Whose Hands are These?

[Brad Jeffers]

I was wondering if anyone here might know whose hands are shown in THIS PHOTOGRAPH ?

[MagicbyAlfred]

I was wondering if anyone here might know whose hands are shown in THIS PHOTOGRAPH ?

I'm going to guess they are those of the Professor. The shape, tone, and elegance of the hands; the perfectly manicured nails; the Bee cards.
Check this out at 12:33 to 13:15
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeIBCLw4p8o

My back-up guess would be Ross Bertram.

[performer]

I shall use my psychic ability to discern whose hands are in the video. I don't know about the photograph but I am getting a very strong psychic vibe that the hands in the video belong to David Ben.

Now let me have a closer look at the photo. I am afraid the visions are a trifle cloudy at the moment but from a pure palmistry point of view I can tell you something. I have no idea who the chap is but it is certainly somebody who has had many romantic relationships in his life possibly even several marriages. I can only see part of the hand so that is all I can tell you.

[kkelly]

seems like the quality of the pic is too good for Vernon or Bertram. the background might provide a clue if one could get a good look at it without the watermark.

[Ian Kendall]

Can't see it outside the US. Any chance of an embedded image?

[Joe Lyons]

From anotherimage site posting the image:

"Any person who may be depicted in this image is deceased and the Source Agency states that no estate exists and warrants that there shall be no model release issues with regards to the use of this image.'

[Ian Kendall]

Heh. It's not Vernon - the ring is missing.

I'm more interested in what they are trying to do? A centre deal while pinching the top card? a double deal from the centre?

[Leo Garet]

It does put me in mind of Vernon, but perhaps we ought to be taking a closer look at the coat sleeves. Work out who wears/wore a coat like that and well, who knows.

If it is Vernon, a whole new range of Vernon jackets could be on the market in no time at all.

[Christopher1979]

MagicbyAlfred - "My back-up guess would be Ross Bertram."

I think you are spot on!

[Tom Gilbert]

Leo's post came up with what I was thinking, old style coat.

[Leo Garet]

Leo's post came up with what I was thinking, old style coat.

Please, Tom. I think you mean "Retro".

They have to be Retro to sell.

[Leo Garet]

Is this the coat?


https://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl= ... gYegQIARA4

[Jeff Haas]

Vernon never wore a jacket that looked like it was made from an old couch.

[MagicbyAlfred]

OK, consumed with guilt, I'm going to come clean. Those hands are actually mine. I didn't want to admit it, because the photo does not capture me doing magic, but cheating in a card game. (The photo shows me doing the same center deal I taught to Steve Forte). Times were lean back then, as evidenced by the jacket I was wearing, which I had made out of the material of an old couch...

[Chas Nigh]

Nobody mentioned Marlo.

[Christopher1979]

They are not Marlo's hands, I am sure Marlo had longer fingers than that

[Alan M]

I wonder if it could be Charlie Miller.

[performer]

I swear I have seen that jacket before. I will check it out and report back.

[Tom Gilbert]

Is Mark checking his closet?

[performer]

No. I was checking the photos in Stars of Magic.

[Richard Kaufman]

Not Vernon.
Not Charlie Miller.
Not Marlo.
There were lots of guys doing card tricks, you know!

[performer]

I think it would be useful to find out who the photographer was. Once you find that out it will lead to the magician.

[performer]

You know, I wonder, just wonder if the person in the photo is Roy Walton. I just saw a picture of him on Facebook and he does seem to be wearing the same kind of jacket. I could of course be wrong. I admit it is a long shot.

[Tom Gilbert]

It does appear to be a shot for a book or for a drawing. Is it a center deal? Maybe the sleight might give a hint.

[Paco Nagata]

I was wondering if anyone here might know whose hands are shown in THIS PHOTOGRAPH ?

I think that if we know where does that picture come from we could get some idea.
If you Google "card sharp stock photo" you will get a picture of an (apparently) anonymous guy from the same source of the "hands photo" that may be the hand's owner. Nontheless he doesn't wear any jacket, so the mystery is still there...

[Roy-McIlwee]

I contacted the website that posted this photo and asked if they knew whose hands these were. the response was, "This is George Nelson". It ended up this was the guy I was talking to. Oh well.

[Richard Kaufman]

We can also rule out Doc Daley, whose hands were far chubbier.

[MagicbyAlfred]

While I don't think this is conclusive evidence as to whose hands are depicted in the photo, I believe there is a better than even chance they are those of Ross Bertram based on this this video ("My 52 Friends"). The size and shape of the hands and fingers is quite, similar, he is using the Bee playing cards, and his little finger tends to curve and flare out away from the other fingers when he's doing certain moves. Even if this video does not convince you that the hands are Ross's, it is worth watching for the extraordinary, elegant, visual card handling and eye-popping magic. BTW does anyone know what that awesome table color change at 5:09 is called, who created it, and a source(s) of where to find the handling?

[Joe Lyons]

BTW does anyone know what that awesome table color change at 5:09 is called, who created it, and a source(s) of where to find the handling?

Marlo's circular change?

[Richard Kaufman]

The change was original with Ross.
Done with two hands, it was reinvented by Matt Corin and then published in Genii.
Both of those before Marlo published his Eidetic Change.

[MagicbyAlfred]

Thanx Richard. It looks like the sides of the two of clubs are bowed upward, and in the case of the card it "changes" into (i.e., the four of hearts), the sides are bowed downward, which I would imagine facilities execution of the move. The film appears to have been edited just before the change, and it would appear that the four of hearts was already palmed or stolen off-camera, as it were, just prior to the change.

[Denis Behr]

BTW does anyone know what that awesome table color change at 5:09 is called, who created it, and a source(s) of where to find the handling?

Marlo's circular change?

I also don't think it's the Eidetic one, but looks more like The Circular Change, which does not start with a double on the table.

[performer]

I remember years ago seeing Ariel Frailich of Toronto doing this to perfection. I have no idea if he still does it. I shall ask him when I see him.

[Joe Lyons]

BTW does anyone know what that awesome table color change at 5:09 is called, who created it, and a source(s) of where to find the handling?

Marlo's circular change?

I also don't think it's the Eidetic one, but looks more like The Circular Change, which does not start with a double on the table.

Right, which Marlo published in '61. The circular change isn't in any of my Marlo books, however, so I wasn't sure.

[Richard Kaufman]

I've never seen the circular change before. It needs some cover. I've been doing The Eidetic Change since I read it in Genii over 40 years ago. Fools the hell out of people.

[MagicbyAlfred]

I've never seen the circular change before. It needs some cover. I've been doing The Eidetic Change since I read it in Genii over 40 years ago. Fools the hell out of people.

Nice to hear you've had success with it, Richard. I am intrigued by a tabletop visual change, and the Eidetic change strikes me as more practical and easier of execution (albeit far from easy) than Ross's change. Looks to me like Ross was not using a tabled double, but changed the tabled single which (as I mentioned) had upward flared sides (i.e., the two of clubs) by leaving a previously palmed or stolen card (the four of hearts, which had downward flared sides) in place of the two, as the two was stolen away in the same motion. And, certainly not to take away anything away from the indisputably great Bertram, but I don't think Ross's change would have looked nearly and clean and impossible but for some editing in the filming. My understanding of the Eidetic change, on the other hand, employs a tabled double and lapping.