table top piece, as opposed to being a full desk as the early version was.

It's a fun item. George Kirkendall was over at Bob Escher's house one evening with Mike Woodward, myself and one or two other magic buddies. Another magician from the club was going to stop by and Kirk decided we were going to give this guy an experience he would never forget.

He opened with some mind reading using an amazing card divination technique he has - a move so simple you could stare at him doing it and not know what was being done, the table mentioned above, and some shameless confederacy. This guy didn't stand a chance. Kirk closedthe set with a performance of his Living End - transforming into a skeleton before our very eyes.

It was a great night of magic - for everyone there. Everybody had fun and all of us got to see something amazing.

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Re: Medium's Table

Postby Diego » April 13th, 2015, 2:07 am

Nelson was selling his Medium's Table as early as 1931. He had two versions: One for, one-on-one readings, that needed to be reloaded after each reading. Another for theater lobbies and other venues, where 20-30 questions could be written, and then the table was removed out of sight to retrieve all the impressions.
(I don't know how similar or different the tables by other dealers are.)

Nelson also sold a writing blotter that could be placed on any table to retrieve impressions.

Don't know if he sold many, but he stopped selling them by the 1940's. The use of a clipboard, or other smaller device was more usable, could be used in different venues, more versatile, and much cheaper.

Or as Gene Dennis and others practiced what Robert Nelson and William Larsen, Sr. preached: People don't care how you know the questions, what they want, is to hear the the ANSWERS. If you shut up and listen, they (knowingly or not) will TELL you what they want to know.

Brad Henderson
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Re: Medium's Table

Postby Brad Henderson » April 13th, 2015, 11:40 am

absolutely right on answers over questions. I once did a q and a for a very friendly group. I had never felt comfortable doing that type of routine but knew I had nothing to lose. After a few readings I tried to move on and they protested, they wanted more. I claimed it was too hard to determine their questions. They said - just read the questions.

The audience is far less interested in is telling them what they already know. WE as magicians value that because we feel it 'proves' something. That is because we aren't mind readers. we are magicians playing the role of someone pretending to be a mind reader. We also think the questions are important because we secretly want the audience to know how clever we are for being able to read them without them seeing us. Methods matter to magicians. Real people want to know their future.

This table is a great toy - the method is more amazing than the effect produced. (more specifically, there are more practical methods that do the job equally If not better.).

There is a great satisfaction that comes from opening that drawer and seeing the parquetry move and having that light come on and seeing the writing in the mirrors. It's fun - for the magician (and collector).

If you want to be a psychic - there are better directions one can peruse. (just don't be too good at it - or else your magic friends will condemn you for being more believable and interesting than they are,)

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degrisy
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Re: Medium's Table

Postby degrisy » April 15th, 2015, 11:44 am

At last I have found the source: Robert A. Nelson - The encyclopedia of mentalism and allied arts, chapter XVI Office clairvoyance, The medium's miracle table.
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degrisy
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Re: Medium's Table

Postby degrisy » April 15th, 2015, 11:47 am

Brad Henderson wrote:absolutely right on answers over questions. I once did a q and a for a very friendly group. I had never felt comfortable doing that type of routine but knew I had nothing to lose. After a few readings I tried to move on and they protested, they wanted more. I claimed it was too hard to determine their questions. They said - just read the questions.

The audience is far less interested in is telling them what they already know. WE as magicians value that because we feel it 'proves' something. That is because we aren't mind readers. we are magicians playing the role of someone pretending to be a mind reader. We also think the questions are important because we secretly want the audience to know how clever we are for being able to read them without them seeing us. Methods matter to magicians. Real people want to know their future.

This table is a great toy - the method is more amazing than the effect produced. (more specifically, there are more practical methods that do the job equally If not better.).

There is a great satisfaction that comes from opening that drawer and seeing the parquetry move and having that light come on and seeing the writing in the mirrors. It's fun - for the magician (and collector).

If you want to be a psychic - there are better directions one can peruse. (just don't be too good at it - or else your magic friends will condemn you for being more believable and interesting than they are,)


Thank you.
Ars longa, vita brevis


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