Hole In One by Abbott’s

One of my favorite Jack Hughes items is Penetra-Spheres that was invented c. 1937 shortly after Jack invented his tray version of Coins In Glass. Penetra-spheres was licensed by Abbott’s for sale in the USA and was sold for the first time in c. 1947 under the name Hole in One which is the name most people know this effect today.

The apparatus consists of a tray approximately 8 x 16 inches, one-half inch thick, with a round wood rail as illustrated, one small ordinary glass and one large glass, and six 1%” balls, colored Red, Green, White, Blue, Yellow and Black.

Effect: Tray, balls and glasses are show, one colored ball selected by a spectator (no force) and the ball may be marked. The small glass is covered with the inverted large glass. This positively seals the small glass, making it impossible for anything to enter the glass without the knowledge of spectators. The different colored balls are placed around the glasses as in illustration. Magician holds the tray between both hands and spectator is requested to drape a large hank or fancy cloth over the tray. He no sooner does this than the tray is handed to him.

Magician explains that he will show how to make a hole in one. “What colored ball did you select? Red? Alright, I will extract that colored ball from the covered tray invisibly, and then throw the ball invisibly through the cloth and large glass tumbler into the small glass. (Actions suit these words and then the cloth is grabbed away.) There you are! The colored ball you selected is now in the small glass! Let’s try it again and, believe it or not, this extraordinary trick can be repeated at once.

The working action is remarkable and mechanically perfect. Easy to do, yet one of the most confounding tricks ever invented.

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