Platform Cards Across

[Guest]

Very well. Here is a hint.

Acres of Diamonds.I am not sure but I vaguely remember that this was a lecture given by Ralph Waldo Emerson. If it wasn't him then it was someone equally notable.

That is a story to remind people that sometimes the things we seek are in our own backyards. People often seek for miles and miles around for what they desire.
Usually they can find what they want if they don't look quite so far.

[Guest]

The speech 'Acres of Diamonds' is by Russell H. Conwell and can be found here:

http://www.temple.edu/documentation/her ... peech.html

Happy reading! --Asrah

[Guest]

Ahh! That's the fellow.
No doubt he will tell Noah where to find the Devant 3 Cards Across.
I will give Noah another clue. I get a psychic vibe that I am not the only one here who is deriving great amusement from his eager search for information.
And these quiet people also know where the Devant method is.

Oh, here is another great clue. I am delighted to inform everyone that I have made a very rare mistake. Normally everything I say is gospel but on this occasion I will admit that I slipped up when I said the book in question was published in 1957. I do not approve of books published in 1957 because this is before my cut off date of 1954.

Anyway I was in great bounds of delight and relief when I found out that the work in question was published in 1949. Before 1954 after all.

[Richard Kaufman]

There is some sort of Devant Cards Across routine in "Our Magic," but don't know if this is the one being referred to. Brother Hamman has an ingenious variation in his book.

[Guest]

I only have the first part of that book. The Dover edition.
It is written by Maskelyne rather than Devant. I think Devant had more to do with the trick part of the book (part 2)
It is all on theory. It is utterly brilliant. It can be heavy reading though, since the book was written 90 years ago.
See? Well before 1954.

[DChung]

Wow, even Richard doesn't know. I guess publishing something really is the best way to keep it secret.

[Bob Alan]

If you want to find Devant's method, hidden somewhere, look in the Linking Ring magazines! after 1954 and before 2000!

[Guest]

Oh, I am sure Richard knows. It is just that he doesn't know that he knows.

[Guest]

Psychic, you don't seriously believe that I don't realize the trick is in Royal road do you? If you had really wanted to keep it a secret you would have done the following:

There's a good cards across method in Royal Road to Card magic.

Noah Levine

[Guest]

There's a good cards across method in "Royal Road to Card Magic"

[Ryan Matney]

I've recently reread The Royal Road to card magic and I have come to the conclusion that it is much better than expert card technique and maybe a few other 'classics.' Maybe that is the selection of material holds up very well after all these years or maybe there is very good advice in what Mark Lewis says about reading beginner's magic books.

Mr. Lewis sir, have you ever attempted The egyptian pocket?

[Guest]

50% of my repertoire comes from "The Royal Road to Card Magic" I really don't need much else. I have played with Egyptian Pocket but have not done much with it.

However, I have news to impart. I have just been in contact with the spirit world and have been in touch with a French gentleman who is very disturbed by this thread. He is jumping up and down in great irritation because it appears that the Devant 3 Cards Across does not belong to Devant after all.

His name is a Mr.Ponsin and he is highly irritated with this Devant fellow claiming his trick. He said something to the effect of "no wonder he got kicked out of the Magic Circle"
He said he would sue Mr.Devant if he was an American rather than a Frenchman. He does admit that he is rather restricted in this since he and Mr.Devant are rather dead at the moment.

It seems that he published the trick not before 1954 but before 1854. 1853 to be exact. The book is entitled "Nouvelle Magic Blanche Devoilee" and I am amazed to discover that virtually the same method and procedure I use at the moment is described including the extra stuff eliminated as I discussed earlier.

It seems that Devant performed this version but didn't invent it. Then after Ponsin published it Robert Houdin came along and supposedly improved it by introducing a second person and using precisely the same method that is generally used nowadays.

This second method is the one that has taken off.Invented by Robert Houdin.

Ponsin invented or at least published the so called Devant method in 1853. I think it remains the best.

I use it virtually as described in the 1853 book.

In fact it is so good that I am now contemplating only reading books written before 1854.

[Guest]

I agree that the little effect near the end is extraneous, and it detracts from the purity of the effect as a "mindblower." I cannot believe that Devant would have done it that way. But, then, as Psychic would have to admit, most of the old books are full of extraneous side effects that (IMHO) dilute the main effect. These side effects need to be pared away.

In much the same way, more modern books (yes, post-1957 ) push the ending too hard with kickers or double-kickers. Few worthwhile effects can stand up to K or DK without weakening the original effect (IMHO), or even causing the spectator to forget it completely.

Fun thread, gentlemen!

Jon

[Guest]

Mike Rogers also didn't like kicker effects and spoke out against them.

I don't think they are a particularly bad thing but I have no strong feelings one way or the other regarding this.

I don't use them. However, I don't think that Mike Rogers point about them offending the viewer has much validity.

Just doing tricks even without kickers runs the same risk of "offending"

[Guest]

The cards and envelopes version from Tarbell can be adopted for Jumbo cards. I use this version with regular cards and it has great impact. The idea of chosen cards appearing in a previously sealed envelope that remains untouched by the performer seems to smoke their minds. Over the years I have added touches to make the piece flow and handle more smoothly, but it is a convincing piece of magic as written.

[Guest]

Try THE FINE ART OF MAGIC George G. Kaplan
Giant Trio-Flight

[Guest]

Here's a thought from my notebooks;

Instead of cards... I've always thought the plot would make more sense using $$ bills.

By employing a couple himber wallets (and/or double walled pay envelopes) and the method is a cakewalk.

If you'd like to transport a selected bill...

You can use a run sequential of bills with the last serial # erased (someone choses a bill from this packet... and this packet gets switched for a set of mixed bills with one less.)

I hope that makes sense... typing in haste (I should be wrapping xmas presents right now

[Denis Behr]

Jrg Alexander from the Flicking Fingers has a great handling for the "bills across". I am not sure whether it is published in English? I think it is on the older Magic Of Germany tape by Steven's magic.

Denis

[Dave Shepherd]

Originally posted by Denis Behr:
Jrg Alexander from the Flicking Fingers has a great handling for the "bills across". I am not sure whether it is published in English?

Do you know whether it's published in German? Where?

[Denis Behr]

Yes, in German it is published as "Kapitalflucht" on page 2 of the lecture notes "ZauberKunst - Das Jrg Alexander Weber Seminar 1995". It is a streamlined handling with only one spectator.

Denis

[Richard Morrell]

Jrg's Bills Across II can be found in English in his SAM lecture notes, available from H&R.

Rich.

[Guest]

Zen cards across...out of My Best...use your head and you can easily make that routine even stronger with very little thought. (If you think about it and adjust you can give the deck away at the end as a thank you to the audience member. Makes it stronger and rules out dups as method in audiences mind.)
Also Red Sea passover- from Simon Aronson... could easily be done with Jumbo cards. You would just have to make them up or have them made.

[Guest]

Originally posted by rich152:
Is anyone familiar with a good version of cards across with jumbo cards where the 3 cards that jump across are thought of cards?
Sorry that was a longwinded sentence!
Thanks in advance
Rich

[Guest]

Originally posted by gooldy:

Originally posted by rich152:
Is anyone familiar with a good version of cards across with jumbo cards where the 3 cards that jump across are thought of cards?
Sorry that was a longwinded sentence!
Thanks in advance
Rich

Excellent method in"The Fine Art Of Magic" George Kaplan. A book of treasures.

[Tarotist]

I accidentally came across this thread from nearly 20 years ago. The version I was hinting at was this one. Since I am now old and decrepit there is no need to keep it secret any more. It is the best version out there. Naturally I also have an ulterior motive for the revelation. I have described the entire routine and methodology in my most worthy Annotated Royal Road to Card Magic which can be obtained either on my own website at https://www.marklewisentertainment.com/ ... cians.html (fourth book down) or the e-book version at lybrary.com
https://www.lybrary.com/the-annotated-r ... 23422.html

Anyway, here it is!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRlHF02_6Ts