Magic New Zealand® E-zine

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* Magic New Zealand®
* Proudly sponsored by International Entertainment Ltd (New Zealand)
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Issue Number: #1587
Date: Sunday 13th September 2020
Editor: Alan Watson QSM
www.watson.co.nz
E-mail: editor@magicnewzealand.com
================================
Hi here is the latest news
================================

1. Editor's Message
2. Important News From Vanish Magic Magazine
3. Alexander Heimbürger
4. Germany - Special Magic Exhibitions
5. Germany - Covid-19
6. Looking For All Owners Of The Magic Of Robert Harbin Book
7. John Pullum On The Magic Word Podcast
8. Help Needed - Writing A Book On Channing Pollock
9. Words... John Carey #95
10. Ongoing Adventures Of Romany! #25
11. Free Virtual Magic Convention
12. The Orchante Saga - Beginnings
13. E-zine Archives
14. Privacy Policy and Copyright Notice

--------------------------------------------
1. Editor's Message
--------------------------------------------

If you would like to read the Magic New Zealand e-zine in HTML format
go to: http://www.magicnewzealand.com/ezine-archive/2020-Jan-to-Dec-2020/1587-Sep13-2020.html

If you would like to write a regular column for Magic New Zealand or have some magic news drop me a line:
Editor@MagicNewZealand.com

-------------------------------------------
2. Important News From Vanish Magic Magazine
-------------------------------------------
Message by Paul Romhany - Editor Vanish Magazine

Over the past eight years I have produced close to 80 free issues of Vanish Magic Magazine.

The magazine filled a void in market for magicians with producing current and up to the minute stories, articles, essays that are relevant to the times. We have introduced artists that would not normally get featured in other magic magazines and watched them bloom and grow in to well-known performers. We are always on the cutting edge and not afraid to look at current world issues and how magicians are affected. We pride ourselves on being the most forward thinking magic magazine and offering more than any other publication.

From a personal note, the magazine costs me close to $15,000 a year to maintain. The advertising helped pay for a small part of that but the rest came out of my pocket. I continued this for eight years but the time has finally come to charge a very minimal fee for the magazine. You will see that the cost is now $1.99 per issue or buy a year's subscription for $11.99. We appreciate your continued support and look forward to what we have planned for the future of the magazine.

You can go to www.vanishmagazine.com and click on the current edition (Number 74) and you will have access to the first 10 pages, if you want to read more simply click read more and it will ask you to purchase that one or you can subscribe for a year.

Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to many wonderful years ahead with Vanish Magic Magazine.

Paul Romhany
paul@chaplinmagic.com

-------------------------------------------
3. Alexander Heimbürger
-------------------------------------------
Message by Wittus Witt (Germany)

The best well known Germany magician from the 19th century without doubt was Alexander Heimbürger (1819-1909).

He became popular especially in South America between 1840 and 1850. You will find his portrait on the cover of the Sphinx in September 1909 and on the cover of the Linking Ring in July 1930.

In 1925 Harry Houdini visited him while he (Houdini) was on its way to England. At that time Heimbürger was living in Muenster, in the middle of Germany.

Heimbürger had shown the "floating child" even before Robert-Houdin.

1882 he published his "Memories" in two volumes.

In 1900 he published a magic book which finally appeared with 14 editions until 1915.

Heimbürger seemed to be forgotten for many years until Peter Mika from Dresden discovered his grave in Muenster. Peter started to investigate Heimbürger's life and finally he wrote up a fantastic biography which he offered to me to publish. And I happily did.

While Peter was researching Heimbürger's life he found out that Heimbürger also wrote 12 private diaries in book form from 1840 until 1861. But these books seemed to be lost also. Until one day when Peter got an address where he might find these books.

Finally he asked me if I could get in touch with the owner to talk with him about publishing the diaries.

The owner is a well-known professor of Chemistry in Muenster who received the books from his father in law who was a journalist and who wanted to write about the books. But unfortunately he died before he could do that.

To cut the story short: Now I am transferring the old German writing into our readable German writing. Book by book. So far three books habe been already published. Book no 4 is almost ready to go the printers and books no. 5 and 6 have been completely transcribed by now.

Finally - I am looking for any (advertising) material from Heimbürger. There are some rare posters and playbills I know of - I also found some Heimbürger tokens but I am looking for more. I would appreciate any help. If you have something originally from Heimbürger I would love to obtain a photo (if you do not want part with the item) and perhaps I can publish some more pictorial material within one of the next volumes of Heimbürger's diary.

Please let me know and write to me. Thank you.

Wittus Witt
abc@wittuswitt.de

-------------------------------------------
4. Germany - Special Magic Exhibitions
-------------------------------------------
Message by Wittus Witt (Germany)

Some of you may know that I also run a gallery for contemporary art (originally I have studied art and art history with famous art professor Joseph Beuys).

In between I also put up special magic exhibitions such as magic postcards, magic book plates, magic posters and so on.

Last year I invited artists from around Hamburg to work with the subject of magic and I donated three prizes to win: 1st 1.000 Euro, 2nd 500 Euro and 3rd 250 Euro.

40 artists participated with some great pictures and sculptures.

For the prize ceremony I have booked a larger room in a well-known Hamburg art house than my gallery to give full justice to this competition.

If you are interested in some real nice magic ART you may obtain a catalogue later. I will let you know.

To my knowledge this is the first magic ART competition ever organized in my country.

-------------------------------------------
5. Germany - Covid-19
-------------------------------------------
Message by Wittus Witt (Germany)

Perhaps you would like to know what is going on over here especially in the times of Covid-19!?

Well, theatres are allowed to play again. Which means magicians do not have to perform in front of cars any more ;-).

The latest issue of "Magische Welt", Europe's longest running magic magazine, reports of several magic theatres where our fellow magicians perform.

They all keep distance between the chairs and get used to performing with and without masks.

Thorsten Strotmann's Magic Lounge has built sort of "plastic cells" around each seat. He can play in front of 200 people.

Whereas the magic theatre in Munich - Alexander Krist - does not want to play during this corona time. They say they cannot offer the quality people are used to in their shows. But from October onward they perform their show in another venue instead.

Same with Stefan Kirschbaum from "Wundermanufaktur" in Nuremberg. At the moment he only performs when there is a group of people who want to celebrate some special event.

With my own theatre I have arranged to perform just in front of about 12 people - usually up to 30.

From September 17th - 19th I am also organising the 10th Hamburg Magic Nights. Again in front of only a bunch of people, 50, instead of 150. This year I have invited top magicians from Germany: Jan Logemann, Manuel Muerte and Helge Thun. All FISM winners. Special guest stars will be Stefan Alexander Rautenberg with his poetic show. And for the first time I have invited a fellow magician for a childrens' show.

During the last evening I will present the prestigious magic award "Johann Nepomuk Hofzinser Ring" to a magician from Germany. Previous winners were Kalanag, Punx, W. Geissler-Werry, Magic Christian, Frascatelli & Tre Face and Markus Zink.

More exciting news from Germany next week.

-------------------------------------------
6. Looking For All Owners Of The Magic Of Robert Harbin Book
-------------------------------------------
Message by Angelo Carbone

Do you own one or know someone who does?

A new group for owners of Harbin's Magic book has been created. We want to know who has which number and find out the history of our copies. All of this info will be passed on to Chris Woodward who has been working on a master list for almost 20 years. So far around 68 books are logged.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/239237037338981/?ref=share

-------------------------------------------
7. John Pullum On The Magic Word Podcast
-------------------------------------------
Message by Scott Wells, M.I.M.C. with Gold Star

John Pullum is not necessarily a name in our community that you all know…but you should. John has hosted several television shows on the History Channel in the U.S., he is an "in demand" motivational speaker, a mentalist, a marketing guru and a genius with understanding, explaining and teaching virtual conference platforms like StreamYard and Zoom. This wee on The Magic Word Podcast, John Pullum is our guest and he talks about all of this and more. The "meat" of our conversation (about halfway in) is important because it explains some of the ins and outs of virtual conference platforms.

I believe that we should all be learning how to perform virtual events because even if you don't plan to perform online yet, you will soon…and later. I believe that clients will book virtual performers in the future and that is an additional revenue stream that should not be overlooked. It could prove to be huge in the future.

You can listen to this week's episode wherever you get your podcasts. But for more information with photos, videos, links and more, then visit:
https://www.themagicwordpodcast.com/scottwellsmagic/576-john-pullum On the page is a link to an upcoming "Magicians in VR" event that you will definitely want to attend. This link is also in this week's Podletter. And if you haven't yet subscribed to our weekly podletter, then do it today and keep up with everything that is going on including our Thursday night Magic and Martinis virtual happy hour featuring different guests each week streamed live on Facebook and YouTube. Pour yourself a cold drink and join us, because it's better than drinking alone!

-------------------------------------------
8. Help Needed - Writing A Book On Channing Pollock
-------------------------------------------
Message by Michael Pascoe <mtpascoe2002@yahoo.com>

My name is Michael Pascoe and I am currently writing a book on Channing Pollock. I am in the research phase right now and I would appreciate it if you can provide any information that will assist in the book.

-------------------------------------------
9. Words... John Carey #95
-------------------------------------------
Message by John Carey (UK)
http://www.johncareymagic.co.uk/

In a nutshell this is a prediction effect. It has a Trick That Cannot be Explained kind of feel to it, but everything is under your control, even though it appears that deception is impossible. You will require a deck of cards, a business card and a pen.

Bring out the materials and hand out the cards for shuffling as you set the business card and pen down. Take back the deck and ribbon spread it face up across the table and comment on how well your spectator shuffled them. As you do sight the top card of the deck. Let's say it's a ten spot. Mentally spell ten, one card for each letter and remember the third card from the top. We shall say for teaching purposes it's the King of Clubs. Square up the deck and table it face down.

Ask your helper to cut off about a third of the deck and table it to your left of the deck. Next ask them to cut off about a third of the balance of the deck and table that to your right, forming a row of three face down packets, your target packet being leftmost. To throw some smoke around the effect I pick up the business card and pen and ask the following questions:

Tea or Coffee?

Favorite colour?

Star Sign?

After each answer I pause a little, comment on their answer and then write my target card - King of Clubs in our example down in stages. Then I set the business card down without exposing what I've written. Next ask your spectator to turn the top card of each packet face up and then comment on the mixed values. "When most people look at cards they think of values. But I've an old friend who's a gypsy and she tells people's fortunes with cards and thinks of them in terms of words.

Let's spell and deal each value as a word and remember, you shuffled." Suiting actions to words, I pick up the right end packet and deal and spell its value, dealing the top card face down in front of the packet as I begin the spell and continue dealing and spelling one card for each letter. The last card of the spell is dropped face down in front of the three tabled packets. Repeat exactly above for the middle and leftmost packets, dropping the last card on top of the card set in front of the packets. This leaves your King of Clubs uppermost of the threesome. Discard the deck.

Deal the three cards into a right to left tabled row, the King of Clubs being rightmost. "So from a deck you shuffled and using just simple random words we have arrived at these three cards. Let's now use numbers to find your lucky card." We will now use a numerical force to force the King
of Clubs. Ask your helper to call out a number between five and ten, like eight but say you don't want to be accused of influencing them. I will now cover the variables:

1. If they say six, I verbally count out loud to that number as I commence the count at the leftmost card. I tap it with my finger as I count one and then tap the middle card for two and next the rightmost card for three. I then go back to the card at the left of the row and tap it and say four and continue the tap and count finishing on the target card on the right for number six. This card is pushed forward a few inches.

2. For number seven I start the count at the left of the row but instead of jumping back on three I reverse direction and count four as the middle card and then five on the leftmost card. Then I finish the tap and count by touching the middle card on six and end up on our target card on the right on seven. Again push that card forward.

3. For eight you have to deviate slightly and start the count on the middle card and tap and count from left to right and will end up once more on the target card on eight. Eight is hardly ever named because of my scripting earlier about not wanting to influence them. Push the target card forward.

4. Finally for number nine you start the count on the rightmost card and count to nine by tapping it and then moving to the middle and then to the left and then the middle etc, and wind up once more on the rightmost card of the row. Push it forward.

Walk through the variables and you will see it's quite simple in practice and easy to remember. Discard the other two cards and then focus attention on the business card. State at the very beginning you wrote a message down and then they shuffled the deck. That's actually not true but trust me, they will buy into this manipulation of the timeline. Ask the spectator to turn the business card over and read out what you wrote. Then you slowly and dramatically turn the playing card over to reveal a perfect match and your mystery is complete.

--------------------------------------------
10. Ongoing Adventures Of Romany! #24
--------------------------------------------
Message by Romany (UK)

Hello from the Magic Cottage!

This week has been a whirl!

Which is weird because the English government has restricted meetings again to six people from two different households which means that live gigs for more than six people are illegal until Covid figures reduce. My gigs have gone from nothing to less than nothing!

Colleagues are reporting that even bookings for early 2021 are being postponed. The way this is going they may cancel Christmas!

I haven't heard any more from the booker from last week so it seems that my props and costumes can continue their so far seven month holiday.

In England there are more than 3 million people like me who didn't get a penny of help from the government. Many are back to work now but all professionals working in the arts and theatre are still twiddling their artistic thumbs and wondering how to pay their bills. It doesn't look good for us.

Nevertheless I'm in a whirl!

Last week I told you that I had been inspired to become a full time promoter of my own book in the absence of any other work. I decided to set myself the goal of finding more than a million readers and write a daily blog about my adventures. It's strange that when you set a goal and move towards it, so many coincidences and people pop up to help.

I'm on Day 8 today and just this morning I was asked to write the cover story for a new magazine, who will also use my book for their book club in November. Yesterday I decided to write a talk /show especially for schools and already I've got someone working on the SEO on my website, which I'm improving so that I can be found as a Speaker, Author and Magician rather than just a magician.

Suddenly I feel busy and creative again. I feel like I'm doing something useful for the world.

Plus it seems to be time to collaborate with other artists who also don't have any work or income. Thanks to Covid we have time for projects that we didn't have before. There is a feeling that we can help each other out.

If you'd like to follow my short daily blog and be inspired to start a new project yourself, I'd love to have your company. You can find it here: www.romanymagic.com/magicalmillion

I hope you are finding the silver linings in all of this too.

With love

Romany

You can read more about Romany's magical adventures in her inspiring memoir Spun Into Gold - The Secret Life of a Female Magician, available worldwide and as an audiobook.
Book Depository Free Shipping bit.ly/2ONMFvB
Amazon UK bit.ly/2kqB4G6
Amazon USA amzn.to/2m3XT2J
Audible adbl.co/2qROlu5
Blog. www.romanymagic/magicalmillion
--------------------------------------------
11. Free Virtual Magic Convention
--------------------------------------------
Message by IBM Ring 200

This weekend is the Magicians Alliance of Eastern States Magic Convention!

It's virtual this year and 100% Free!!

The Magicians Alliance of Eastern States is having a free online magic convention this weekend on Saturday from 11 am-9 pm EST. Magicians from around the world will be teaching, sharing, and performing some amazing magic. We have 9 lectures/talks, a close up magic show, and a stage gala show. We have Piff the Magic Dragon from Americans Got Tallent and Fool Us, Borris Wild FISM magic Olympic champion, and the amazing Jack Woux!!! You can stay for the whole day or just wanted part of the day... and it's free!!!! There is a special guest joining us that is one of the biggest magicians on the planet so you don't want to miss it.

To sign up email maesconvention@gmail.com and ask to be registered, it's that simple!

11:00 - Introduction and Mike Hummer Lecture
11:45 - Boris Wild Lecture
12:25 - Sara Crasson Lecture
1:00 - John Carey Lecture

1:45 - Close-Up Show featuring Dylan Duboys, Ed Kwon, Eric DeCamps, Geoff Williams, Michael Vincent and Boris Wild.

3:10 - Piff The Magic Dragon Lecture
3:50 - Geoff Williams Lecture
4:30 - David Garrard Lecture
5:10 - David Corsaro Lecture
5:45 - Special Surprise Lecture
6:15 - Dinner Break

7:30 - Awards and Evening Gala Show featuring Jeremy Mikaelson, David Corsaro, Sara Crasson, Jack Woux, Gino Mozzarella, David Garrard, Alex Boyce…and a surprise.

-------------------------------------
12. The Orchante Saga - Beginnings
-------------------------------------
Written by the late Tommy Orchard (The Amazing Orchante)

Timaru, 'Galaxy Enterprises' and a 'Spook'!

After finishing our contract working the hotel circuit with the band 'Noazark' around Auckland city and beyond for David McKee, we then toured the north of the North Island with the hypnotism show (this also was arranged by David, see pages 44 &56). From there we somehow arrived in the South Island of New Zealand - I have used the word 'somehow' because, as I have stated on previous occasions, my diaries for the years of 73/74 have vanished, and gone with them are the bookings that would have told the story. I can only assume that we were again touring the extensive hotel circuit that I had established throughout the South Island, as we did quite regularly.

I think it was when we were performing for a few nights at a hotel in Timaru, that we first became acquainted with entrepreneur Eddie Brooks. He was nicknamed/known by his friends and acquaintances as - 'NOD', I never had the foggiest idea why, nor how exactly he got into 'show-business' itself. He was/is (?) a farmer who had a few months previously, put a show together with one or two big names, then, having financed the entire venture himself, toured the South Island - and made a killing! Not a bad trick, for a farmer, in the fickle world of 'show-business'. Needless to say he was running hot and firing on all cylinders when he offered us personal management with his new company 'Galaxy Enterprises Ltd', with a guaranteed wage per week, including housekeeping money (Another Angel), - whether we worked or not, with full accommodation provided - in Timaru.

Our 'temporary home' that Eddie provided as with was a huge two-storey nine roomed X boarding house that was situated on the corner of Stafford and King George St's. The front door was on Stafford Street and next door to the right, was the St John Ambulance station. The
Theatre Royal was just a few doors further up and further on still up the hill was the Hibernian hotel, which was where we performed our show whenever we were in Timaru. It now became my drinking hole and, a great place to perform my close-up magic into the wee small hours. It
was no problem to 'stagger', ever so slightly inebriated, the short distance home - it was all downhill!

The bloody house was haunted! Before I explain how, I'll try to give you some idea of the layout of the House. It had three entrances - there was a side door from King George Street that led straight into the massive lounge room. The back door opened out onto a large concrete car parking space that was shared by the St John Ambulance next door and as I mentioned previously, the front door was on Stafford Street. Entering via the front door brought you straight into the foyer where you could hang up your coats and hats etc. Turning immediate right led into the kitchen, which had two doors on the left back wall - the first led into a small kitchenette which had a door that led into the lounge room, and the second door led directly into the lounge room from the kitchen. To your immediate left from the foyer, was a wide stairway that curved up to the right to a landing, from there it carried on up to a long, wide corridor.

Standing in the corridor at the top of the stairs, the first door on the left was the toilet, next was the bathroom and next to that was the main bedroom - it was enormous. On the right the first door led into another small bedroom, next to that another bedroom which had another door on the left-hand wall that led into a long sunroom/bedroom, which would have been more or less above the lounge room below - facing out on to King George St. At the top of the stairway, as well as at the bottom, were two-way light switches. In other words you could turn the stairway lights on or off from either end of the stairs. Therefore, it was rather disconcerting on reaching
the landing - to have all the lights suddenly turn themselves off - plunging you into pitch blackness, as you felt the rest of your way up - or down, the stairs. The first time this happened I assumed that a fuse or the light bulbs had blown but, on reaching one of the switches and flipping it, the lights immediately blazed on, bathing you and the surroundings in all their comforting glory. Strange!

Even more unsettling, to say the least, was the overwhelming feeling that 'something', most definitely not of our plane of existence, was right behind you! Your skin - the nerves on your back literally jumped and crawled with anticipation of.? It was not a feeling of something
diabolically evil or ungodly, more of a 'ghostly soul' playing silly buggers, because - 'you were invading its territory'!

- Continues -

--------------------------------------------
13. E-zine Archives
---------------------------------------------
Back issues of the Magic New Zealand e- zine go to:
www.magicnewzealand.com

Click on the red button centre right "Archives"

When you enter the archive the e- zines are in issue order in folders for each year and are Coded, e.g. 001 Nov06 1999.txt first three numbers (001) denote issue number, then the date (Nov06) and the last figures the year (1999)

--------------------------------------------
14. Privacy Policy and Copyright Notice
--------------------------------------------
Our subscriber list is NOT made available to any other companies or individuals. We value every subscriber and respect your privacy.

You can subscribe to or unsubscribe from the Magic New Zealand® E- zine at: www.magicnewzealand.com

Magic New Zealand® E-zine is published each Sunday.

The opinions and statements expressed therein are those of the individual contributors and not necessarily those of Magic New Zealand®. Neither Magic New Zealand® nor Alan Watson QSM vouch for the accuracy or reliability of any opinion, message, statement, or other information reported via Magic New Zealand® E- zine.

Subscribers to this publication and authors who contribute to it by doing so agree they will not hold Magic New Zealand® or Alan Watson QSM, jointly or individually liable or responsible in any way for the opinions or statements contained therein.

Magic New Zealand® reserves the right to alter, correct or disregard any articles submitted.

Readers are encouraged to submit timely articles or news items which may be of interest to subscribers. By submitting articles to this e- zine, the authors grant Magic New Zealand® the right to publish such articles and such authors confirm their copyright of the material submitted.

All works published by Magic New Zealand® are protected by international copyright legislation and articles must not be published for profit by anyone other than the individual authors without the written permission of Magic New Zealand®.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, this publication may be freely redistributed, but not sold, to other magicians if copied in its entirety, including the copyright notice below and the above disclaimer.