Help us get to over 8,755 articles in 2024.
If you know of a magician not listed in MagicPedia, start a New Biography for them. Contact us at magicpediahelp@gmail.com
Electric Deck
Electric Deck (also know as Magnetic Pack and Electric Pack) is a type of Mechanical Deck where the cards are strung together with thread which allows for flourishes of springing and the waterfalls to be easily performed. Many comedy magicians will expose the deck after performing what appears to be sophisticated slight of hand.
Hofzinser was using a "Sewn Deck" in his act, "Card Etudes", by the 1850s[1].
Robert-Houdin described a version in 1868 by gluing the cards end-to-end which allowed for the springing.
Professor Hoffmann describes the prepared pack as being strung with narrow silk ribbon in Tricks with Cards (1889).
It was a known to be a pet effect of Carl Hertz around 1896.
It was being advertised by dealers as the "Electric Pack" as early as 1905 in magazines like the Magician Monthly.