Lemon Box

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HexTheDoombunny
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Lemon Box

Postby HexTheDoombunny » August 8th, 2015, 1:30 pm

On page 155 of "Dunninger's Complete Encyclopedia of Magic" there is an effect titled "A New Lemon Trick." The trick as described is, in my opinion, nothing to write home about. Having said that, it is something that I am playing with, modifying the design of the box, finding touches to give it more impact, etcetera. In this book it gives no credits to anyone for it, and I have yet to find any references outside of this book that seem to identify it. Is it original to Dunninger or not? If not, who created it? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
Flesh and blood. The last currency.
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Joe Pecore
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Re: Lemon Box

Postby Joe Pecore » August 10th, 2015, 8:16 am

There was a product sold around 1919 called the "Heygate" Lemon Box (http://geniimagazine.com/magicpedia/Cecil_Heygate). Here is the advertisement in Will Goldston's The Magician Monthly (July 1919):
This is a distinct novelty in the "apparatus"order of magic. We can thoroughly recommend it. It has the advantage of being a good "patter" trick.A small wooden casket is introduced, having a hinged lid and hinged front panel. This allows a clear view of the interior, which is,beyond question, empty. The two sides of the box have each a hole in the centre. The box is closed and a metal skewer is run through the box via the side holes and left in this position. A lemon is placed on the top of the box.This is covered for a second with a piece of paper, and vanished.The box is now opened and the vanished lemon is found impaled upon the centre of the skewer (which has never moved from its position across the box), and if desired the conjurer can remove the skewer from the box and dividing the lemon in half, a finger ring (previously vanished) is found also threaded on the skewer.Only one skewer is used, and the trick, including the vanish of the lemon off the top of the box is entirely self-contained......Price30



A similar effect using a die box was in George Johnson's magazine The Magic Wand (DECEMBER, 1923), page 211 called "A Fruitful Die"
(The right of manufacture for trade purposes is reserved.)[J. WHITEHEAD.] A LARGE die having a hole bored through its centre, and a square" box " possessing neither top or bottom (with holes of similar size in two of its sides) are exhibited. The die is placed in the " box "and a hat pin pushed through the holes. A lemon is vanished and found impaled upon the pin in place of the die .... the necessary mechanism is fully explained on page 147 of " Magical Originalities," by Ernest E. Noakes.




An effect by Harry Vernon, using the same concept for a Torn and Restored Card, was published in the August 1920 issue of The Sphinx (page 187).
Last edited by Joe Pecore on August 10th, 2015, 9:44 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Ian Kendall
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Re: Lemon Box

Postby Ian Kendall » August 10th, 2015, 8:45 am

Professor Spellbinder over at the magic nook (www.magicnook.com) has work on this; he calls it the Tangerine Box, and sells a 24 page PDF with his handling, and how to construct the box.

He writes that it started with the Baffo Box, introduced by Thayer around 1935, and improved in the 40s.

The effect is that a ring is found inside an orange that has just vanished, threaded onto a string that is through the body of the box, so I think it's close to the subject in hand.

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HexTheDoombunny
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Joined: August 3rd, 2015, 9:27 pm
Favorite Magician: Dave Williamson
Location: Wichita, Kansas

Re: Lemon Box

Postby HexTheDoombunny » August 10th, 2015, 2:21 pm

Excellent, and thank you both. That should be good to start off what I need. :D
Flesh and blood. The last currency.
Peter Capaldi


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