Who Originated hat load ?
Max Malini was doing it. don't believe Vernon did it . Wonder if Pop Kreiger did it ?

Street Buskers did it in
England in early 1900s -Its mentioned in the Higgins & Cullpit 0S,Of a Street conjour

Does anyone have more info on exactly where it could have originated.

Appreciate any info.
Magic 123

First rabbit out of a hat>>>about 1725!

I'll dig up the story and write it up for you..

As busy as I am!!! Why am I doing this???

Don't ask!

Because you a Good Egg Mr. Oslund

Much appreciate any info on this , Thanks.

Magic123

I have a few minutes before I fade out for the night. This is from HUGARDS MONTHLY (long 'extinct' magazine) for December 1948, page 490.

TITLE: THE BIRTH OF A RABBIT
The following story of the origin of the familiar magician's trick, the rabbit from a hat is taken from the London Daily Mail of 2-7-48.

Some two hundred years ago.in 1726 to be exact. Mary Toft, the wife of Joshua Toft, a humble citizen of Guildford, England, came home with the strange tale that while coming through the woods that afternoon she had been assaulted by a huge white rabbit. Joshua pooh-poohed the tale as a mere hallucination but a few weeks later Mary had certain symptoms and the local physician,Dr. J. Howard was summoned.

Next day Dr. Howard told his friends that Mary Toft had been delivered of five little white rabbits and naturally this strange story spread rapidly throughout the neighborhood. Dr. Howard continued in attendance on Mary and he certified that, in all,she gave birth to twelve white rabbits.

News of the phenomenon reached London and two envoys from Court circles were sent to Guildford to investigate. They came, they saw Mary, they saw the doctor and they saw the white rabbits and they returned with the doctor's certificate that the strange birth had actually taken place.

The court physician, Sir Richard Maningham, however, was a skeptical man. Mary, meantime had given out that she was expecting more of the same, so Sir Richard had her taken to London and placed in a hospital under strict supervision. No more rabbits appeared and Mary, to the intense indignation of the populace, was put on trial as a common cheat. Sir Richard introduced evidence that Mary had tried to bribe the hospital attendants to smuggle a white rabbit to her and Mary broke down. She confessed that she had hood-winked Dr. Howard and her husband. It seems that she was tired of the hum-drum life whe was leading and yearned to stir up some excitement (Details of how whe worked the trick are lacking--they would be interesting).

In the meantime, a magician then performing in London, hit upon a brilliant idea. One morning Londoners found their city placarded with huge posters announcing a new illusion, "The Birth of a Rabbit." The pros and cons of Mary Toft's tale were still in full swing and the magician's announcement brought him a packed house.

At the appointed time in his progran, the magician referred satirically to the tale of Mary Toft and her rabbits, then he borrowed a hat (high hats were the fashion then), from one of the dignitaries present and placed it, crown downwards on a small, isolated table. With the usual mumbo-jumbo and magical passes, he brought out of the hat a magnificent white rabbit, all alive, kicking and squirming, to the huge delight of the onlookers. The trick was a success and he was rewarded with crowded houses.

Other magicians were quick to adopt the new trick and that is why, right down to the present time, the production of a rabbit from a hat is a sine qua non at any magical performance.
................................................................................
So, now,as Paul Harvey used to say, you know the rest of the story!

Good night~~~

Thanks for the story.

Who Originated hat load ? To Be MORE Specific The Mellon production

Max Malini was doing it. Don't believe Vernon did it . Wonder if Pop Kreiger did it ?

Street Buskers did it in England in early late 1800- 1900s -Its mentioned in the Higgins & Cullpit Secrets Of a Street conjour

Does anyone have more info on exactly where it could have originated Possiably as a gambling /ruse/ Bet at the local watering hole.

Appreciate any info.
Magic 123

Thanks Dick, what a basis for patter!!!

Occasionally bearable TV magicians Barry & Stuart covered the whole origin of the rabbit birth in their special "Dirty Tricks"; bringing out a nude model in order to perform the trick in its 'original' form, giving one member of the audience a view he will never forget while allowing the rest of us a rear view of one of most viewable rears I've viewed. Now that's good educational telly