The Ponzo Illusion "Throw-Away Card"

Ad from the Sphinx, 1909

In a separate post, I wrote about the "Phantom Base Ball" illusion card offered to readers by the M. Lewis Company in the Sphinx in 1908.   About a year later, M. Lewis Company sprang for a second display ad in the Sphinx, offering "Magicians' Throw-Away Cards."  That itself is interesting, as the term "Throw-Away Card" adds to the list of monikers applied to throw-out cards, scaling cards, throwing cards. etc.   This ad featured a more cerebral optical illusion which requires the viewer to make an observation and then "verify its correctness by measurement."  Also, this card was cheaper, advertised as the "Biggest Bargain ever offered," sold for $1 per thousand, one-third the price of M. Lewis's earlier offering.

The illusion featured is a very early variant of the famed "Ponzo Illusion," an optical illusion created by Italian psychologist and artist Mario Ponzo (1882-1960). Interestingly, the first published example of this illusion is generally cited as 1911, two years after this ad appeared.

Given that this ad, based on my research, only ran a single time, my chances of finding a card with this particular back were as scant as finding the "Phantom Base Ball" card.  Once again, I had underestimated the power of the most important magicians' throwing card blog in the known universe. And, just like with the "Phantom Base Ball" card, co-contributor Gary Frank came to the rescue again.  Searching his extensive holdings, Gary managed to conjure up this fabulous exemplar issued  on behalf of A. Coke Cecil:

Though Gary Frank has done so elsewhere, I had not researched the career of A. Coke Cecil, "Entertainer DeLuxe," as there seemed little need to, since he provided his entire biography on the back of this throw-away card.  His day job, impressively enough, was as a licensed pharmacist, operating Cecil's Drug Stores in High Point, North Carolina.  He liked to travel, and performed as a magician, ventriloquist and hypnotist, offering shows for school, churches, clubs, banquets and lodges.  

And we know one other thing: A. Coke Cecil was one of few magicians -- and it seemed possibly the only magician -- to order Ponzi Illusion back cards from The M. Lewis Company.   

But wait -- faster than you can say "Abracadabra," our friend Jay Hunter weighed in with two additional Ponzi illusion cards from his collection:

 One is for the performing duo of Chester & Walters, the second photographic card showcases Walter "W.C." Jeans.    The duo appears to have included George R. Chester, a Philadelphia-area magician and ventriloquist.  Walter Cerretta Jeans (1877-1942), born Walter Janes in Birmingham, England, was a noted magic inventor famed for creating the "Mirror Tunnel" principle.  Houdini hailed Jeans as"the greatest unknown man I have ever met."  He is sometimes credited as the inventor of the color changing knife.  Will Goldston devoted a chapter to him in his famed locked book of magic, while Peter Warlock wrote an entire biography of Jeans.  

A. Coke Cecil

Interesting illusion back design. Leave it to Coke to select something different.

Alphius and Chloina Cecil had a son named Coke Amos Cecil and he was born in 1897. Throughout Coke’s life was filled with magic. He moved to High Point, North Carolina shortly after his father passed away in 1917. He and his wife, Louise were settling down in the house on Rockford Road enjoying their first few years of marriage. Coke opened Cecil’s Drug Store in 1925 and at the same time, he was performing his show at schools, churches, clubs, and fraternity clubs. In 1930, when the census was being taken and Coke changed his name on the census to A. Coke Cecil and that was what he used the rest of his life.

Coke Cecil constructed a theater in his home basement, complete with curtain and stage, with a seating capacity of fifty. In 1946 began the Cecil's Office Equipment Company as owner-manager. He served in sev­eral offices in magic affairs and was well known throughout the area for his performances for charity. It was said he had a great Medicine show vent routine that was a showstopper. He also was interested in the MAES conven­tions, and attended a number of the International Brotherhood of Magicians' conventions. He was on the advisory and show com­mittee of the Southeastern Magicians Convention. Also, he was IBM Territorial Vice President for North Carolina and was well known throughout the area for his performances for charity. He was IBM Member 4879 and a member of Ring 144 Greensboro, NC. At the Davenport, Iowa Convention in 1940, there was a new trophy A. Cecil Coke Trophy being presented for performers (excluding dealers and professionals) who earned most of their living from magic. The first winner of the trophy for best presentation was Robert Parrish.

On his was way home, Coke was returning from Helfin, Alabama with his assistant Barbara Belesky when a car hit Coke’s panel van on June 1, 1958. The other driver and Belesky survived. Unfortunately, Coke did not. He was gen­tleman, magician and friend.