During many years of use, the handkerchief effect known as the Twentieth Century has been a standard item on many programs. Credits for its origination belong to Frank Ducrot, who should be proud of the trick’s life. For the performer who can use a “carry-on” after presenting the mystery, or a variant from the original effect for repeat shows, I offer this practical idea.

A green silk is tied between two red ones and the string of three placed in a glass. On top of the tumbler is placed a square of plate glass, but most will prefer to use a saucer.

A square of newspaper is shown and formed into a cone which is placed on top of the saucer. At this point I usually use a small magnet instead of “woofle-dust”, claiming that the green silk has been made sensitive to its influence.

The paper cone is lifted and the green silk found in and under it on saucer. The dish is removed and the two loose silks shown, still knotted at their ends, however. And now for the unexpected climax: The two red silks which have been held apart and carelessly shown, suddenly creep together in an uncanny manner and are seen to seemingly tie themselves together. The performer drops one and shows the string of two apparently tied, remarking that they have absorbed some of the green silk’s magnetic qualities.

I personally use standard apparatus for this effect, finding it best and most practical in the long run for all types of shows. A mirror glass explains why the two red silks are found at the finish of the first part. The paper cone idea is Al Baker’s Al Producto, one of the most ingenious silk production methods in many years. However, I find you have to make the fake and cone somewhat more cylindrical, so you can snap a rubber band around to keep it from unrolling when placed on the saucer. A switch of rolled silks could be used instead of the mirror glass, and any silk production under a cup, cone, etc., could be used instead of that mentioned.

The silks mysteriously creeping toward each other makes a nice finish. To do this, take one of the red silks you discover at finish when green is missing and tie a black silk thread (about an inch less than the diagonal length of the silk) to one corner. Then knot the corner. Tie a small black button to the other end of the thread. Knot the end of the 2nd red silk around the thread so the hank will slide freely. This duplicate set is rolled so that the thread will not tangle when taken from the glass.

Take silks from glass and you can hold them as shown. Grasp the button with right fingers, and retain the button but reverse the silks from hand to hand. Now you’ll have a double length of thread running between hands. One end of this thread is tied, you will remember, to the silk now in right, and the silk in left will slide easily on the thread. By retaining the button, but letting the silk itself slide through the right fingers, you can cause this silk to creep in an uncanny manner, and horizontally, toward the other handkerchief. By letting the left silk slide a bit also, it will appear as if the two are creeping toward each other.

When the knots touch, release the left silk but keep hold of the silk in right hand and also the button. The two handkerchiefs are now hanging as if knotted together and can be carried off or put aside.

Using the regular Twentieth Century effect to start, an effective combination can be built. A flat wide lidded box is on the table holding the silks. The lid is open and conceals mirror glass on the table behind. In front half of glass is the bundle of three silks tied in string. In rear half are the two prepared silks for the climax of the second effect. Just behind the glass is the table well.

A duplicate of mirror glass without mirror is on the table. Take out the two red silks from the box, show and knot together, roll and place in the freely shown glass. Hold in right hand as left takes the green silk from the box. The right hand goes behind the lid, drops the glass into the well, picks up the mirror glass, knocks the lid down and the glass is placed on top of the box. The green silk is vanished and appears between the two reds taken from the front half of the glass. These are replaced in the glass which is turned half way ready for the second effect and climax.