| For those who are
interested, here is
a list of popular tricks along with the names of the people who are said
to have invented
them. This list is not comprehensive, but it is a start, we welcome your
additions, corrections, and input. Contact us at:
katzkin@MagicUnlimited.com
For a much more detailed look at
the lineage of Magic Tricks, Moves, and Illusions go to
THE MAGIC LINEAGE PROJECT by
Chris Wasshuber. (Special thanks to the Magic Lineage Project for so
much great information). Another great
resource you can use to locate the inventors of many magic tricks is
MagicTricks.com. We are grateful for the immense research they have done
in preserving the history of our art, and many of the names listed below
come from their site:
http://www.magictricks.com/library/invented.htm
|
| ACES IN THEIR FACES |
Bob Kohler |
| ACROBATIC MATCHBOX
|
G.W. Hunter |
| AFGHAN BANDS |
Professor Hoffmann |
| ALTAR LIGHT |
U.F. Grant |
| ANTI-GRAVICO |
Bob Andre |
| APPEARING CANE |
Russ Walsh |
| APPEARING ELEPHANT |
Gustave Fasola |
| ARABIAN BEADS |
John Albenice |
| ARM CHOPPER |
U.F. Grant |
| ARTIST'S DREAM |
David Devant |
| ASCANIO SPREAD |
Dr. Arturo de Ascanio |
| ASHES ON THE ARM |
John White (1718) |
| ASRAH |
Servais LeRoy |
| ASSISTANT'S REVENGE
|
Robert Harbin |
| ATTABOY |
Jack Hughes |
| BACK PALM |
Ellis Stanyon (1903) is generally credited, though
it may have been Mark Schantz, however for a more detailed look at the
history of this move, go
here |
| BACKSTAGE ILLUSION
|
Dante |
| BAKER SLATE |
Joseph Dunninger |
| BALDUCCI WALLET |
Ed Balducci (1958) |
| BALL VASE / EGG VASE |
Credited to Jacques Ozanam (1693) though it first
shows up in Sports and Pastimes (1676) by "J.M." |
| BANG GUN |
Harold Sterling |
| BANK NIGHT |
Tom Sellers |
| BENDABLE PEN |
John Cornelius |
| BENDIX BOMBSHELL
|
David Bendix |
| BEWILDERING BLOCKS
|
Conradi |
| BIDDLE GRIP |
Elmer Biddle |
| BIG RABBIT FROM EMPTY PAPER SACK |
Walter Zaney Blaney |
| BILL TUBE, DOUBLE
|
Walter Gibson |
| BLACK AND WHITE SURPRISE |
Per Clausen |
| BLACK ART ACT |
Max Auzinger |
| BLACK ART TABLE
|
J.N. Hofzinser |
| BLENDO |
Frank Ducrot |
| BLIZZARD |
Dean Dill |
| BLOK-CORD |
Lyman Allen |
| BLUE CRYSTAL |
Lubor Fiedler (2000) |
| BLUE PHANTOM |
Hans Trunk |
| BOOK TEST |
J.N. Hofzinser |
| BRA TRICK |
Howard Brooks |
| BRAINWAVE DECK |
Ralph W. Hull |
| BREAKAWAY FAN |
Robert Nickle |
| BREAK THE HABIT
|
Rodger Lovins |
| BUNNY BILL |
Dr. Robert Neale |
| BURGLAR BALL |
Shigeru Sugawara (1994) |
| BURNING ROPE ESCAPE |
Alan Alan |
| B'WAVE |
Max Maven/Phil Goldstein |
| CALLING CARD |
Rodger Lovins |
| CANE CABINET |
P.T. Selbit |
| CANE TO TABLE |
Russ Walsh |
| CANNON ILLUSION
|
William Ceretta Jeans/ Horace Goldin |
| CARD CASTLE |
Louis Nikola |
| CARD DUCK |
L.L. Ireland |
| CARD FRAME |
J.N. Hofzinser |
| CARD GUARD |
Joe Porper (1970) |
| CARD IN BALLOON
|
Claude Chandler |
| CARD SILK |
Lewis Davenport |
| CARD STAR |
J.N. Hofzinser |
| CARD-TOON (Animation Card - Tenyo) |
Dan Harlan |
| CARD WARP |
Roy Walton |
| CARDBOARD CONNECTION
|
Paul Harris |
| CHAIR SUSPENSION
|
Jack Hughes |
| CHEEK TO CHEEK DECK
|
Arthur Findley |
| CHEFALO KNOT |
Chefalo |
| CHINATOWN QUARTER
|
Ken Allen |
| CHINESE FLAME CLOCK
|
Edward Massey |
| CHINESE STICKS |
Howard Thurston |
| CHOP CUP |
Al Wheatley (Chop Chop) |
| CLING RING |
Chuck Leach |
| CIGARETTE THROUGH CARD |
Don England, David Solomon |
| CIGARETTE THRU QUARTER
|
Pressley Guitar |
| CLATTER BOX |
Jack Hughes |
| CLEAR FINGER CHOPPER |
Shigeru Sugawara (1977) |
| CLIPPO |
Kolar |
| COIN IN NEST |
Takuya Yoshizawa (1976) |
| COIN LADDER |
Robert Heller |
| COINS THROUGH THE TABLE
|
Reginald Scot (1584) |
| COLLECTORS |
Roy Walton (1969) |
| COLOR CHANGING HANDKERCHIEF
|
Harlan Tarbell |
| COLOR CHANGING KNIFE
|
Walter Cerretta Jeans |
| COLOR CHANGING RECORDS
|
James Rainho |
| COLOR VISION |
Martin L. Sunshine |
| COPENETRO |
Bob Kline |
| COSMOSIS (Floating Match) |
Ben Harris |
| CRAZY MANS HANDCUFFS |
Arthur Setterington |
| CRYSTAL CLEAVER |
Toru Suzuki (1992) |
| CRYSTAL PYRAMID |
Tomoyuki Shimomura (1994) |
| DANCING CANE |
J.N. Hofzinser |
| DANCING HANDKERCHIEF
|
Anna Eva Fay |
| DICE BOMB |
Sawa Hiroshi |
| DICE THRU MIRROR |
Ali Bongo |
| DIME AND PENNY TRICK
|
T. Nelson Downs |
| DR Q SLATES |
Carl Owens |
| DOLL HOUSE ILLUSION
|
Frederick Culpitt |
| DOUBLE LIFT |
Richard Neve (1716) |
| DOWNS PALM |
T. Nelson Downs |
| DYNAMIC COINS |
Hiroshi Kondo/Shigeru Sugawara (1975) |
| ELECTRIC DECK |
J.N. Hofzinser |
| ELMSLEY COUNT |
Alex Elmsley (1959) |
| EUREKA DECK |
Edward O. Drane |
| EXPANDED SHELL |
Conrad Haden |
| FA-KO DECK |
S. W. Reilly |
| FALSE (SIXTH) FINGER
|
Charles Morritt |
| FANNING POWDER |
Audley Walsh |
| FINGER CHOPPER |
Edward Massey |
| FISM FLASH |
John Cornelius |
| FLAGS OF ALL NATIONS
|
J.N. Hofzinser |
| FLAT RABBIT |
Howard Brooks |
| FLEXIBLE MIRROR |
Oswald Rae (1928) |
| FLIPOVER BOX |
Jack Gwynne |
| FLIPPER COIN |
Bob Swadling |
| FLOATING CANE |
J.N. Hofzinser |
| FLOATING LIGHT BULB
|
Frank Hall (18 months before Burling Hull
marketed the effect as his own creation). |
| FLOATING PIANO |
Lee Grabel |
| FLOATING ROSE |
Kevin James |
| FLYING CARPET |
Jack Gwynne (Manufacturing rights later
acquired by U.F. Grant) |
| FOLDING COIN |
Edwin Sachs (1877) |
| FOO CAN |
Ching Ling Foo |
| FORGETFUL FREDDIE
|
Milbourne Christopher |
| FOUR BURGLARS (Card trick) |
Gilles-Edme Guyot (1740) |
| FRAIDY CAT RABBIT
|
Bill Paul |
| FREE FALL |
Steve Brooks |
| GAG-BAG |
Van Cleve |
| GEMINI COUNT |
Brother John Hamman (1953) |
| GHOST CARD |
Burling Hull |
| GHOST COUNT (Elmsley Count) |
Alex Elmsley (1959) |
| GIRL WITHOUT A MIDDLE
|
P.T. Selbit |
| GLOVES TO DOVE |
Brunel White |
| GOZINTA BOX |
Lubor Fiedler |
| GREAT WHITE HOOP |
Walter Zaney Blaney |
| GYPSY THREAD |
Reginald Scot (1584) |
| HALF PASS |
Joseph Pinetti (1790) |
| HAMMAN COUNT |
Bro. John Hamman |
| HAN PING CHIEN MOVE
|
Han Ping Chien (1917) |
| HANDKERCHIEF BALL
|
George Stillwell |
| HAT TEARS |
Cecil Lyle |
| HAUNTED DECK |
Al Baker |
| HEAD TWISTER |
Joe Karson (1943) |
| HEALED & SEALED |
Anders Moden |
| HIMBER WALLET |
Richard Himber |
| HIPPITY HOP RABBITS
|
The Great Norman |
| HOPPING HALF |
James Boyd |
| HOT ROD |
James Zachary (a.k.a. "Jim Zee") (circa 1970) |
| IMPALING |
Les Levante |
| IMPOSSIBLE PENETRATION |
Clarence Miller |
| INSURANCE POLICY
|
George McAthy |
| INTERCESSOR GIMMICK |
Gaetan Bloom |
| INTERLUDE |
Jim Steinmeyer |
| INVISIBLE THREAD REEL (ITR) |
James B George of Sorcery Manufacturing (1992) |
| INVISIBLE ZONE |
Lubor Fiedler (1995) |
| JAZZ ACES |
Peter Kane (1971) |
| JORDAN COUNT |
Charles T Jordan (1919) |
| JUMPING GEMS |
Ken Allen |
| JUMPING RUBBER BAND |
Stanley Collins (1911) |
| LADDER LEVITATION |
Walter Zaney Blaney |
| LEVITATION |
John Neville Maskelyne |
| LIGHT & HEAVY CHEST
|
Robert-Houdin |
| LIGHTED SWORD CABINET |
Walter Zaney Blaney |
| LINKING FINGER RINGS
|
Dr. Persi Diaconis |
| LINKING LIFESAVERS |
Colin Gilbert (1994) |
| LINKING PINS |
Jerry Andrus |
| LINKING ROPES |
E.J. Moore |
| LIPPINCOTT BOX |
Jack Lippincott |
| MACDONALD'S ACES |
J.N. Hofzinser (pre 1875) |
| MAGIC WELDING |
Louis Nikola |
| MATCH TO FLOWER
|
Earl Morgan |
| MENETEKEL DECK |
Burling Hull (1900) |
| MENTAL EPIC |
Hen Fetsch |
| MENTAL PHOTOGRAPHY DECK
|
Ralph W. Hull |
| MILK CAN ESCAPE
|
Harry Houdini |
| MILK PITCHER |
Louis Nicola |
| MIRACLE LEVITATION HOOP
|
Walter Zaney Blaney |
| MIRAGE DECK |
Ralph W. Hull |
| MIRROR GLASS |
J.N. Hofzinser |
| MISLED |
Timothy Wenk |
| MISMADE DOLLAR |
P. Howard Lyons |
| MISMADE GIRL |
Chuck Jones |
| MULTIPLYING BILLIARD BALLS
|
Buatier deKolta (1890) |
| MULTIPLYING CANDLES
|
Clarence Slyter |
| MULTIPLYING GOLF BALLS
|
L.L. Ireland |
| MULTIPLYING NEST OF
WANDS |
Bev Bergeron |
| MULTIPLYING RABBITS
|
Dr. Robert Nelson |
| MULTIPLYING THIMBLES
|
August Roterberg |
| MULTUM IN PARVO
|
Benson Dulay |
| MUTILATED PARASOL
|
Lewis Davenport |
| NAIL WRITER |
Dr. Henry Slade |
| NEEDLE THRU ARM
|
Bruce Spangler |
| NICKELS TO DIMES
|
Walter Gibson |
| OH NO! |
Toru Suzuki (1994) |
| OKITO COIN BOX |
Theo Bamberg (1909) |
| OIL AND WATER |
Walter Gibson |
| OLRAM SUBTLETY |
Ed Marlo |
| OOM |
Logan Wait |
| OPEN PREDICTION |
Paul Curry (1949) |
| OUT OF THIS WORLD
|
Paul Curry |
| OUT TO LUNCH |
Edward Bagshawe (1930) or was it William Larsen
Snr (1923)?
CLICK
HERE |
| PASS |
Gilles-Edme Guyot (1769) |
| PATEO FORCE |
Roy Baker (1968) |
| P B & J |
Timothy Wenk |
| PENETRATION FRAME
|
L. Krug |
| PEN THRU ANYTHING |
John Cornelius (1993) |
| PERFECT PEN |
John Cornelius |
| PIMPERNEL CARD BOX |
Peter Scarlett |
| PIMPERNEL NOTECASE
|
Peter Scarlett |
| PLAY TIME |
Rodger Lovins |
| PRINCESS CARD TRICK
|
Henry Hardin |
| PROFESSOR'S NIGHTMARE
|
Bob Carver (circa 1960)
Others suggest Hen Fetsch |
| RABBIT WRINGER |
Audley Walsh |
| RAMSAY'S SUBTLETY |
John Ramsay (pre 1920s) |
| RAVEN |
Chuck Leach |
| RAZOR BLADE TRICK
|
William Buerger |
| RETENTION PASS |
Harry Stork (1909) |
| RIFFLE PASS |
Dr. Elliott |
| RING CRUNCHER |
Roy Roth |
| RING FLITE |
Pinetti (1803) |
| ROD THRU BODY |
Edward Massey |
| ROUGH AND SMOOTH PRINCIPLE
|
J.N. Hofzinser |
| RUBBER DOVE |
Dr. Carlo |
| SAND FRAME |
Eugene Bosco |
| SAWING A WOMAN IN HALF
|
P.T. Selbit |
| SHADOW BOX |
Oswald Rae (1928) |
| SHELL COIN |
First mentioned by Reginald Scot (1584) |
| SI STEBBINS SYSTEM
|
Horacio Galasso (1593) |
| SILK CABBY |
Edward M. Massey |
| SILVER SHIFTER |
Steve Brooks/Keith Lack |
| SIX CARD REPEAT
|
Tommy Tucker |
| SLOP SHUFFLE |
Sid Lorraine (circa 1920s) |
| SOFT COINS |
Keiji Takahashi (1981) |
| SOFT SOAP |
Dr. Howard Kayton (1941) |
| SOO-ZEE APPLICATOR
|
Ken Allen |
| SPELLING TRICK |
Professor Garenne (1885) |
| SPIKES THRU BALLOON
|
Andre Kole |
| SPIKES THRU COIN
|
Thomas Fitzgerald |
| SPLIT DECK
|
Robert Haskell |
| SPRING FLOWERS |
Buatier deKolta |
| SQUARE CIRCLE |
Louis Histed |
| SQUASH |
Percy Abbott |
| SQUEEZAWAY BLOCK |
Edward Massey |
| SQUEEZE PLAY |
Shigeru Sugawara (1977) |
| STIR FRY |
John Kennedy |
| STRAIT JACKET ESCAPE
|
Harry Houdini |
| STRAT-O-SPHERE |
U.F. Grant |
| STRIKING VANISH |
David Williamson (1991) |
| STULL WATCH |
Robert Stull |
| SUPER X LEVITATION
|
U.F. Grant |
| SVENGALI DECK |
Burling Hull (1909) |
| SYMPATHETIC COINS (The
precursor to Matrix) |
Yank Hoe (1909) |
| TAPE MEASURE WATCH |
Howard Brooks (Licensed to El Duco) |
| TEMPLE OF BENARES
|
Jack Gwynne |
| TEMPLE SCREEN |
U.F. Grant |
| THE GLIDE |
Reginald Scot (1584) |
| THOUGHT TRANSMITTER |
John Cornelius |
| THREE
FLY
|
Jonathan Townsend (1980s) |
| THREE-TO-ONE ROPES
|
Carlyle (Lyle Laughlin) |
| THUMB TIE |
Joseph Pinetti (pre 1800) |
| THUMB TIP |
Professor Herwin (1885) |
| TILT |
Bernard Marius Cazeneuve (1913) |
| TOP CHANGE |
J. N. Ponsin (1854) |
| TRICKY BOTTLES |
James Swoger (1940's) |
| TWENTY-ONE CARD TRICK |
Horatio Galasso (1593) |
| TWISTED SISTERS |
John Bannon |
| TWISTER ILLUSION |
Louis McClung (See letter
here) |
| TWISTING THE ACES
|
Dai Vernon (1956) |
| TWO CARD MONTE |
Theodore DeLand |
| VANISHING BIRD CAGE
|
Bautier DeKolta |
| VANISHING CANE |
Carl Rosini |
| VANISHING CARD CASE
|
Milbourne Christopher |
| VANISHING RADIO
|
Frakson |
| VANISHING WAND |
Theo Bamberg |
| ULTRA MENTAL DECK
|
Joe Berg |
| WALKING THRU A GIRL
|
Franz Harary |
| WALSH CANE |
Russ Walsh |
| WALTZING MATILDA (Ballerina Hank - Tenyo) |
Steve Dusheck |
| WANDERING HOLE |
Hideo Kato (1979) |
| WANDERING LIPSTICKS
|
Stanley Payne |
| WATER TORTURE CELL
|
Harry Houdini |
| WEB |
Jim Pace |
| WE'RE HAVING A BALL
|
Steve Brooks/Steve Landavazo |
| WHIRLING CARD (Hummer Card) |
Robert Hummer |
| WILD CARD |
Plot published in 'Card Magic of Brother John Hamman' (1958)
Released as a trick by Peter Kane (1962) |
| WONDER PEN-A-TRATION (Ultimate Shocking Pen
- Tenyo) |
Doug Edwards |
| WUNDERBAR |
Steve Dusheck |
| X-RAY DECK |
Theodore DeLand |
| ZIG ZAG CIGARETTE
|
Hiroshi Kondo (1981) |
| ZIG ZAG GIRL |
Robert Harbin |
| ZIG ZAG COLA CAN |
Frank Klein |
| ZOMBIE BALL
|
Joe Karson (1943) |
| ZONE INFINITY |
Atsushi Fukano (1994) |
|
ZONE ZERO |
Jerry Andrus |
