Magic tricks set
Category
Toys
Date
Unknown
Materials
Cardboard, paper, tin, wood and thread
Measurements
Box - 120 mm (length); 145 mm (width); 50 mm (height), Instructions - 207 mm (length); 84 mm (height), Mystic coin box - 58 mm (length); 36 mm (width); 20 mm (height), Match box - 58 mm (length); 36 mm (width); 20 mm (height), Tin slide - 76 mm (length); 27 mm (width), Ship’s portholes cardboard - 105 mm (length), Three cubes on thread - 430 mm (length), Ship’s portholes instructions - 26 mm (width); 128 mm (width); 207 mm (height), Beaded string wrapped around wooden cube - 50 mm (width);25 mm (depth), Coin folder – 55 mm (width); 76 mm (height), Magic card - 60 mm (width); 90 mm (height)
Order this imageCollection
Sudbury Hall Museum of Childhood, Derbyshire
NT 668108
Summary
The Ernest Sewell Cabinet of Conjuring Tricks set. It comes in a brown cardboard box with a paper label pasted onto the lid. The label depicts a black and white photograph of Ernest Sewell, a man with slicked back hair, glasses, jacket and tie. This photo has his signature, although this is probably printed. To the right is the title 'The Ernest Sewell Cabinet of Conjuring Tricks' printed in black and yellow. Below is information referring to the presentations to the Royal Family at Windsor Castle and that no practice is required to perform these tricks. The box contains the following items: A sheet of printed instructions on a cream piece of paper. These instructions list the items that were contained in the 'cabinet' and how to perform each one. The tricks are as follows: The Mystic Coin Box. A small cardboard matchbox with a pink label around the outside. Printed on the top of the label, in blue, is the name. The cardboard inside can be slid out and this has a square hole cut out of it. A coin placed inside this box can be made to 'disappear'. The Ship's Port Holes. A rectangular strip of green cardboard with four holes cut out of it. A separate illustrated page of instructions explains how to perform this trick. Thread can be threaded through the holes and magically removed. The Coin in the Ball of Wool. A rectangular piece of tin. The sides are bent over to create grooves for a coin to slide down. By using further items not included in this set, a coin can be slid down the tin and can be substituted for a duplicate contained within a ball of wool giving the illusion that the original coin has gone there. Woods and Box. The Appearing and Disappearing Cigarette. Vanishing Card Box. These items appear not to be present. However, two boxes mentioned in the instructions could be the boxes documented on other records. Magic Corals. A piece of string with a green and red bead threaded on each end. This is threaded around a wooden cube. The beads can be made to 'magically' fall away. The Falling Cube. Three blocks of wood coloured blue, plain and red threaded onto a red, blue and white thread. These items may or may not be the Falling Cube. The cube can be stopped from falling by pulling the thread tightly. The Coin Folder. Two pieces of brown paper folded inside each other, in different ways. A coin placed within this folder can be made to 'appear' and 'disappear'. The Card and Match Box Trick. A matchbox with a printed illustration of a sailor with the words 'Jack tar Matches' in white on red. The reverse of the matchbox has 'Morelands Safety matches' in white on blue. The place listed is Gloucester. One side of the matchbox opens to reveal a folded eight of hearts. The matchbox itself is empty. The Everchanging Card. A 'playing' card with two clubs on one side and seven hearts on the reverse. By placing fingers or thumb on various places on this card it can be made to appear as the nine of hearts, the five of hearts, the three of clubs and the ace of clubs. Total number of items is 15.
Marks and inscriptions
On the label on the box: 'THE / ERNEST SEWELL / CABINET of / CONJURING / TRICKS / Designed and with complete instructions for perform- / ing these simple but effective tricks by ERNEST / SEWELL whose entertainments have been presented at / WINSOR CASTLE / before / MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL FAMILY / NO PRACTICE REQUIRED / MADE IN ENGLAND'