The Davenport Collection
- a growing resource on magic and entertainment history

Magic

Look here for magic apparatus, magic sets and magic related items such as association pieces, trophies and badges for clubs.

Box for rings off rod trick

Box for rings off rod trick

The magician pushes a rod through the box, at the same time as placing three large rings around the rod. The audience can clearly see the rings are around the rod. Despite the fact that the audience can also see both ends of the rod emerging from the box, the magician is able to take the rings off the rod.

Heriot’s Rising Cards Box

Heriot’s Rising Cards Box

There is an address roundel inside the box, confirming that the manufacturer is Heriot. Details of the effect may be read in the illustrated advertisement from Stanyon’s ‘Magic’, vol. 9, no. 12, September 1909.

Rod & ball trick

Rod & ball trick

This is an old trick which is fully explained in Professor Hoffmann’s ‘Modern Magic’. The illustration shown here, which is taken from a Davenport catalogue, gives a brief description of the effect.

Bluff watch

Bluff watch

The magician asks a person to set the hand on the clock to an hour and then place the nickel plated cover on top so as to hide the face. The magician takes the watch back and mysteriously reveals the hour to which the watch was set. We have two versions: in one the surround of the watch face is red, in the other it is black.

Wooden marble box

Wooden marble box

The box enables the magician to vanish and produce a marble at will. The base is stamped ‘Germany’ and the sample number 310 is also pencilled on the base.

Collection of lists of magicians

Collection of lists of magicians

Various types of list are included: membership lists for The Magic Circle, The British Ring No. 25 of the I.B.M. for the years 1984, 1987, 1996, 2001, 2005; Magic Collectors’ Association membership lists for 1984, 1989, 1993, 1994, 2002; Wittus Witt’s ‘International Magic Yellow Pages’ for 1990 and 1999; The W-I-S-E [Wales – Ireland – Scotland – England] section of ‘Magicians of the World’ compiled by Len Vintus in 1978.

Wand

Wand

Made from ivory or bone and painted wood. It may be that the ivory or bone came from the handle of a parasol, prior to being converted into a wand.

Guinness Magic Set

Guinness Magic Set

The contents consist of an expanding magic wand and a booklet containing tricks. Copyright Guinness & Co 2003. Unknown manufacturer.