Help us get to over 8,747 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

Floating Ball

From Magicpedia, the free online encyclopedia for magicians by magicians.
Revision as of 13:19, 29 April 2011 by Jpecore (Talk | contribs)

Jump to: navigation, search

Floating Ball is an illusion in which a ball floats freely about the stage.

The first practical one-man method was created by amateur magician David P. Abbott. In 1913, he demonstrated it to both Okito and Howard Thurston. This was when Okito was traveling with the Thurston Show while playing in Omaha and were invited as guests to the Abbott's home. Abbott presented each with one as a gift.[1]

Okito went on to improve it and developed a popular stage routine which he was performing by 1920.

It was also featured by Doc Nixon, Okito's son Fu-Manchu and Dante.

Prior Art

  • The Floating Ball of Paper in Latter Day Tricks (1896) by August Roterberg. Said to be "a genuine Japanese feat", a sheet of soft tissue paper of about a foot square is crumpled then suspended in the air. It can also ascend and descend.


References

  1. "HISTORY OF THE FLOATING BALL" chapter in Okito on Magic