Retention of vision vanish

Retention of vision vanish

In the Retention of Vision Vanish, the magician places a coin or small object between the fingers and the thumb of the right hand. The left hand is palm up with the palm slightly tilted towards the audience. The right approaches and displays the object on the left palm for a second or so, held on opposite sides of a diameter. Then the right hand moves away empty as the fingers of the left hand close over the object. After a brief pause the left hand is shown empty and the coin has disappeared. In some versions the right hand can also be seen empty, leaving no clue as to where the coin went.

Originally attributed to Nelson Downs, a famous magician from the late Victorian & Edwardian Eras who specialised in coins, the vanish has been improved by Dai Vernon and many other 20th Century magicians who all added variations to improve the original concept that an object displayed for a short length of time leaves an image on the retina that may persist for a further short time after the object has actually disappeared.

Method

The secret here is that the left hand never took the object in the first place. The right thumb slid the coin into right finger palm as the left hand fingers closed. This is done by bringing the right hand second and third fingers level with the first while the right thumb slides the coin away from the finger tips and to the base of the fingers into finger palm. Now the performer waves his left hand at the audience, misdirecting attention off the right which has finger palmed the object casually pointing at the left hand. In skilled hands the illusion that the coin is still in the left hand is perfect especially as it has been displayed there for a second or two, the eye still retains a fleeting image, even though the coin has gone. This retention of vision element gives the vanish its name.

Turning to the right the performer again waves his hand around a little, maybe suggesting that the audience should watch the hand closely (more misdirection). At this moment the right hand is behind his body and he drops the object in his pocket. Another method is to openly put the right hand in a pocket to obtain a wand or some magic dust, but actually leaving the object behind.

Whichever method is used,he is now ready to show the disappearance of the coin or object from the left hand in the most theatrical and fitting way. The right hand can also be shown empty if the above methods have been followed. Since the object is ostensibly put into one hand, this is known as a put vanish.

In the pinch vanish variation, as the coin is displayed on the left hand, the right hand fingers and thumb close together, snapping the coin into a position where it is now held by the edge rather than at opposite sides of a diameter. At the same time the left hand fingers close over the coin while the right hand carries it away and into finger palm. This pinch often causes a small flash of light as the coin rotates, adding to the retention of vision aspect.

Although simple, the vanish must be practiced thousands of times to be effective with appropriate attention being given to the misdirection, synchronising the hands, showmanship, and really believing that object has been taken.

External links

*cite web
url = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMhYXzUJs2Q&feature=related
title = Retention Vanish Coin Magic Trick
accessdate = 2008-01-04
last = Phelps
first = Wayne
publisher = You Tube


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