The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-16
WOMEN ARE DEFT MAGICIANS.
MANUFACTURE or WBZARDS'
GOODS DISCUSSES THEN.
How Their Secret Pockets Must Be Made
Women Who Have Reen COnsplcn-
0,Isly successful-lS0,OOO Amateur
AuakicIans I'm the United States Alone.
From The Rochester Post Express.

NuSIs SuVccbSIul-hNVVVW A"htVw
Naasicians I'm the United states Alone.
From The Rochester Post Erpreos.
ut has always been mystery to me,
said manufacturer OF niagicians' goods, why
more women have not taken UP conjuring
as II business. Women nowadays are, doing
nearly everything that man does III the
way of making n living. and there is no good
reason why they should not succeed both
artistically and pecuniarily. in the role Of
wizards. As n matter of fact, woman is
gifted by nature with the chief requisite of
the art~-that of misdirection. which IL vnstly
more valuable than mere sleight OF hand.
Dexterity will come with practice, but the
power to divert the minds and eyes Of an
audience. pretending to do one thing and in
reality doing another. must be born In one
whose manipulation Of cards and coins
borders on the marvellous. but they could
not deceive ten-year- old child when 1t comes
TO creating an illusion. To woman this
psychological branch of prestidgitaton y
as natural as swimming to a duck, and though
only. moderately skilful in sieight-of-hand
she il able to get a great deal more out OF an
Illusion than most men.
When started in the business of manu-
recurring magical goods, twenty years ago,
there were few professional women magi-
clans. They could be counted on the fingers
OF one hand. Women amateurs were I'M
heard of. In the last five years. however.
conditions have materially changed. There
are many women on the professional stage
who are making handsome incomes as WIZ.
ards, though there IL only one where hundred
could make good living. And on my books
enthusiastic amateur performers and they
buy great deal of expensive apparatus.
The number is increasing every year. and
| am confident that in "A few years there Will
be almost as many women amateurs as rneh
| have letters nearly every day from women
who make inquiries. abdt taking lessons IN
the art, and my wife makes this branch OF
the bus mess a specially. She teaches sleight-
of-hand and instructs her customers in the
use OF apparatus, and, what Is matter OF
even even more mo- portanGe she ts her customers
their tricks. To do this successfully re-
auires considerab bic skill for the dresses must
contain a number Of secret pockets, and
feminine fashions change 80 rapidly that II
10 impossible to lay down exact positions Tor
these necessary reCeptacleS.
asa general rule hoWeveri one s goodcsiz ca.
hips can generally be managed. If n belt or
sash forms pnrt OF the costume. 1t pro-
which may b" let into il OF surf Client size to
hold coin or any other small object. II
there are reyers on the bodice each may
straight or sinuous embro.deries or tuCks
or tiounces run across or down the skirts.
and these will admirably, conceal the openings
dress "A pock et may be let into each side OF
the opening NJ the chest 1t is obvious that
a great deal OF ingenuity ~ nrcrssary in order
70 Clothe woman conjurcr properly With
men it is different They wear the con
ventional dress suits the world over, and IL
IL necessary. only to insert couple Of pockets
In the tail of the coat: couple OF big pockets
arc sewrd inside the coat Under the arms,
and at each side of the back OF the trousers
is placed small pocket inst above the thigh.
at the present time the most noted is Nine.
Patrice, an English woman, who In private
life is Mrs Mrs lang Nil nd shf j. TG%Sn of
perfectly and possesses great skill In slni9ht
Of hand. She is n favoritc with the, royal
@m and hqs a aSd times b a n
She was the first woman in the world to
present De Kolta's, famous Illusion. The
Vanishing Lady and i. created such a f,Irore
England 'thsn the Prince of Walesy to give
private performance in tho. ballroom az
Bertram. celebrated English coniuror.
On this occasion Nine. Patrtce, when asked
by Bertram whittier she should be stfcaIiy
transported, was requested by the Princess
bring her bouquet. She was seated AS usual
upon the chair and hey, presto in fash
ran up the ballroom wit beautiful bouquet
of flowers which in few words in German.
success sue 's at Sandrnghan my estasIished Mme'
is still in great demrnd She has made II
fortune out of her work.
In this country Nine. Hermann IL recog-
nzed as tie most skiful woman ma gicinn.
The leading professional in Germany, the
home of magic, IL Eleanora Orlowa. She
had the honor Of appearing before Queen
tlenrietta OF Belgium and Queen Victoria.
Mile. Nicolo ia the leading woman conturcr
in France. md Okitu. a clever Japanese
magician has made successful tour of the
world.
The most prominent az we'll as the most
skilful woman amateur Was the late Queen
Henrietta Of Belgium. She was, IA pupil
Of the famous Carl Hermann. who. while
taking the baths at Ostend in 1852. was re-
uuested by the Queen to give her lessons
in sle ght of hand and in mechanical magic
For six months Hermann was guest at the
royal palace at Brussels. and four hours
rpdimsnts of the art The royal pupil dis
played a remarkable aptitude for the nrt.
Shc, was assidpous IN practising the thousand
and one details that are necessary to IL mas
MT length resumed his professional tours
the Queen was able to present II programme
conlurer in Europe The Queer, had q stage
built in her palace, and in this little theatre
she practiSed for the amusement and recrea-
t9n OF her family, and altrnda ant Through
Queen Henrietta never lost her love for magic
and in il she found never, failing solace
AS an illustration of the increasing interest
taken BY women, in the magic art It is sig
niicant that "A school of magic was recently
established in London. whore woman are
into the ses5es OF fhe art This
There il a similar institution in Berlin In my
hum lie opinion il will be only a matter of
few years before such n school is established
in the United States Those who say that
tho art is dead know nothing of the amateur
side OF the subject There are 900 ANA
trur maricinns in this country alone, and
the number is constantly increasing There
ARE two monthly publications devoted wholly
10 magic. and the literature of the subject
" growing. Trade has never been better
in magical apparatus than it is to-day, and
as my book will attest. each year the number
Of women who take an interest in the sub
ject ia on the increase.