Sources page probability recreations

Prob. 32, pp. 435 436 & fig. 38, plate 12 (14). This has a sliding slit leather tab.

Prob. 39, p. 439 & fig. 46, plate 14 (16). This is based on trick stitching, a concealed running stitch.

Prob. 42, pp. 440 441 & fig. 49, plate 15 (17). This is like the van Etten example.

Alberti. 1747.

Art 32, pp. 206-207 (109) & fig. 39, plate XI, opp. p. 211 (109). Taken from Ozanam, prob. 32.

Art. 39, pp. 212-213 (111 112) & fig. 47, plate XIII, opp. p. 214 (111). Based on trick stitching, taken from Ozanam, prob. 39.

Art. 42, pp. 215 217 (112 113) and fig. 50, plate XIIII, opp. p. 218 (112). Taken from Ozanam, prob. 52.

Catel. Kunst-Cabinet. 1790.

Die Jägertasche, p. 21 & fig. 35 on plate II. Like Ozanam, prob. 42.

Die Vexierbörse, p. 21 & fig. 22 on plate I. Apparently a trick stitch as in Ozanam, prob. 39.

Bestelmeier. 1801. Item 387: Ein Zauberbeutel. Copies Catel's Jägertasche. Like Ozanam, prob. 42.

Child. Girl's Own Book. 1833: 219-220; 1839: 198-199; 1842: 316. The miser's purse, apparently a trick stitch as in Ozanam, prob. 39 ??

Crambrook. 1843. P. 3. The Miser's Purse; The Ring Purse. These might be trick items??

The Sociable. 1858. Prob. 15: Puzzle purse, pp. 291 & 307. Like Ozanam, 1725, prob. 52 but with a second similar locking mechanism. = Book of 500 Puzzles, 1859, prob. 15, pp. 9 & 25. = The Secret Out, 1859, pp. 372-373: The Magic Purse.

The Illustrated Boy's Own Treasury. 1860. Practical Puzzles, No. 44: Puzzle purse, pp. 403 & 442 443. Identical to The Sociable.

Peck & Snyder. 1886.

P. 246: No. 161 -- A magical "pouch".

P. 247: No. 168 -- Grandfather's purse.

Both are shown in Slocum's Compendium.

Hoffmann. 1893. Chap. II, no. 42: Puzzle purse, pp. 43 & 68 = Hoffmann-Hordern, p. 54. This is Ozanam's prob. 32 and finally made it clear to me how it worked.

Burnett Fallow. How to make the "B.O.P." puzzle purse. The Boy's Own Paper 16 (No. 771) (21 Oct 1893) 43-45. As in Ozanam's no. 32.

Jaques puzzle boxes of c1900 included The Secret Purse, based on the trick stitching of Ozanam prob. 39.

Will Goldston. Tricks & Illusions for amateur and professional conjurers. Routledge & Dutton, 9th ed (revised), nd [1920s?], pp. 136-137. Uses the trick stitching of Ozanam prob. 39 to make a sack large enough to hold a person, who easily escapes from it behind a screen and then tightens up the stitching before coming out.

Davenport's catalogue, op. cit. in 10.T, c1940, p. 3. Tantalizing pants. They are based on a trick stitch like Ozanam prob. 39. Described as the very latest novelty. Remnants of this stock, made in Japan, are still available from Davenport's as Puzzle pants.

In 1996, Harriet Hall gave me an example of Ozanam's prob. 32, made from deerskin, labelled: Genuine Indian Handicraft Native Renaissance II Deseronto, Ontario Made in Canada. She obtained it from Puzzletts in Seattle.

11.H. REMOVING WAISTCOAT WITHOUT REMOVING COAT
Philip Breslaw (attrib.). Breslaw's Last Legacy. 1784? Op. cit. in 6.AF. 1795: 128-129: 'To pull off any Person's Shirt, without undressing him, or having Occasion for a Confederate.'

Manuel des Sorciers. 1825. Pp. 132-133, art. 9: Enlever la chemise à quelqu'un sans le déshabiller.

The Boy's Own Book. 1828: 362. To pull off a person's shirt without undressing him.

Magician's Own Book (UK version). 1871. To take a man's vest off without removing his coat, pp. 239-240. The fact that this English book uses the American term 'vest' makes me suspect this is taken from a US source.

Cassell's. 1881. P. 95: To take a man's waistcoat off without removing his coat. = Manson, 1911, pp. 148-149: Waistcoat puzzle.

Anonymous. Social Entertainer and Tricks (thus on spine, but running title inside is New Book of Tricks). Apparently a compilation with advertisements for Johnson Smith (Detroit, Michigan) products, c1890? P. 78: How to remove a man's shirt without taking off his coat or vest.

H. D. Northrop. Popular Pastimes. 1901. No. 20: The vest puzzle, pp. 69 & 74-75. "How can you take a man's vest off with out removing his coat?" Solution is = Cassell's.

Devant. Tricks for Everyone. Op. cit. in 4.A.1. 1910. The waistcoat trick, pp. 106-109.

Hugh Shaw. The Helping Hand: How to take a man's waistcoat off without removing his coat. Hobbies 32 (No. 821) (8 Jul 1911) 303.

Games and Tricks -- to make the Party "Go". Supplement to "Pearson's Weekly", Nov. 7th, no  year indicated [1930s??]. Removing a waistcoat without the coat, p. 7.

Foulsham's New Party Book. Foulsham, London, nd [1950s?]. P. 49: Removing a boy's waistcoat without taking off his coat.

Alfred C. Gilbert. Gilbert Knots and Splices with Rope-Tying Tricks Explains methods of knot tying and reveals rope tricks made famous by great artists. A. C. Gilbert Co, New Haven, Connecticut, 1920, pp. 79-82. Turning vest inside out without removing coat and with the wrists securely tied.

Gardner. MM&M. 1956.

Reversing the vest, pp. 86-87. Reverse a waistcoat (= vest) while the wearer has his hands clasped, whether he is wearing a coat or not. In theory, you don't even need to unbutton the waistcoat. Cf Gilbert, 1920.

Removing the vest, p. 87. Remove a waistcoat without removing the coat.

11.H.1. REMOVING LOOP FROM ARM
Family Friend 3 (1850) 341 & 351. Practical puzzle. No. XXII. Loop around arm with hand in waist coat pocket. Remove the loop without moving the hand. Posed in verse. = Magician's Own Book, 1857, prob. 4: The endless string, pp. 267 & 292. = Book of 500 Puzzles, 1859, pp. 81 & 106. = Boy's Own Conjuring Book, 1860, prob. 5, pp. 229 & 255, but this has a different picture. = Illustrated Boy's Own Treasury, 1860, no. 20, pp. 399 & 438, with slightly abbreviated answer.

Magician's Own Book (UK version). 1871. The string without an end, pp. 204-205. Only shows a loop of string and the problem is a bit unclearly set. Solution is similar to Family Friend.

J. F. Orrin. Easy Magic for Evening Parties. Op. cit. in 7.Q.2. 1930s?? Another magic release (no. 4), pp. 30-31.

McKay. Party Night. 1940. Removing the string, pp. 147-148. As in Family Friend. Notes that many people will fail to do it because they put their hand in their trousers pocket!

Gardner. MM&M. 1956. The puzzling loop, p. 86 & fig. 41 on p. 90. Coat off, loop around arm with hand in waistcoat pocket. Loop must be big enough to pass round his chest.
11.I. HEART AND BALL PUZZLE AND OTHER LOOP PUZZLES
The ALLIANCE or VICTORIA puzzle has two boards, each with two holes, and a length of string with a largish loop at each end. To disentangle, a loop has to be worked along the string and taken around the entire board at the other end (or, equivalently, around the first board). One can also use a large single loop of string. There are also versions with three holes in each board. One can also have one board with the free ends of the string tied to something else. See most entries below.
The HEART AND BALL puzzle has a heart-shaped piece with several holes in it and a loop of string which goes through the holes and then loops around itself. The other end of the loop has a ball on both strings of the loop and a large knot to prevent it coming free. One has to work the first end of the loop along the string until it comes out along the free end of the loop when it can be passed around the free end and worked back to release the entire string and hence the ball. A simple version of this has just three holes in a straight line on a board and is often sold with the Alliance puzzle.

SEE: Boy's Own Book; Nuts to Crack; Crambrook; Family Friend, 1850; Illustrated Boy's Own Treasury; Magician's Own Book (UK); Hoffmann; Benson; Slocum; Collins;

The BOARD AND BALL puzzle has two holes in a board. A string goes through both holes, crosses itself and then each end comes back through its hole and is terminated with a bead and a knot. A largish bead is located on one of the loops through the holes. To remove, this loop is put through the other hole and passed over the end and brought back, which allows everything to come apart. The alternate approach to the Solomon's Seal described at 11.D is a variant of this approach.

SEE: Family Friend, 1858; Secret Out; Illustrated Boy's Own Treasury; Magician's Own Book (UK); Anon: Social ...;

The CHINESE LADDER has several crossbars with holes and a long string winding through the holes and through intermediate discs, with a needle attached to the end of the string. One threads the needle back through all the holes, keeping the end of the loop from pulling through, then threads back through all the ladder holes, avoiding all the disc holes and again keeping the loop from pulling through. When completed, pulling the end causes all the discs to fall off, but the string is still in its original place on the ladder. Making another pass through the discs but not the holes has the effect that when you pull the string free, all the discs are on it.

SEE: Adams & Co.; Hoffmann; Benson; Slocum, Compendium, c1890; Williams; Collins.

Pacioli. De Viribus. c1500.