Just for curiosity, Who named the effect? Why this effect is called by that name?
Some history would be very interesting!
Thanks,
Hansel!

Hansel, I think the magicians that can answer those questions are long gone. It is now the 21st Century.

I did not get introduced in magic until the late 1950's, and if you look at the silk tricks an books, they go back to the 1940's.

So I would think it was called the this because it may have been created in the 20th Century (1900's).

If anyone knows of this name being available in the 1800's, please post, as this would mean, it was named as a trick 'ahead of its time'.

This country is really a very young country, if you would take into account, we only had a bicentennial celebration in 1976.

Vaudeville was in the 1920s, and I have never read of much of magic dating prior to this. Most of the magicians before this were European magicians.

A timeline would be very interesting, to see who was the 1st born American Magician that actually performed in America.

I believe you have posted you have the Rice's Silk Encyclopedias, they give original credit when known, do they have a name next to the 20th Century Silk title? This should give you some idea who is credited for the effect. I sold my copies years ago.

At the "Who Invented That Magic Trick" website
http://www.magictricks.com/library/invented.htm
Frank Ducrot is listed as the inventor of the 20th century silk effect.
I think Gary Darwin put out a monograph many years ago called "Who Invented That Trick?" I don't have my copy handy at the moment as a secondary source check.

Curiously, Hofzinser is listed as the inventor of "The Dancing Cane," but I remember Lewis Ganson wrote up a detailed history of the dancing cane and credits R.C. Buff as the inventor. Most researchers admonish us to be wary of credits verified by only one source. Another source worth checking would be _The Encyclopedic Dictionary of Magic_ by Barton Whaley.

----- Amado "Sonny" Narvaez

Frank Ducrot apparently introduced the trick in 1900 at the start of the twentieth century. I am guessing that's how the name originated.

He also seems to be the originator of the Blendo routine in 1909.

Check out Frank Ducrot in my "Brief Biographies of Magic Inventors." http://www.magicnook.com/forum/bioCDE.htm
Then scroll down to his name. There's an interesting link at the bottom for you to learn more.

Spellbinder,

Thanks for the link on your always impressive website and the link to the article.

John

LOL! I think this a classical example of a basic magic effect that gets renamed without any other change. (At least it is not another "pick a card" trick with a new name for the month.)

Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander

Bob I do agree that this might just seem like the typical classical example of a "renamed effect".

Yes this has been around longer than any of us on this earth.

Do names change? Yes.

Things DO get modified. Patter, directions and product. This of course doesn't require the name of something to change but it doesn't go without it happening on a effect that's over 100 years old!