THE VISUAL TORN AND RESTORED NEWSPAPER Effect: ‘The title efficiently sums up the effect. A newspaper is torn to pieces, then is magically restored. Several good methods exist for achieving this effect, but when Gene Anderson's newspaper tear was: prominently performed a few years back by Doug Henning, magicians: seemed to lose sight of all others. It is rare to see anything but the Anderson method performed these days. This is Lo be regretted, as several of the prior methods had advantages well worth considering {mot the least of which is Al Koran’s, to which ihe Gene Anderson method owes a considerable debt). When Mr. Elmsley first discussed his metho! in print, he clearly statecl his goal: “In most methods, assuming that they are well performed, the torn pieces are transformed into a neatly folded packet, obviously untorn, which is then unfolded. To me this does not look magical, however magical it may be considered intellectually. [l looks as though a folded packet has been substituted for the pieces. Mareover, the unfolding of the packet is an anticlimax. “| believe that, if it is ta look as though it is the same paper being restored as was torn, there must be no folded packet seen at any stage. In practice, that means that no folded edges, but only torn edges and the natural edges of the paper must be seen, right up to the moment when the paper is shown unfolded and restored.” At that time (1958), only one method met this criticism: Ken Bowell’s “Kentare”, which was marketed by Harry Stanley. Taking the Bowell method as a starting point, Mr, Elossley created the one about to be explained. A folded packet is substituted for the torn pieces, but its folded edges are hidden up to the instant of restoration. Method: You will require two duplicate front sections of a mews- paper. Remove the inner pages of each section until only the twa outside double sheets remain. That is, cach duplicate paper should now consist of only eight pages. Find a single page from the extra sheets of the papers, or neatly cut a double page in hall, (Ideally, this should be the front page fram a third duplicate copy of the paper, but this is not strictly necessary.) Dispose of everything but the single Page and the two eight-page sections.158 THE COLLECTED WORKS OF ALEX ELMSLEY Take the single and fold tt in half widthwise, Then, using your fee Ses os ie, tear the page in two along the fold. The tear be raged but reasonably straight. Think of the lower half of = uae Piece One. Fold the upper portion in half lenguhwise ancl, again using your finger, tear a the fold, creat two quarter pages. Call the left-hand Piece Two. (Figure 136 shows how J Shrove U the page has been torn. the right-hand quarter away. Now lay one of the eight-page sections on the table and open out the front page. spaliake got es eegey eal, Se oranoter gh luc that dries without wrinkling the paper, apply of cement ai the bottom left comer of page three. ‘Mhis *L” runs - the left side of the page, near the crease, for roughly two-thirds of lis height; and horizontally along the botlorn of the page for ulmost half tts width, (See Figure 137, in which the glue coated area is shaded.) ‘Close the front page in, and press it smocth along the glue- lined area. Then fold this page In half by carrying the right edge back to the tefl and creasing it along Its length. ‘This crease is not quite at center, as the left edge of the page must project slightly pobre folded spine of the section (Figure 138). Dog-ear the it camers of the three eremang aber folding then in togett against the surface of page three (Figure 138 again). Now fold the top kalf of the paper down and behind the bottom half, bringing the top and bottom: es even (Figure 144), Apply a continuous line of cement along the bottom edge and both sides of the folded paper, as Indicated by the shaded arens in Figure 199. Lay Piece One (the torn half page) over the folded paper igure 140). gluing it in place with the torn edge at the top overlapping the top edge of the paper to hide the folded edge. This overlap should be kept as narrow as possible, while still covering the fold, Fold the In half again, this time bringing the left side over the right. ‘This fates the ‘on half page inside the packet. Twist the folded paper a hundred and eighty degrees, turning the printing into Proper reading position. You should now be looking at the top left quarter of page two. Apply a line of cement to all four borders of this quarter page [Figure 141). Affix Piece Twa, the torn quarter page, to the folded Paper. tio the two torn oe at the right anc eae Tes edges bl project very slightly past the eae faced edges of the paper. hiding them. Again. make the overlap a narrow one. Double the top half of the paper down and over the bottom half. folding the torn quarter page inside. This brings the top right corner of page three uppermost, with the dog-eared corners lying, at the bottom left (Figure 143a), Turn the folded paper over sidewise, This Ca tom cages of the inside quarter page at the Icft side and ‘of the packet. The printing on the upper surface of the packet is in reading position (Figure 1436).sdinplays ive. 7). The left hand {ts hold aa the place where the packet bes and. if necessary, Uhe left thumb can dirw the inner sheet With the right hand. the hanging lower edge of the inner sheet and bring it up to the left hand, closing the sheet. This exposes pages six and seven to the audience. the action, closing the ‘Open the Se eone ter endce eoe seaep the ight ags of te pages. Then pull the hands apart, the sheets down center creases (Figure 149). You now have four page sine picees.agen NUTR ANY THEE aay dual jade Hail ¢ aaa taut Oe ue PHT BRIER etd # att a Ee HIE Unga Hil i HU ne i aif 3: hil 1 chy feel Le ce HE an164 THE COLLECTED WORKS OF ALEX ELMSLEY # Page somes or ew at Uhl rie heh full-page size. Give the Upper right comer; and the stack of pieces is tee en ‘open to speed the opened paper Eee hi = iii the te ‘With Ube bei fuaurecl Jef conner of the doubled over E ii S383 is it fi %5 33 ay is ii = i 3 Ht HeMINUS FIFTY-TWO 165 inetal strips or wires, and no delay between the tearing olf the and its resioration. ts somethin Rae taken the important thing to aim for is en appearance of torn edges melting away as the paper unfolds, ‘Some years back, al a testimonial dinner given in Goodiifle’s honor, @ special version of his torn amd restored paper Beg ha newpaper that hapa ak would be else “As he said this, he unfolded the Paper, restored, at the same time print gradually appeared on all the pagers. The method used was the same as that described abewe, but the trick was dene with a paper and a normal one. focal amep™ le py mer ame caso egos ha newspaper were glued bo blank portions that the