R.W. Hull: Crooksville, The Tuned Deck and the Essential Nature of Being

R.W. Hull Green Ace Playing Card - this is actually
the back design of a full deck of cards.

The most amazing benefit of working on this blog comes from the astonishing things you learn while developing the history of a small piece of cardstock.  The human elements make these historical detours so very interesting. Today's subject, Ralph W. Hull, is a case in point. Printed in green ink, this throwing card sports a groovy elf conjuring up a profusion of cards.  And while it appears to be the face of an ace of spades, the green side is actually a back design of an entire deck of cards.  The reverse of this marvelous specimen features a handsome Ace of Spades by the Russell Playing Card Company. Gary and Tom both found another, printed in red, with a playing card back, seen below.  In the red deck, it seems that the ace of spades design is a single card from a deck, rather than the back design.


Delving into Hull's history, I found a rich biographical record: Ask Alexander produced nearly 1,000 references in magic books and periodicals, and the Internet revealed still more.  There is far too much material for a detailed biography, so a few highlights will have to do:

Senator Clarke Crandall

Clarke Crandall was born on April 23, 1907. In 1947, Clarke participated in the Society of American Magicians convention in Chicago. This was one of the first times audiences had the opportunity to enjoy his dead-pan expressions, droll patter, comic thoughts, and his whole act fit nicely in his banjo case (oh, there was no banjo). At one point of his life while he was living in Chicago, he was working as a stock hand possibly as a buyer of cattle. It was said magician Johnny Paul approached Clarke in the 1950’s and offered Clarke a job as a bartender/entertainer.