INSTRUCTIONS FOR THX THURSTON M E T H O D O F THE A S I A LEVITATION The l a t e Howard Thurston ? r e f aced t h e Asra I l l u s i o n by f i r s t doing t h e Aga.

As most magicihns know, i n t h e &ga L e v i t a t i o n , t h e g i r l r i s e s from a couch, o r i s l e v i t a t e d from a couch, and hoog i s nassed o v e r h e r . Sne t h e n descends t o t h e couch, is d e - h y y o t i z ed? , and t a k e s a Sow. Thurston a g a i n h y p n o t i z e s t h e young l a d y , and, j u s t a s s h e i s f a l l i n g i n t o tlie arms of an a s s i s t a n t , t n o more a s s i s t a n t s e n t e r w i t h an onened-out s h e e t and, t i m i n g i s sucQ t h a t t h e s h e e t a p a e a r s t o b e thyown o v e r t h e g i r l , when a c t u a l l y s h e makes h e r get-al~vay through a t r a p on t h e s t a g e .

I n p l a c e of u s i n g a s t a g e t r a ~ , t h e same e f f e c t raay be accomp l i s h e d by u s i n g a s o e c i a l l y made t a b l e , i n which t h e g i r l conceals herself.

F i g u r e 1 shows an o r d i n a r y s t a g e b a t t e n w i t h an a d d i t i o n a l screw-eye a t each end, c o r r e s p o n d i n g screw-eyes i n t h e s t a g e . A f t e r r o n e s ha.ve been f a s t e n e d t o t h e screw-eyes, t h e b a t t e n i s o u l l e d t a u t , t h u s n r e v e n t i n g any sway o r movement i n b a t t e n a s i h e i l l u s i o n i s presented. F i g u r e 2 shows t h e o f f s t a g e hookup w i t h double p u l l e y f a s t e n e d t o t h e s t a g e and two s i n g l e pul.leys, ( i n l i n e , ) f a ~ t e n e d to the b a t t e n . The t h r e a d s , connected t o f i g u r e , a r e t i e d s e c u r e l y t o t h e tllio r o p e s t h a t a r e bound t o g e t h e r . The o p e r a t o r o f f s t a g e simply moves t h e s e r o p e s up o r down, a c c o r d i n g t o t h e a c t i o n r e ~uired. F i g u r e 3 shons t h e k n o t t e d ends of t h e s e r o p e s s e c u r e l y bound with e l e c t r i c i a n ' s tape. F i g u r e 4 shows t h e t h r e a d f a s t e n e d t o movable arm and t h r e a d t o t h e head of f i g u r e . F i g u r e 5 shows t h e b a c k s t a g e view of t h e i l l u s i o n i n operation. F i g u r e s 6 and 7 show t h e c o n s t r u c t i o n of t h e w i r e frame. T h i s i s made o u t of piano w i r e : 24 gauge f o r t h e s p i n e w i r e ; 2 0 gauge f o r both o u t l i n e s ; 1 4 gauge u s e d f o r t h e c r o s s r e i n f o r c e m e n t s of one o u t l i n e a c r o s s t h e s p i n e p i e c e , a t l e a s t f o u r c r o s s - b r a c e s of 1 4 gauge over t h e body o u t l i n e , d i r e c t l y i n t h e c e n t e r ; 9 gauge f o r t h e r e s t of t h e b r e c e s over t h e body. The r a i s i n g arm e f f e c t i s n o t h i n g , more o r l e s s , t h a n a n i e c e of l i g h t gauge v i r e a t t a c h e d l o o s e l y t o t h e s i d e of fraine so t h a t i t c a n be r a i s e d The thread., of c o u r s e , ? a s s e s through o r lowered w i t h a thread.. a hole i n the sheet. A f t e r t h e o u t l i n e h a s been s t a o l e d t o t h e f l o o r , t h e n t h e s p i n e r s i r e i s t r e a t e d t h e same way. Next, t h e f a c e o u t l i n e m i r e . and t h e n , a s t h e b r a c e w i r e s a r e added, t h e s e t o o a r e s t a o l e d

PAGE 2 t o t h e f l o o r . V h i l e i n t h i s p o s i t i o n , a l l p o i n t s a r e soldered. The t a c k s a r e then removed, t h e excess pieoes of w j r e a r e out o f f , t h e ends f i l e d down, and a l l soldered p a r t s and a l l p a r t s t h a t c r o s s each o t h e r a r e bound secure12 with 10 gauge *ire. To d i s c o l o r frame btack, t h e whole f r a ~ e i s immersed i n a s o l u t i o n a s f o l l o ~ s : 2 oz. N i t r i c Acid, oz. of Copper Sulphate, 1 l b . I r o n Chloride, 4 oz. Hydrochloric Aciri, and 1 g a l l o n of water. Place frame i n above s o l u t i o n f o r 1 5 minutes, then a l l o w t o d r y s e v e r a l hours; p l a c e i n s o l u t i o n again f o r 1 5 minutes; hour. remove and dry 10 hours; p l a c e i n b o i l i n g water f o r Dry and o i l l i g h t l y . A f t e r t h i s , any s h a r p p o i n t s a r e bound with e l e c t r i c i a n r s tape. The s h e e t used i s of heavy s i l k , s i z e 4 x G f e e t . (1t i s very important t o keep t h e weight of t h e s h e e t an& t h e mire frame down t o a minimum. )
An i r o n i n g board i s placed d i r e c t l y under t h e b a t t e n , mhioh i s lowered i n t h e s e t t i n g - u p process. The frame i s olaced on

t h e i r o n i n g board, t h e two overhead t h r e a d s being gassed through two h o l e s i n t h e s h e e t , and t h e ends of t h e t h r e a d t i e d t o t h e wire frane. When a l l t h r e a d s a r e i n wosition, t h e b a t t e n i s drawn ur, i n t o t h e f l i e s , t h e two over heac' t h r e a d s a r e t i e d t o t h e p u l l e y ropes, and t h e arm and head t h r e a d taken t o t h e wings on t h e o ~ ~ o s i t e s i d e . Two {nore l e n g t h s of t h r e a d a r e used, one t i e d t o t h e head and one t i e d t o t h e f e e t . These t h r e a d s a r e long enough t o reach t o t h e baclc edge of t h e sheet when h e l d by a s s i s t a n t s . Now, t h e i r o n i n g board, with frame, i s taken o f f t o t h e rope s i d e , an a s s i s t a n t o p e r a t i n g t h e ropes t o allow s u f f i c i e n t s l a c k i n t h r e a d t o do t h i s . I n t h e p r e s e n t a t i o n of t h e i l l u s i o n , t h e g i r l i s hypnotized, and, immediately she i s placed on t h e t a b l e , t h e a s s i s t a n t s walk on quickly w i t h t h e opened-out sheet. Two a s s i s t a n t s a r e necessary f o r t h i s . Their l e f t s i d e s a r e toward t h e audience, t h e foremost a s s i s t a n t ' s l e f t hand h o l d s t h e head t h r e a d and corner of t h e s h e e t , t h e r i g h t hand holds t h e sheet back towards t h e second a s s i s t a n t . The second a s s i s t a n t holds t h e f e e t thread and corner of sheet i n r i g h t hand and t h e edge of s h e e t towards t h e f i r s t a s s i s t a n t i n t h e l e f t hand. The a s s i s t a n t o f f s t a g e manipulates t h e ropes t o see t h a t t h e r e i s s u f f i c i e n t s l a c k i n t h e thread. Under cover of t h e s h e e t , t h e g i r l g e t s i n t o t h e t a b l e , t h e frame t a k i n g h e r wosition. The necessary passes a r e made by t h e magician, t h e n , adethe

P A G E 3 form r i s e s from t h e t a b l e . -?hen it i s c l e a r , t h e t a b l e i s nushed o f f s t a g e and form i s then taken up, high enough f o r t h e raagic i a n t o walk under from t h e back t o t h e f r o n t . The f i g u r e then f l o a t s a c r o s s stage. This i s done by t h e a s s i s t a n t on t h e head thread. The f i g u r e i s then allowed t o go back t o o r i g i n a l posit i o n , and t h e magician walks t o t h e back of t h e f i g u r e , a s i t i s lowered t o about w a i s t high.

The magician then nlaces h i s opened hands between t h e t h r e a d s , engaging t h e threac? between t h e second and t h i r d f i n g e r s of each hand. He, then walks forward t o t h e f o o t l i g h t s , a s s i s t a n t s offs t a g e playing out t h e s l a c k thread. Magician then backs up t h r e e o r f o u r f e e t and t u r n s , so t h a t h i s back i s toward t h e audience, a s he p r o p e l l s t h e f i g u r e back t o i t s o r i g i n a l f l o a t i n g position. The a e s i s t a n t on t h e head t h r e a d p u l l s f i g u r e back t o t h e origi n a l nosition. Figure i s a g a i n e l e v a t e d t o about s i x f e e t , magician saying, "Fernando, r a i s e your r i g h t arm". This i s done by p u l l i n g on t h e arri thread. The magician then stands c l o s e t o f i g u r e , g r i p s a corner of sheet i n each hand, and j e r k s t h e s h e e t downwards. The a s s i s t a n t , operating r o p e s , ~ u i c k l yp u l l s t h e f i g u r e t o t h e f l o o r . This a c t i o n breaks t h e tiireads.
A s t h e magician walks f o r n a r d with t h e sheet i n h i s hands, t h e t a b c u r t a i n s a r e allowed t o close.
k ~atterned c a r p e t i s necessary on t h e f l o o r , but i n p l a c e of t h i s , any f a r ~ c ycretonne m i l l do.

The l i g h t s a r e dimmed t o h i d e t h e t h r e a d s , however a baby s p o t l i g h t i s kept on t h e f l o a t i n g f i g u r e a t a l l times. Care must be taken t h a t t h e s p o t l i g h t i s manipulated so t h a t i t does not show above t h e body, where t h r e a d s a r e attached.
ABBOTT'Y MAGIC HOWLTY CO.

Colon, Uichigan

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