CHARLIER

La coupe « Charlier » consiste à couper un paquet de cartes en deux, d’une seule main (la gauche), en faisant monter dans un premier temps, la moitié supérieure, puis la partie inférieure (afin de former un pont) en faisant ensuite retomber la moitié supérieure dans le creux de la main, recouverte dans le dernier mouvement par l’autre moitié. Cet exercice sert essentiellement à démontrer la dextérité d’un magicien. Il ne s’agit pas d’un tour, mais plutôt d’une séquence, qui peut venir s’intégrer dans l’exécution d’une séance de cartomane. Sur Charlier pratiquement aucune information biographique, son nom étant transmis chronologiquement par Hoffman (in More Magic pp. 9-10, et Tricks with Cards, 1889) qui le mentionne aussi dans une note de sa traduction du livre de Robert-Houdin Comment on devient Sorcier, Les Secrets de la Prestidigitation et de la magie, Secrets of Conjuring and Magic (1878). Un Charlier évoqué successivement par l’illusionniste anglais Charles Bertram (1853-1907) dans son Isn’t it Wonderful? (1896), puis par Howard Thurston (1869-1936, voir notice) dans son Thurston's Card Tricks (1901). Edwin A. Dawes dans Charles Bertram, The Court Conjurer (1997) atteste que John Nevil Maskelyne (1839-1917, voir notice) aurait acheté un jeu de cartes marqué Charlier à Londres vers 1873. Jeu de cartes aujourd’hui visible au Magic Circle’s museum de Londres. Rien n’atteste donc formellement que Charlier fut un magicien. Bibliographie : Robert Lund, A Female Charlier in Magic Cauldron Magazine, Décembre 1996. © Un Tour du Monde de la Magie et des Illusionnistes, Richard Raczynski. Les reproductions totales ou partielles des notices du blog Reflets du Passé sont soumises au droit d’Auteur. Sur l'image qui illustre notre notice : Houdin, Robert & AJL Hoffmann: The Secrets Of Conjuring & Magic or How To Become A Wizard ©1878 George Routledge and Sons Limited Hardcover, 156 pages Comments:Translated into English by Professor Hoffmann. Ci-dessous, la table des matières : 7 Editor's Preface 9 Author's Preface And Dedication 11 The Home Of Robert-Houdin 19 Introduction 20 Conjuring And Its Professors 22 The Art Of Conjuring 23 General Principles 25 The Hand 27 Escamotage, Prestidigitation 29 Chapter I: Coin Magic 29 Coin Conjuring 29 I. The Palm Proper 31 II. The Tourniquet 32 III. The Pincette 33 IV. The Coulèe 34 V. The Italian Or "Thumb" Palm 34 VI. Disappearance By Means Of The Sleeve 35 VII. Disappearence By Means Of The Cravat 35 Changes - Modes Of Substitution Of One Coin For Another 35 I. The Change By Means Of The Palm Proper 36 II. The Change By Means Of The Coulée 36 III. The Change By Means Of A Tray 37 More General Principles 45 Coin Tricks 45 I. The Melting Coin 46 II. The Flying Coins 50 III. The Shower Of Money 52 IV. The Multiplication Of Money 55 V. Magical Filtration Of Five-Franc Pieces 57 VI. The Intelligent Coin 58 VII. The Two Hats 59 VIII. The Golden Coin In A Dinner-Roll 61 Chapter II: Card Magic 61 Introduction 61 Various Sleights Employed In Card Tricks 62 Sleights Of General Use 62 I. To Make The Pass 64 II. To Make A False Shuffle 66 III. Forcing A Given Card 68 IV. To Change A Card 70 V. To Palm A Card 72 VI. To Replace A Palmed Card 72 VII. To Get Sight Of A Card 73 Special Sleights Used In Particular Card Tricks 73 I. The Card Thought Of 74 II. The Pass, Reversed 74 III. To Slide Back A Card 75 IV. The Wide Or Long Card 75 V. The Bridge 76 VI. Marked Cards 77 VII. Cards Arranged In A Given Order 78 VIII. To Change One Pack For Another 78 Ornamental Sleights 78 I. To Make The Pass With One Hand 81 II. To Change A Card With One Hand 82 III. To Ruffle The Cards 82 IV. To Throw The Cards 83 V. To Spring The Cards From Hand To Hand 84 VI. The Cards Simultaneously Turned Over 85 VII. To Pick Up An Outspread Pack Of Cards 85 Tricks With Cards 85 I. Clairvoyance By Touch 87 II. Mene, Tekel, Upharsin 88 III. The Cards Passing Up The Sleeve 90 IV. The Cards Made Larger And Smaller 92 V. The Ladies' Looking-Glass 95 VI. The Sympathetic Cards 96 VII. The Electrified Cards 99 VIII. The Power Of The Will 100 IX. The Mesmerised Cards 102 X. The Metamorphoses 103 XI. A Magical Transformation 104 XII. The Card Thought Of 105 XIII. Thought Anticipated 106 XIV. The Thoughts Of Two Persons Anticipated 107 XV. The Four Aces 110 XVI. The Card In The Pocket-Book 111 XVII. Now! 112 XVIII. The Flying Aces And Kings 113 XIX. The Protean Pack Of Cards 115 Chapter III: Sundry Expedients And Tricks Of Various Descriptions 115 To Palm Corks, Lumps Of Sugar, And Other Objects Of Small Size 115 A Digestive Dessert—to Eat Corks 116 Sundry Methods Of Vanishing Articles Using A Table 116 Description Of The Table 117 To Vanish An Article In The Act Of Picking It Up 117 To Vanish An Article In The Act Of Throwing It Up Into The Air 117 To Vanish An Article In The Act Of Throwing 117 To Vanish An Article By Rolling It Away 117 Substitution Of One Article For Another By Means Of Second Method 118 To Vanish A Pack Of Cards 118 To Change A Pack Of Cards Into A Bird 118 To Introduce A Cannon-Ball Into A Hat 119 The Chinese Rings 120 The "Passes" With The Rings 120 Pass With Two Rings 121 Pass With Three Rings 121 Pass With Four Rings 122 Pass With Twelve Rings 122 Inextricable Chains 123 The Crystal Balls 123 Preliminary Preparations For The Trick 124 Pass I: The Production Of The Wand 123 Pass II: To Cause The Appearance Of A Crystal Ball 125 Pass III: To Divide A Crystal Ball Into Two Portions 125 Pass IV: To Produce A Little Ball From A Large One 126 Pass V: To Pass A Little Ball Into A Large One 126 Pass VI: To Make One Ball Pass Into The Other 126 Pass VII: To Stain A Crystal Ball Red 127 Pass VIII: To Get The Ball Out Of The Bottle Again 127 The Cannon-Ball Trick 129 The Vase For The Cannon-Ball 130 The Plumes And Shower Of Sweets 130 The Plume Trick 131 The Shower Of Sweets 133 Chapter IV: the Cups And Balls 133 Introduction 133 Appliances And Accessories Necessary For The Performance Of The Trick 134 General Principles 134 I. To Conjure Away A Small Ball 134 II. To Produce A Small Ball 135 III. To Secretly Introduce A Small Ball Under A Cup 135 IV. To Pass A Small Ball Between Two Cups 135 V. To Cause The Disappearance Of A Small Ball Placed Between Two Cups 135 VI. To Cause The Appearance Of A Large Ball Under A Cup 135 Feints 136 Passes And Vocabulary 137 Burlesque Introductory Address 138 Working The Cups And Balls In The Old Style 140 Conus' Method 142 Bosco's Method (Bosco's Presentation Of The Cups And Balls) 143 Bosco's First Pass 143 Bosco's Second Pass 144 Bosco's Third Pass 145 Chapter V: Various Tricks 145 The Birth Of Flowers; Or, Magical Vegetation 148 The Miraculous Fishery; Or, The Bowls Of Gold Fish 150 Dr. Lynn's Method 151 The Marvellous Equilibrium 153 Conclusion 155 Notes