OLDER MAGIC (1920s-1950s)

Brian Le Slie

 

On Monday, 15 September 2008,  we enjoyed a fascinating talk on the subject of  “Older Magic”,  given by our co-founder and life member, Brian Le Slie. 

 

Brian, whose son, Paul, runs Paul Howard Pro Magic based in Harrogate,  has been a full-time professional since 1980.   His talk ranged across several decades – from the 1920s to the 1950s – and featured many interesting props:  some original,  others recreated by Brian himself.

 

The work of Floyd Thayer – Brian’s first subject – offered a wonderful insight into magic in the 1930s.    Thayer was a talented wood turner,  and designed many effects, several of them sold by Davenports.   Having set the scene with photographs of Thayer’s 1930s’ workshop and showroom, Brian demonstrated several of his creations, among them his vases:   ball (a perfect replica made by Brian); coin (in which gold and silver coins switch places);  hammer and ball  (in which a ball is first vanished, reappears, then vanishes again – in dramatic fashion – before reappearing in the magician’s pocket); large vase (in which a red ball turns yellow and can then be examined); and finally his rice, checkers and orange vase (in which rice placed in one container swaps places with checkers placed in another). 

 

Following Thayer’s classic die, silk and hat routine,   the first part of Brian’s talk closed with a performance of The Temple of Quong Hi.    A visual treat,  it made use of a beautifully constructed wooden temple (built by Brian), complete with Chinese art work, and a tale of ancient skulduggery.   After a robber steals treasure from the temple – in which he then hides – the tables are turned.   He finds himself where the treasure should have been, while it returns home.   The prop relied on a clever use of sliding sections and black art,  and differed from the original in  one way only: size.  Thayer’s version, Brian told us,  was many times larger!

 

Next up was the work of Harry Leat.   A designer of silks, coin stands and other props,  Leat turned out many items from the 1920s through to the 1940s,  several of which Brian displayed.      Possibly his most famous creation was ‘Run Rabbit Run’,   familiar to countless children’s entertainers, and which needs no description.   Brian performed the routine using an ancient Davenports model, built of steel, and still in perfect working order.

 

The designer John Martin (real name Jan Martinkevitch), a Lithuanian who worked for Arnold de Biere,  was another prolific designer who produced work from the 1920s onwards.     Brian showed us an original of his vanishing bird cage (circa 1922), as well as his famous Clock Hand, which Brian demonstrated.    Briefly,  a helper is asked to name any time.  The clock’s arrow hand is spun and,  unerringly,  comes to rest on the time requested.    Brian showed us two versions of the arrow hand which, like most of the props involved, we were allowed to examine.

 

The rest of the evening was packed with a variety of effects, among them the De Muth Milk routine, in which a milk pitcher is placed on top of an empty glass.  A silk is draped over the latter,  after which the milk slowly vanishes from the pitcher.    When the silk is removed,  the glass below is full. 

 

Laurie’s “Broadside Throu’ ” was a Davenports item Brian purchased second hand many years ago.  A card screwed through one side of a sheet of aluminium reappears on the reverse.  The mechanism, Brian explained, was noisy and awkward to operate.  Possibly as a result, the effect fell out of favour.  Brian has adapted it, using two sheets of aluminium instead of one, and made other adjustments which have made the working a little easier.

 

When he was very young,  Brian remembers seeing The Great Levante perform.   Years later,  when Brian took part in an IBM stage competition,  Levante was one of the judges who reported favourably on his act.  What Brian remembers most fondly, however,  is the reversal of their roles – for now it was he on the stage and Levante in the audience.    

 

One of the latter’s best-known routines involved the Levante Block, in which ribbon is threaded through a solid block of wood,  then miraculously pulled free.     Brian performed the effect with a Block he had built himself,  after having being shown it by Dr Eddie Dawes.

 

I hope the above gives a flavour of Brian’s talk.   There were several other props shown and routines performed, among them: Rotterburg’s Card in Balloon,    Harry Leat’s silks,  Jack Hughes’ Card Go,  Burtini’s Coin Pail (cleverly gimmicked for use in the Miser’s Dream),  Burtini’s Milk Churn, and a clever billet switching device that looked like a small carpet cleaner my mother used when I was a child!    (And which, at the end,  Brian very kindly gave to me.)

 

Brian's talk was a thoroughly entertaining hour from which we all gained a fascinating insight into the magic of yesteryear.