Magic tricks set
London Magical Co
Category
Toys
Date
circa 1935
Materials
Cardboard, plastic, metal, textiles
Measurements
336 mm (width of box); 296 mm (height of box); 47 mm (depth of box)
Place of origin
London
Order this imageCollection
Sudbury Hall Museum of Childhood, Derbyshire
NT 660346
Caption
A topping way to entertain your family and friends - one of the 'Ernest Sewell' sets of conjuring tricks. Ernest Sewell was a master magician and ventriloquist in the 1920s and 1930s.
Summary
The Ernest Sewell Cabinet of Conjuring Tricks - a large cardboard box containing conjuring tricks (circa 1935). The blue paper-covered box has a blue tape stay on the left hand side and is divided into 17 compartments lined with red shiny paper, two of which are detachable. The cream label on the outside of the lid has a photograph of Ernest Sewell, and print and border in black and orange. At the bottom left hand corner is a circular gold and red label with a crown in the centre. The lid has a central black metal fastening ring. The inside of the lid bears instructions for performing all the tricks. In each compartment are the implements necessary to perform the trick - a candle, 2 matchboxes, 7 silver coloured metal rings and 2 blue painted ones, a table tennis ball, a coil of black string and a coil of white string, and a piece of orange paper folded inside a piece of blue, gold and pink paper. Also a square of orange silk material, a black cotton bag, a length of folded metal, and three cylinders, one blue with gold bands, one red with gold bands and one plain black. The coloured cylinders each have a smaller cylinder which fits inside. Also a nail with a pink painted clip on it, a flower made of pink and green crepe paper with a black string attached, a metal pitcher with handle, and a playing card, 7 of hearts on one side and 2 of clubs on the other. There is also a 16 sheet booklet with a gold and green cover giving instructions for performing other tricks. Ernest Sewell (b 1886 in Middlesex, England) was a master magician and ventriloquist from the 1920s to the 1950s and entertained, among others, members of the British Royal Family. He also branched out into publishing collections of actual magic equipment.
Makers and roles
London Magical Co, manufacturer