Eli Hackman – Spinning Disk, Punch & Judy, and the Sure Shot Dice Box

Judge Brown wrote a very fine article concerning the Spinning Disk Illusion and its application on several throw-out cards. This is a story about another performer who used this illusion in his advertising.

 

From the Billboard for August 6, 1927.

 

Eli Hackman’s throw-out card is the right size, but it is more of an advertising card, with the Spinning Disk Illusion on the front, and stating that he “can be engaged for ENTERTAINMENTS. Children’s Parties a Specialty” There are small images of a rabbit, a Punch figure, and others pertaining to his various talents. His address is at the bottom, and on the blank back, Hackman has rubber stamped his name and address as well as the fact that he was a Magician, Ventriloquist, and Punch & Judy Entertainer.

Ralph Eli Hackman was born on June 27, 1872 in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The Sphinx in September of 1926 had a nice little write-up on Hackman. His father owned a coach and carriage factory and young Eli would make things in the factory in his spare time. He had a great interest in Punch and Judy and so made a set of puppets in the woodworking and paint departments. He also made his first ventriloquist figure there.

From The Sphinx for September 15, 1926.

Of course magic was also an interest, and as a youth, Eli would give shows consisting of “eating tallow candles, passé passé bottle, card tricks, etc.” He charged one penny as admission. As an adult, Hackman was mentioned in the magic journals of the time. He was even a past President of Assembly No. 4 of the Philadelphia Society of American Magicians.

Punch and Judy however, seemed to be what he was most known for. It is claimed that he was one of the first people to perform Punch and Judy on the radio. In a Billboard story for January 1, 1927 they had this written about him:

From the Billboard for January 1, 1927.

There was one other thing that Eli Hackman was known for, and it really took me by surprise when I read it. Sam Dalal in the magic magazine Abracadabra stated it like this; “It was the year 1920. A man by the name of Eli Hackman threw a bombshell into the Magic World in the form of the Sure Shot Dice Box. It was a great effect . . . all the dealers plagiarized the item and every magician had one on his shelf”. This trick was sold for decades, and probably still is to this day. Here was an ad describing it from the 1950’s.

The reason this revelation took me by surprise is because this trick was one of the first tricks I purchased over 45 years ago, when I was about 12 years of age. It really is a cool trick! Plus I still have it! Here it is.

I am sure many magicians have purchased and performed this trick over the years without ever knowing who Eli Hackman was. I am glad that we can recognize him now, even for a short time, here on Propelled Pasteboards.

Ralph Eli Hackman passed away on November 25, 1962 in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania at the age of 90. He was buried in his hometown of Carlisle, Pennsylvania.