CONUS ACES

Discuss your favorite close-up tricks and methods.
Ricky Difeo
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CONUS ACES

Postby Ricky Difeo » October 18th, 2004, 10:32 am

Hi!

I read 4 year ago this card trick "Conus Aces".

The question is where? I can not to find it.

I have in my hands the books Expert Card tecnique, Sleight of Hand, Road to Royal.. and I can not found.-

Thank for the help!! ;)

Jim Maloney_dup1
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Re: CONUS ACES

Postby Jim Maloney_dup1 » October 18th, 2004, 11:01 am

It's in Royal Road. Check out the first effect in Part Three, Platform Tricks.

-Jim

Jacky Kahan
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Re: CONUS ACES

Postby Jacky Kahan » October 18th, 2004, 12:04 pm

Hello,

You can find Conus Aces in the following books :

Michael Skinner, Classic Sampler
Copyright 1996
Page 06.......... The Conus Aces

More Card Manipulations
by Jean Hugard (1938)
Page 023 The Conus Aces - A New Version

The Royal Road To Card Magic
by Jean Hugard and Frederick Braue (1951)
Page 249 Conus Ace Trick

Stephen Minch, Ultra Cervon (c)1990
Page 37 The Conus Aces

Tarbell, Harlan: The Tarbell Course in Magic Vol 5
1927 Tarbell System, Inc
Page 114 Conus' Aces

Hope this helps

Jacky
www.magicbooks.be

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Re: CONUS ACES

Postby Guest » October 18th, 2004, 12:55 pm

Conus' "The Four Aces" first appeared in print in 1868 in Jean-Eugne Robert-Houdin's LES SECRETS DE LA PRESTIDIGITATION ET DE LA MAGIE. The work was translated into English by Professor Hoffmann and published as THE SECRETS OF CONJURING AND MAGIC in 1878.

Philippe Billot
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Re: CONUS ACES

Postby Philippe Billot » October 18th, 2004, 1:43 pm

Not exactly, Cameron.
This trick appeared first in 1853 in "Nouvelle Magie Blanche Dvoile" par Jean Nicolas Ponsin

Guest

Re: CONUS ACES

Postby Guest » October 18th, 2004, 1:50 pm

Actually, Philippe, the trick in NOUVELLE MAGIE BLANCHE DVOILE is an Ace Assembly (quite possibly the first to see print); the Conus trick does not contain an assembly phase.

Cameron

Philippe Billot
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Re: CONUS ACES

Postby Philippe Billot » October 18th, 2004, 2:04 pm

If you have the book in french, go to page 108
The trick is entitle :
Tour d'As escamots sous la main d'une personne suivi de la multiplication.
Aces Trick conjure away fron the hand of a spectator, follow by a multiplication (of aces)

It's not an assembly, it's a travel, then a production.

Guest

Re: CONUS ACES

Postby Guest » October 18th, 2004, 2:09 pm

Unfortunately, I cannot read French and do not have the book. Are you sure the trick was contained in the circa 1854 first edition? I've always thought, and have read several times, that the Robert-Houdin book marked the first publication of the Conus ace trick.

Cameron

Philippe Billot
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Re: CONUS ACES

Postby Philippe Billot » October 18th, 2004, 2:18 pm

I know. There is a confusion made by Jean Hugard and everybody take his information without check.
But don't worry, even in france, a lot of magicians haven't read or study the book of Ponsin.
For instance, do you know that one of the first trick using estimation is describe in this book ?

Guest

Re: CONUS ACES

Postby Guest » October 18th, 2004, 2:24 pm

Interesting discovery, Philippe. Perhaps I will purchase the English translation of this classic text.

Cameron

Philippe Billot
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Re: CONUS ACES

Postby Philippe Billot » October 18th, 2004, 2:30 pm

Unfortunatly, If you want to buy Ponsin on Conjuring by Samuel Sharpe, you'lln't find all the stuff because there are only extracts.
I hope this sentence is comprehensible!!!

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Re: CONUS ACES

Postby Richard Hatch » October 18th, 2004, 4:33 pm

As noted by Philippe, Sharpe's PONSIN ON CONJURING contains only excerpts from the original, consisting--according to Sharpe--only of those items that Professor Hoffmann had not used in MODERN MAGIC. "Conus' Aces" is not among those excerpts, though he does include Conus Senior's cups and ball routine, using metal balls, anticipating Paul Gertner by more than a century!

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Re: CONUS ACES

Postby Jonathan Townsend » October 18th, 2004, 5:48 pm

Originally posted by Richard Hatch:
...using metal balls, anticipating Paul Gertner by more than a century!
I wonder if Paul Gertner read the book in French and then tried the method as described.

It's great we now have the internet and access to both multilingual magicians and tools.
Mundus vult decipi -per Caleb Carr's story Killing Time

Guest

Re: CONUS ACES

Postby Guest » October 19th, 2004, 8:49 am

Michael Vincent has done some extensive research into this effect and has produced some interesting work on it, in pamphlet form. I dont care for it much personally, but if you're curious run a search for Michaels site, I think he sells products on-line.

Philippe Billot
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Re: CONUS ACES

Postby Philippe Billot » October 19th, 2004, 9:38 am

As some of you seem interested by Nouvelle Magie Blanche Dvoile, I am going to do the TOC of this book in the site of Jacky (www.magicbooks.be)
in french and also in english if I can.
But if someone is able to make a good translation, it would be better

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Re: CONUS ACES

Postby Ricky Difeo » October 19th, 2004, 9:53 am

Hi!

Thank for all!

Yes, i have read this in the Road..and Skinners book Clasic Sampleer.-

It is one beatifull effect. Old and good as the mayority classic card magic.- ;)

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Re: CONUS ACES

Postby Jacky Kahan » October 19th, 2004, 11:46 am

Philippe,

I'll help you with the english translation... :)

Cheers
Jacky
www.magicbooks.be

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Re: CONUS ACES

Postby Guest » March 15th, 2005, 11:31 pm

Hello everyone,

I hope you guys will still check this post. I just joined tonight and I am so happy I came across this post. It already shows me the quality of this forum.

Recently I have been working a lot on the effect. Conus Aces, when properly performed, in my opinion, is the strongest sucker trick out there. I had been studying it a while and then at Seattle's Saturday night session I saw Steve Mayhew (funny as hell) do his take on the routine. It inspired me and at this point the routine is without a doubt, my most requested routine. I can do a show with strong solid material and try to end, but if there is someone in that audience who's seen me before, you can bet they won't let me leave before seeing the trick? "Do that crazy thing where I thought you were cheating" is what I usually get.

Let's bring this topic back alive and talk about what each of our own presentations looks like to the spectators.

I'm glad to be here and look forward to many awesome convos!

Sol :)

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Reinhard Mueller
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Re: CONUS ACES

Postby Reinhard Mueller » March 21st, 2005, 3:56 am

Richard wrote on October 18, 2004
As noted by Philippe, Sharpe's PONSIN ON CONJURING contains only excerpts from the original, consisting--according to Sharpe--only of those items that Professor Hoffmann had not used in MODERN MAGIC. "Conus' Aces" is not among those excerpts,

Then the effect To Change The Four Aces, Held Tightly By A Person Into Four Indifferent Cards on p. 93 in Hoffmanns MODEN MAGIC has to be that Conus Aces effect from POSIN?

And I can tell you that I found in the book R.P.: EIN SPIEL KARTEN (A PACK OF CARDS), Prague, January 1853(!) transformation effects, for example four Queens transform into indifferent cards. Conus influence?


Reinhard

Philippe Billot
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Re: CONUS ACES

Postby Philippe Billot » March 21st, 2005, 10:50 am

Reinhard,

The trick described by Hoffmann in Modern Magic, entitled "To Change The Four Aces, Held Tightly By a Person into Four Indifferent Cards" is the same described by Ponsin entitled " Tour d'As Escamots sous la Main d'une Personne, Suivi de la Multiplication".

It's The Conus'Aces but Hoffman presents the effect in reverse !

In fact, it's a slow motion transformation.
Once a spectator has covered the Aces on the table with his hand, The magician CHANGES successively the first four top cards (which he shows before to be indifferents) into the Aces.

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Reinhard Mueller
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Re: CONUS ACES

Postby Reinhard Mueller » March 21st, 2005, 12:30 pm

Thanks Philippe for clearing up the Conus effect!

Reinhard

Jason London
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Re: CONUS ACES

Postby Jason London » March 21st, 2005, 1:21 pm

Greetings,

My close friend and mentor, Michael Vincent, has and excellent version called Vincent on Conus by Michael Vincent.

Michael has completely re-worked the handling and added a couple of extra effects not
found in the original routine. These extra effects make the routine a little gutsier
for the style of working and also elevate the magical content. Michael's handling climaxes with the four Aces appearing in the spectator's pocket as in the original but with a contemporary twist.

It's available through him at www.magicofmagic.com

Sorry, Adam, I didn't see your post above! ;)

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Reinhard Mueller
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Re: CONUS ACES

Postby Reinhard Mueller » March 21st, 2005, 2:04 pm

Philippe,
I found in Dr. Kurt Volkmann his series of the History of Magic the following sentence:
Robert-Houdin put up a memorial to Con(n)us in telling how he had made the four Aces traveling in a deck and multiplying.
Volkmanns source was: Robert-Houdin Comment on devient sorcier, Paris 1882, page 255.
Do you know that book?
Reinhard

Philippe Billot
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Re: CONUS ACES

Postby Philippe Billot » March 22nd, 2005, 9:49 am

Hi, Reinhard.

In fact, the title of Robert-Houdin's book is :

Les Secrets de la Prestidigitation et de la Magie,
Comment on devient sorcier

In english

The Secrets of Conjuring & Magic; How to Become a Conjuror.

It was published first in 1868.

In it, Robert-Houdin described Conus' Aces under the title :

TOUR DES QUATRE AS.

In fact, it's a trick in three parts (Robert-Houdin wrote that he have seen it performed by his creator).

First, it's now the well known trick where the four Aces, placed together in the middle of the deck, came where the spectator want; two on top and bottom, or four on top or bottom, etc..

Second, it's the slow motion transformation.

Third, it's the multiplication of the Aces.

Ponsin, who was the first to describe the trick in 1854, described only the second and third part. He described the first part (without quote Conus)under the title :

"Faire changer 4 cartes, 2 fois de suite, de situation ds le jeu"

To Change the position of four cards in the deck two times.

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Re: CONUS ACES

Postby Jonathan Townsend » March 22nd, 2005, 9:57 am

Was there any explantion given as to using aces as opposed to court cards?
Mundus vult decipi -per Caleb Carr's story Killing Time

Philippe Billot
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Re: CONUS ACES

Postby Philippe Billot » March 22nd, 2005, 10:34 am

In France, it seems that Aces take place of the Kings at the beginning of the first republic in 1792, but I have no real proof. It's only my theory.

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Reinhard Mueller
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Re: CONUS ACES

Postby Reinhard Mueller » March 23rd, 2005, 1:16 pm

Thanks again, Philippe, for your clarification of the seeming title of a book "Comment on devient sorcier".
By the way I own Hoffmann's translation of Robert-Houdin's book in English.

Renewed hint:
The second part of the CONUS ACES,the multiplication of the Aces, is described in R.P.: EIN SPIEL KARTEN (A PACK OF CARDS), Prague, January 1853(!!!).

And Hofzinser's "Die Vier Asse" (The Four Aces)[see Magic Christian: Non Plus Ultra Vol.2, 2004, p.99] seems to be the CONUS ACES, second and third part. There are only notes from HEUBECK, and Ottokar Fischer's completions (1896), no authentic notes by Hofzinser.
The effect "Die Vier Achter" (The Four Eights) [see Magic Christian: Non Plus Ultra Vol.2, 2004, p.105] contains also CONUS ACES elements (second part of CONUS ACES).

Reinhard

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: CONUS ACES

Postby Richard Kaufman » March 23rd, 2005, 1:24 pm

Derek Dingle did a handling of the Conus Aces based mostly on an unpublished handling of Steve Freeman's. He used it at lectures once in a while, though it has never appeared in print.
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Re: CONUS ACES

Postby Guest » March 24th, 2005, 10:10 am

I first learnt this effect when I was fifteen years old from The Royal Road to Card Magic. Back then, I couldn't appreciate the effect and all the sucker bit's and pieces.

Michael Skinner's streamlined version from Classic Sampler renewed my interest and so began a long journey of study and experimentation with this effect.

All I can say is that for me, this effect is a showstopper. It has everything going for it. Great magic, suspense, theatre, potential for great comedy, if handled correctly and a great finale'.

I love this effect: it play's big in the mind of the audience and it is a wonderful effect for projecting your personality and identity.

Good luck

Mike Vincent
London

Randy DiMarco
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Re: CONUS ACES

Postby Randy DiMarco » March 24th, 2005, 12:45 pm

I think the handling of the "sucker" aspects at the beginning are the most important part of this. You need to get the spectators reacting but if you play it too broadly they will know you are putting them on from the start. I have a video from the early 80's of Derek Dingle performing this and he handled it well. Bill Malone handles this type of situation well in his Sam the Bellhop routine when he keeps nulifying the spectators cut. If you want to make this routine really go, concentrate on this portion of the routine. Either that or go with Mike Skinner's approach of eliminating all that and getting right to the ending.

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Reinhard Mueller
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Re: CONUS ACES

Postby Reinhard Mueller » March 27th, 2005, 12:52 pm

May I be allowed to continue also the historical search, and I think I can beat Philippes date 1853 of the CONUS ACES first description in Jean Nicolas Ponsin: "Nouvelle Magie Blanche Dvoile" with my following findings:
In L. Schellenberg jun.: EIN BLICK IN DBLERS UND BOSKOS ZAUBERKABINETT [= A Look Into Dblers and Boscos Magic Cabinet (Study)], Wiesbaden 1832 [Reprint: Edition Volker Huber, Offenbach am Main 2001] I found the second part of the CONUS ACES, the slow motion(!) transformation(with sucker(!) part), on page 172 as Die vier unter der Hand verwandelten Karten(=The four changed cards under the hand).
In the same Schellenbergs book I found on page 183 Das ewige Einerlei (=The never-ending monotony) a combination of the General Card with Multiplication of the Aces (the third part of the CONUS ACES).

Reinhard

Brian Marks
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Re: CONUS ACES

Postby Brian Marks » March 27th, 2005, 1:18 pm

Originally posted by Michael Vincent:
I first learnt this effect when I was fifteen years old from The Royal Road to Card Magic. Back then, I couldn't appreciate the effect and all the sucker bit's and pieces.

Michael Skinner's streamlined version from Classic Sampler renewed my interest and so began a long journey of study and experimentation with this effect.

All I can say is that for me, this effect is a showstopper. It has everything going for it. Great magic, suspense, theatre, potential for great comedy, if handled correctly and a great finale'.

I love this effect: it play's big in the mind of the audience and it is a wonderful effect for projecting your personality and identity.

Good luck

Mike Vincent
London
I have seen Mike do this. Incredible.

Not too take the thread off too much subject but Mike said something I just can't pass up. The comment about projecting your personality is so important. All tricks are vehicle to present yourself to the audience.

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Re: CONUS ACES

Postby Brian Marks » March 27th, 2005, 1:20 pm

Is it me or Did Mike post 1:10 pm on the 24th but edited his post at 10:12am on the same day?

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: CONUS ACES

Postby Richard Kaufman » March 27th, 2005, 4:52 pm

Yes--it's YOU. Michael's post was at 10:10, not 1:10.
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Jeff Eline
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Re: CONUS ACES

Postby Jeff Eline » March 28th, 2005, 6:56 am

Looks odd to me too.

Mine says
"posted March 24, 2005 01:10 PM"
then
"March 24, 2005, 10:12 AM: Message edited by: Michael Vincent"

Jim Maloney_dup1
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Re: CONUS ACES

Postby Jim Maloney_dup1 » March 28th, 2005, 8:40 am

Originally posted by Jeff Eline:
Looks odd to me too.

Mine says
[b]"posted March 24, 2005 01:10 PM"

then
"March 24, 2005, 10:12 AM: Message edited by: Michael Vincent" [/b]
That's because the time in the "edited" message is showing the server time, while the time in the "posted" section shows the server time + your timezone adjustment as defined in your profile. For folks on the West Coast, it would show up just fine, while folks in the mid-west would only show a 1-2 hour difference.

-Jim

Philippe Billot
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Re: CONUS ACES

Postby Philippe Billot » March 28th, 2005, 8:44 am

Very good job, Reinhard, and Happy Easter !

To have a good historical panorama of cardmagic, I'm sure we have to compile and compare the magic publications, say, between 1760 and 1860 from Italia, England, Germany and France.

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Reinhard Mueller
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Re: CONUS ACES

Postby Reinhard Mueller » March 31st, 2005, 12:09 am

Philippe, thanks for your nice comment.
I do agree with your idea to compile and compare magic publications. I think that in the 18th century the German books on magic are very influenced by the French publications, as there are translation in German of French books, for example J. CH. Thenn translated (1772-77) Guyots Nouvelles rcrations. You find the first more independent German magic books in the 19th century.
Apart from Italia, England, Germany and France we have to look at the publications of Spain, too. I own a reprint of 1996 of Robert-Houdin: LOS SECRETOS DE LA PRESTIDIGITACION Y DE LA MAGIA. CMO SE HACE UNO BRUJO. Traduccion de Ricardo Palanca y Lita, Seconda Editino, Valencia 1880.

Reinhard


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