A message to Anthony Brahams

[Philippe Noël]

Mr Braham,
In the booklet, Fred Kaps'Purse, P.8, you tell that you were "one of many completely baffled at the IBM Convention in Monte Carlo when Fred performed a Silver/Copper/Two Chinese coins transposition incorporating an amusing presentation."
Can you tell us more abaout this routine and the amusing presentation?

[Anthony Brahams]

M. Noel, I hinted at the routine in FK Purse because I did not think I was entitled to reveal it, either effect or method. I suppose it it is all right to describe the effect now because it is probably in print somewhere - I will not say more on that!

Fred showed a silver coin in one hand and a copper coin in the other. The coins changed places, then back to original (he may have done this a few times). He said "I suppose you think I am using four coins. Well I am!" He turned his hands palm up and from each two Chinese coins slid out from the now apparently empty hands.

Perhaps this will be in Dick Koornwinder's book. He has had a lot of work to do on it and I am looking forward to its publication (Mike Caveney I believe) one day.

[Richard Kaufman]

I think we can do better than that:
You start with two Chinese coins classic palmed in each hand.
One hand holds a copper/silver coin at the fingertips with the silver side up, the other hand holds a similar coin with the copper side up.
The hands display the coins using the Malini Subtlety.
Both hands turn palm down and the fingers secretly rotate the coins. When the hands turn palm up again (to Kaps Subtlety position) the coins appear to have changed places.
This is repeated a few times, then only one coin is turn over so it appears you have two silver coins.
Then both coins are turned over so it appears you have two copper coins.
Then when the hands turn palm down both hands do a Palm Change, palming the copper/silver coins and allowing the Chinese coins to drop to the fingertips.
The hands turn up and display the Chinese coins.

[Carl Mercurio]

Very nice. Walkaround potential. Carl

[Pete Biro]

I saw Fred do this many many times and he never failed to knock 'em dead with this. His big hands and his ability to do the palm change, much like a dice switch, was incredible.

[Richard Kaufman]

I haven't met many guys who could do the Palm Change with BOTH hands!!!

[Paul Cummins]

When I saw Derek Dingle perform this effect at a Tannen's Jubilee in the late '70's, he backclipped the two copper/silver coins, one in each hand, and let the four oriental coins slide off his palms onto the table. Very effective, and the way I've done it ever since...

Paul

[Philippe Noël]

Thank you to all of you for your answers.

[Suresh]

In this video of Kaps performing for Brother John Hamman, copper silver coins change hands; and the performance ends with four (not just two) chinese coins. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLCXroZZJVY

[Jonathan Townsend]

Such a shame that the only "Magic of Fred Kaps" book out is the one you need those special red glasses to read. And he's been gone for over a generation now.

I hope Koornwinder book on his magic gets published before suits become as retro as spats, canes, smoking - before folks know enough about dragon/Phoenix coins to wonder about the symbolism and ... relegate Kaps to some mythical past when silver dollars were silver, people smoked, when Ken Brooke had a store and he was the guy with salt streaming out of his hands while the audiences was screaming for the Beatles to perform.

I feel it's a shame that we have such a delay between the display and the publication of such wonderful material. Especially when the person involved was, unlike Karl Germain, open to teaching what he showed.

IMHO there's little benefit in holding onto material - as it's your approach to performing and aesthetic choices which make all the difference to audiences. On the negative side, holding onto "A" makes it politically awkward to publish things which evolved from 'A' and have since been time/audience tested and are themselves of merit beyond mere derivitive works.