Ghost Lamp

[Steve Mills]

I picked op the Tenyo version of Scotty York's Lamp Trick last week - actually my first Tenyo tick. It's well made and I would guess actually more robust the the versions sold by Ken and Paul, although there's no obvious way to change the bulb.I originally used Beam Shot and then the original of this trick for years. I had mechanical failure with both eventually and then they just faded into disuse.

When I got the new version, I played with it a lot. I'd forgotten what a cool trick it is. The more I worked on it though, I wondered if it will play in 2011. It seems it can easily be explained as "electronics" and there goes the mystery.

Thoughts?

[Richard Kaufman]

Try it and see what the reaction is. Magic usually defeats logic.

[erdnasephile]

I agree with Steve -- and I think that's perhaps just one of the reasons why Scotty York switched out the bulb and gave a normal one out as a souvenir at the end of his routine.

[Richard Kaufman]

The bulb Tenyo has made for their trick does look identical to a normal bulb widely available in Japan. The Japanese instructions for the trick do discuss switching the bulb for a normal one so it can be given to the spectator. Unfortunately the bulb does not match one in the US. This will be a moot point in a few years, because you won't be able to purchase an incandescent bulb anyway!

[Pete Biro]

Depends on the next presidential election????

[Roger M.]

In real life, a "ghost lamp" is a single, open, 60 watt bulb on a stand left burning down-stage-center on a large theatre stage when the building is closed.

Nothing to do with this thread, but that's what a "real" ghost lamp is :)

[Jonathan Townsend]

...This will be a moot point in a few years, because you won't be able to purchase an incandescent bulb anyway!

ebaY for the bulbs (you tell them), Tesla - antique technology - the mundane becomes the bizarre.