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Thursday, October 05, 2017
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8 comments:
Harry Houdini performing with
Rosie in the old Hippodrome
Theater as shown above
Harry Houdini about to make an elephant vanish. There iss some question as to whether he actually did that illusion or if that was a staged photo op. Not likely to have pulled it off as shown.
There is a great book on this subject "Hiding the Elephant" by Jim Steinmeyer.
I've had a couple of disappearing elephants.
And yours without smoke
mirrors or trapdoors
I'll bet most elephant
folks also had them
Magician and mystery writer Walter Gibson once described how Houdini did the disappearing elephant illusion. He also provided a drawing of the big crate-like enclosure that was used. According to Gibson, the illusion would only work if it was presented on a big stage like the Hippodrome’s. Once the elephant entered the enclosure, curtains were drawn at either end. When the curtains were opened after an interval, the elephant appeared to have vanished. In reality, it was standing to one side where it couldn’t be seen. (The enclosure was apparently designed in such a way so that it looked smaller than it actually was.) Again, the illusion would only work on a big stage. (I wonder what Houdini would have thought of the inflatable rubber elephant that Ringling used a few years ago to make an elephant magically appear.)
It always amused me that when most illusionists made the elephant vanish, the attendant would disappear too. I would leave the attendant alone looking amazed.
Jim Steinmeyer, the author of the book "Hiding the Elephant" cited above by Jim Royal, was the creative consultant for the illusions performed in the Ringling show of a few years ago titled "Zing Zang Zoom." Readers may remember that that show began with the elephant illusion.
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