Knowledge (XXG)

Radium Girl

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85:, which consist of leather straps with short chains or cords attached. Four short straps are fitted as cuffs around her wrists and ankles, a slightly longer one as a collar around her neck and an even larger one as belt around her waist. As the first group of volunteers complete the fastening of the restraints to the assistant the magician presents a cabinet and invites the remaining volunteers to inspect it. The cabinet is just large enough to accommodate a person in a standing position and it is initially open at the front and back. A panel, with a series of slots and holes in, is presented and fitted to the back of the cabinet. The assistant, now fitted out with the straps and chains, steps into the cabinet. The chains are passed through holes in the side of the cabinet and secured to fixings on the outside. This leaves the assistant apparently held in a standing posture inside the cabinet, with her arms at her sides and with little leeway for movement. A second panel, similar to the first, is presented and fitted to the front of the cabinet. This second panel has a stylised silhouette of a female figure painted on it, which indicates the approximate position of the assistant who is now hidden inside. The magician then pushes a series of rods through holes in the front panel (these are shown to have emerged through matching holes in the rear panel). The first rods apparently serve to further prevent any movement by the assistant and later ones look as if they must actually be pushed through her body. In addition a series of blades are pushed through slots in the front panel so that it appears the cabinet is divided into sections, each of which is too small for the assistant. Finally, a large square-sectioned tube is pushed through the middle of the cabinet from front to back. It is demonstrated that it is possible to see through the tube and pass objects through it. The tube, the blades and the rods are then pulled out of the cabinet and the front panel is removed, revealing the assistant unharmed and still held in position by the restraints. 368: 64:
illusion. Its origins and history are much less well documented than those of many other "big box" illusions, but some sources indicate it might be one of the earliest examples of that type of trick. References and picture captions indicate it was the creation of British magician and designer
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recruits several volunteers from the audience. A female assistant is then introduced and one or more of the volunteers are invited to help her into a series of
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pre-dates many other well-known "big box" type illusions. Some sources give 1919 as the date when Walker first presented
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and an assistant named Jackie, also performed the illusion on an episode of the BBC television series
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but, other than the omission of some restraints, it was essentially the same as the
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References listed below attribute the creation of this illusion to British magician
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covering all his illusions and escapes with many pictures of "The Radium Girl".
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in the context of a discussion about books on the history of magic.
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This article is about the illusion. For the factory workers, see
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website, which contains an image of an early performance of
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congress in Paris in 1973. Atkins, together with host
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in a large box and is probably best categorised as a
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Magician Jeffrey Atkins and Paul Daniels performing
698: 652: 571: 504: 466: 375: 330: 250:Val Walker, written recollections published in 308: 8: 247:, pub by Magic Collectors' Association, 2004 137:(see picture). Another television magician, 254:magazine in 1968 (full details unavailable) 315: 301: 293: 278:by a magician referred to only as "Jeff". 285:containing references to Val Walker and 161: 553:Mark Wilson's Complete Course In Magic 7: 97:. Tad Ware, writing in the magazine 145:as his assistant. He titled it the 109:when he created an illusion called 38:with an assistant called Jackie on 14: 366: 243:Tad Ware, "The Radium Girl", in 52:of the classic type involving a 265:Val Walker biographical website 105:was a source of inspiration to 1: 529:The Expert at the Card Table 513:The Discoverie of Witchcraft 25:Radium girl (disambiguation) 545:Thirteen Steps to Mentalism 135:The Paul Daniels Magic Show 40:The Paul Daniels Magic Show 748: 18: 364: 196:F.I.S.M. History: part 4 225:Jim Steinmeyer (2005). 101:, has made a case that 594:Hugard's Magic Monthly 42: 23:. For other uses, see 16:Type of stage illusion 665:Films about magicians 33: 711:Midnight ghost show 636:Smoke & Mirrors 227:Hiding the Elephant 324:Magic and illusion 283:Genii online forum 147:Thai Torture Trial 43: 719: 718: 281:A section of the 739: 706:Indian magicians 608:The Linking Ring 370: 317: 310: 303: 294: 245:Magicol Magazine 240: 229:. Arrow (Rand). 213: 212: 210: 209: 200:. Archived from 190: 184: 183: 181: 180: 174:, November 2004" 166: 62:restoration-type 54:female assistant 747: 746: 742: 741: 740: 738: 737: 736: 722: 721: 720: 715: 694: 660:Conjuring terms 648: 567: 500: 491:Sleight of hand 468: 462: 371: 362: 326: 321: 287:The Radium Girl 276:The Radium Girl 261: 237: 224: 221: 219:Further reading 216: 207: 205: 192: 191: 187: 178: 176: 172:The Genii Forum 168: 167: 163: 159: 119:The Radium Girl 115:The Radium Girl 103:The Radium Girl 91: 75: 46:The Radium Girl 36:The Radium Girl 28: 17: 12: 11: 5: 745: 743: 735: 734: 724: 723: 717: 716: 714: 713: 708: 702: 700: 696: 695: 693: 692: 687: 682: 677: 672: 667: 662: 656: 654: 650: 649: 647: 646: 639: 632: 625: 618: 611: 604: 597: 590: 583: 575: 573: 569: 568: 566: 565: 557: 549: 541: 537:Tarbell Course 533: 525: 517: 508: 506: 502: 501: 499: 498: 496:Pepper's ghost 493: 488: 483: 478: 472: 470: 464: 463: 461: 460: 455: 450: 445: 440: 435: 430: 425: 420: 415: 413:Close-up magic 410: 405: 395: 385: 379: 377: 373: 372: 365: 363: 361: 360: 355: 350: 345: 340: 334: 332: 328: 327: 322: 320: 319: 312: 305: 297: 291: 290: 279: 272:The Magic Cave 268: 260: 259:External links 257: 256: 255: 248: 241: 235: 220: 217: 215: 214: 185: 160: 158: 155: 123:Jeffery Atkins 111:Sawing Through 90: 87: 74: 71: 50:stage illusion 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 744: 733: 730: 729: 727: 712: 709: 707: 704: 703: 701: 697: 691: 688: 686: 683: 681: 678: 676: 673: 671: 668: 666: 663: 661: 658: 657: 655: 651: 645: 644: 640: 638: 637: 633: 631: 630: 626: 624: 623: 619: 617: 616: 612: 610: 609: 605: 603: 602: 598: 596: 595: 591: 589: 588: 584: 582: 581: 577: 576: 574: 570: 563: 562: 558: 555: 554: 550: 547: 546: 542: 539: 538: 534: 531: 530: 526: 523: 522: 518: 515: 514: 510: 509: 507: 503: 497: 494: 492: 489: 487: 484: 482: 479: 477: 474: 473: 471: 465: 459: 456: 454: 451: 449: 446: 444: 441: 439: 436: 434: 431: 429: 426: 424: 421: 419: 416: 414: 411: 409: 406: 403: 399: 396: 393: 389: 386: 384: 381: 380: 378: 374: 369: 359: 356: 354: 351: 349: 346: 344: 341: 339: 336: 335: 333: 329: 325: 318: 313: 311: 306: 304: 299: 298: 295: 288: 284: 280: 277: 273: 269: 266: 263: 262: 258: 253: 249: 246: 242: 238: 236:0-09-947664-9 232: 228: 223: 222: 218: 204:on 2007-01-15 203: 199: 197: 189: 186: 175: 173: 165: 162: 156: 154: 152: 148: 144: 140: 136: 132: 128: 124: 120: 116: 112: 108: 104: 100: 96: 88: 86: 84: 80: 72: 70: 68: 63: 59: 55: 51: 47: 41: 37: 32: 26: 22: 732:Magic tricks 680:Publications 641: 634: 627: 620: 613: 606: 599: 592: 585: 578: 559: 551: 543: 535: 527: 521:Modern Magic 519: 511: 486:Misdirection 481:Equivocation 286: 275: 251: 244: 226: 206:. Retrieved 202:the original 195: 188: 177:. Retrieved 171: 164: 150: 146: 143:Anita Harris 134: 131:Paul Daniels 118: 114: 110: 102: 98: 92: 76: 45: 44: 39: 35: 21:Radium Girls 580:Abracadabra 572:Periodicals 348:Conventions 252:Abracadabra 151:Radium Girl 139:David Nixon 107:P.T. Selbit 73:Description 58:penetration 643:The Sphinx 505:Guidebooks 476:Levitation 469:techniques 467:Tricks and 433:Mathemagic 423:Escapology 408:Children's 392:techniques 338:Assistants 270:A page at 208:2007-02-26 179:2007-02-26 157:References 95:Val Walker 83:restraints 67:Val Walker 670:Magicians 561:Conjuring 398:Cardistry 726:Category 685:Timeline 622:Magigram 601:The Jinx 443:Platform 353:Exposure 79:magician 699:Related 675:Museums 629:Mahatma 540:(1928–) 402:history 383:Bizarre 331:General 125:at the 99:Magicol 89:History 690:Tricks 564:(1992) 556:(1975) 548:(1961) 532:(1902) 524:(1876) 516:(1584) 458:Street 448:Séance 438:Mental 428:Gospel 376:Genres 358:Stores 233:  653:Lists 615:Magic 587:Genii 453:Stage 343:Clubs 48:is a 418:Coin 388:Card 231:ISBN 127:FISM 77:The 60:or 728:: 153:. 69:. 404:) 400:( 394:) 390:( 316:e 309:t 302:v 239:. 211:. 198:" 194:" 182:. 170:" 27:.

Index

Radium Girls
Radium girl (disambiguation)

stage illusion
female assistant
penetration
restoration-type
Val Walker
magician
restraints
Val Walker
P.T. Selbit
Jeffery Atkins
FISM
Paul Daniels
David Nixon
Anita Harris
"The Genii Forum, November 2004"
"F.I.S.M. History: part 4"
the original
ISBN
0-09-947664-9
Val Walker biographical website
The Magic Cave
Genii online forum
v
t
e
Magic and illusion
Assistants

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