Chair Vanish

Jan 25, 2008
4
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I am looking for some information on the chair vanish that Criss Angel did on mindfreak. The one where a person is in a chair, a cloth is placed over the person, the cloth is pulled off and the person is gone. If anyone can help that would be great. If they now of a book , DVD, etc.
 
Dec 6, 2007
112
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Knoxville, TN
Interesting first post.

This translates to me as "HI, I saw something cool on mindfreak and now i gotta know how it's done. plz tell me the magic secret!"
 
Jan 25, 2008
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I really don't care how you translate it. Ive been doing magic for awhile now. I am putting together a stage show and am looking for a vanish and this one looked good. I have seen other magicians do it and the reactions where good. I came to these forums hoping to get away from pompous people like you but looks like this in an impossibility.
 
Jan 25, 2008
4
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Thanks sorry for being so harsh have just been all over the INTERNET looking for this illusion. doing stage magic is a new adventure for me. Trying to put together , rehearse and do research has just been brutal. Thanks for the link and once again sorry for being harsh. I love magic and am not just looking for secrets. thanks
 
Dec 14, 2007
817
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It is generally considered bad form to ask how a professional magician (on TV or otherwise) does his magic. It is also considered bad form to tell.

While I haven't seen the episode in question, based on what I think it is from your description, it is a standard stage illusion that any experienced magician would know. If you do not know it, then (and I say this trying to help, not insult) may I suggest taking some more time to round out your foundation in illusions before trying to attempt it.

Like so many things Angel does, your venue will not be nearly the same as his. The trick demands quite a bit when it comes to staging it properly. Interesting, most magicians who do the trick today leave out two wonderful touches that really do make a difference.

The trick is well over one hundred years old, and most entry level illusion books will discuss it. While it is not in Wels's Great Illusions of Magic, that is a good starting point for someone wanting to learn illusions. In fact, all the principles can be found in that two volume set.

Brad Henderson
 

gared_Crawford

Elite Member
Sep 1, 2007
34
0
Houston, TX
The Illusion was designed by Buatier de Kolta and is known as the "Vanishing Lady" or "De Kolta's Chair"

There is a very hard to find book titled "Buatier de Kolta: Genius of Illusion" writen by Peter Warlock...though the plans are not in the Wel's collection that Brad mentions above...he is spot on about those books being an invaluable source for stage illusions. In Warlock's book are the plans for the inner workings of this particular Illusion. It is thought that this trick was premiered in March of 1886 in St. Petersburg. So this trick is actually 122 years old. I think it was best performed by Mr. Copperfield. De Kolta's trick was WAY AHEAD OF ITS TIME. It was a stroke of genius then and still is. The thing in the Darwin book is garbage....don't waste your time with it.

It is also thought that in the original illusion de Kolta not only made the woman vanish but the entire cloth that covered her as well. This seems a little hard to believe but it is discussed in the book.

This is a picture from the book: http://nla.gov.au/nla.cs-pa-HTTP%3A....AU%2FALMA%2F0%2F0%2F0%2FDOC%2FAL000902.SHTML

As far as I know only 1000 copies were made of this book. I own one. It was published in 1993 by Magical Publications, 572 Prospect Boulevard, Pasadena, California, 91103

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 93-77303

De Kolta is also the inventor of the hand held style vanishing bird cage as well as spring flowers...although de Kolta's vanishing cage was an oblong elliptical cage that was much larger than the square ones we see today and the set up was much more elaborate.

Hope this info helps.

-Gared Crawford
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Dec 14, 2007
817
2
Oh, I agree with you there. (Though there was recently for sale on ebay.) I think the journey of going through the books to discover the name and creator of that trick would have been a valuable journey in and of itself. When someone gives a name, it become too easy to go to another forum, ask a pointed question, and get an answer that amounts to nothing more than exposure.

But yours was a good answer, and one that does serve to empower.

Brad Henderson

p.s. DeKolta also laid out newspapers all over the floor before placing the chair to prove that no stage traps were employed! An overlooked, but valuable touch.
 

gared_Crawford

Elite Member
Sep 1, 2007
34
0
Houston, TX
This is true about the newspaper. I also liked the Copperfield approach of putting the chair up on a table. The only time I saw Angel do this trick it took forever and was very suspicious looking. And the sheet of cloth was like the size of my living room...haha.
 
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