Karl or Carl? A Guest Post by Jay Hunter

Introductory Note: We're very happy to bring you this guest post authored by Jay Hunter, whose scholarly contributions were recognized on the Roterberg Stock Card post.  Jay is a noted magic collector who has invested a great deal of time and energy into assembling and curating an amazing collection.  His thoughtful contribution follows. - Judge Brown


This post features two throw-out cards for magician Howard Karl. Both cards took advantage of what appears to be a way to get your card made and to have someone else pay for it!  One card is on an early Bicycle red Cupid back and is part of the U.S. Playing Card Company promotion discussed elsewhere on this site.  The other card is an ad for Pluto Water, and the Bamberg Magic and Novelty Co. which Judge Brown has written about in his Triple-Promotion post.

E.J. Moore Welcomes You to Propelled Pasteboards!

Early Moore poster

E.J. Moore (1881-1957) (born Ernest Joseph Limberger), was a noted vaudeville performer and magic inventor, best known for his creation of the Link-King Ropes. According to this dramatic throwing card, "Moore, The Man with the Mysterious Hands," performed in the 1902-03 seasons of the Chicago Stock Company. Note the fantastic photographic special effect. Most likely, Moore had read Hopkins book on stage illusions, which detailed many similar photographic illusions. The reverse of this card, which appears to contain additional information, was badly damage from being removed from a scrapbook.

Remarkably, the second card from this performer's career shown here was produced 40 years later. This throwing card advertises Water-Go!, an effect invented by Moore. Read the fine print on the card -- the effect sold for one dollar, and each package was signed by the inventor as a safeguard against reportedly rampant piracy. The illustration on the card bears a credit -- it was drawn by Sir Felix Korim (a/k/a Brewerton Clarke) -- and depicts a performance of Water-Go! at the 1941 S.A.M. convention in Providence, RI. The card has a vintage Bicycle Lotus back design.

A red Bicycle Lotus Back

In May, 1941, Linking Ring carried the following review of Water-Go:

"A trick by E. J. Moore, and a clever one. Liquid from a glass is actually poured into your closed fist,and the hand instantly opened and shown empty. The misdirection is perfect, and the apparatus is never suspected. Fine close-up trick."

That review was penned by John Braun, who knew a thing or two about fine tricks.  According to one report, Moore pioneered the use of magnetic gimmicks in rope magic, both in the Link-King Ropes and the Instanto Rope tricks. These two effects sold more than 25,000 units.