Tuesday, August 5, 2025

Magician Buatier De Kolta - Flowers From a Paper Cone

Magician Buatier De Kolta invented many magical effects , including the classic effect of producing bunches of flowers from a rolled up newspaper cone which was shown empty , then it overflowed with flowers into a basket. 

Magician Buatier De Kolta Flowers From A Paper Cone


Friday, June 27, 2025

Ade Duval Rhapsody In Silk

 Ade Duval (with his wife and performing partner, True Duval) was one of the most successful magicians in vaudeville, playing around the world with his stunning act "Rhapsody In Silk".

There is an excellent book about Duval , called 'Ade Duval - Silken Sorcerer' by David Charvet, available from the author: http://charvetmagic.com/catalog/c1_p1.html 

Ade Duval Silken Sorcerer by David Charvet

This photo (which appeared on the cover of The Sphinx magazine, Dec.1934) shows Ade Duval at the height of his career, touring the world with his assistant True Duval (his wife) with the act "Rhapsody In Silk".

Magician Ade Duval presenting Rhapsody In Silk

Duval's Rhapsody in Silk was one of the most beautiful sophisticated magic acts of the era, featuring an array of effects using silk scarves, culminating with a spectacular and stage-filling, rapid-fire production of an inexplicable number of silk scarves from a single tube. 

Later after he had retired the elaborate silk act (which required one - to -two hours of reset time between shows), he performed an engaging magic act presented in a light comedic manner, performing his own versions of such classic magic as the multiplying golf balls, the die box, the vanishing milk, and his own Smoking The Thumb, the full secret of which Duval took to the grave, although other magicians have performed successful versions of the feat (such as Fred Kaps and Finn Jon).  It's all covered in David Charvet's book 'Ade Duval - Silken Sorcerer'.

Ade Duval presenting his signature effect , "Smoking The Thumb" -
Ade Duval performing his signature effect Smoking The Thumb

This image is from later in Duval's career when he presented a talking act in clubs and on cruise ships, after the vaudeville era had ended - 
Magician Ade Duval presenting the Vanishing Milk Trick

Tragically, Ade Duval's career was cut short by Parkinson's Disease. After he was forced into retirement he had planned to write a series of books describing all the details of his magic, but only one part of this was completed enough before his death to publish, a portion of the silk act, published as "A Rhapsody In Silk" by Magic Inc. in 1962. 




Wednesday, February 19, 2025

Doug Henning featured in Time Magazine article The Magic Boom July 22, 1974

Time Magazine article The Magic Boom July 22, 1974 , featuring full page photo montage of Doug Henning performing illusions from The Magic Show (then currently the big hit show on Broadway). '

TIME magazine , July 22,1974, ”The Magic Boom: New Sorcery” by Stefan Kanfer (with Patricia N. Gordon), featuring photos of five-year old magician Paris, Milbourne Christopher, Derek Dingle, Doug Henning (with co-stars Dale Soules and Anita Morris, from ‘The Magic Show’ then currently playing on Broadway) , Yumi Ueno, Peter DePaola, James Randi, Mark and Nani Wilson. And an interior shot of the crowded counter at Tannen’s in NYC.

Doug Henning Time Magazine Article THE MAGIC BOOM July 22, 1974 page 1

Doug Henning Time Magazine Article THE MAGIC BOOM July 22, 1974 page 2

Doug Henning Time Magazine Article THE MAGIC BOOM July 22, 1974 page 3

Time Magazine Article THE MAGIC BOOM July 22, 1974 page 4

Time Magazine Article THE MAGIC BOOM July 22, 1974 page 5

Time Magazine Article THE MAGIC BOOM July 22, 1974 page 6

Tannen's Magic Shop, NYC , circa 1974
Tannen's Magic Shop, NYC , circa 1974

Doug Henning performs Robert Harbin's Zig-Zag Girl in The Magic Show on Broadway. Co-star Dale Soules is is the girl who is zig-zagged.  David Ogden Stiers as rival magician Feldman looks on incredulously. 

Doug Henning, Dale Soules, David Ogden Stiers Zig-Zag Girl The Magic Show


Alternate photo of Henning performing the Zig-Zag Girl in The Magic Show with Dale Soules and  a different actor playing Feldman. (if anyone knows the name of the actor playing Feldman, please comment to let me know)
Doug Henning performing The Zig Zag Girl in The Magic Show