Conjuring Credits

The Origins of Wonder

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Card Location by Compass

In untitled notebook from c. 1800, a trick is described where a compass needle stops on a chosen card in a circle. The method is a subtle bend in the support pin, which causes the needle to settle by gravity in a predetermined direction. Will Houstoun transcribed the manuscript and published it as The Notebook, 2009, p. 21. This is a precursor of the better known “The Hand of Cleopatra”, marketed by Zauber Zentrale Muchen and later by Ken Brooke.