Ribbon Fantastique by Ed Massey

I was twelve years old when I first saw this effect demonstrated at Ron MacMillan’s International Unique Magic Studio on Leather Lane in London. Along with seeing Eddie Gibson’s Coin Unique for the first time this visit to Ron’s studio on my birthday remains with me because I had never seen such amazing magic before.; These tricks were truly unbelievable to my young mind. Over the years I have seen many versions of Ribbon Fantastique and it continues to amaze me how simple it is to accomplish something so clean and surprising. The phrase “it’s a fooler” does not even get close to how wonderful this effect is. Invented by the genius Ed Massey c. 1945, it remains to this day one of his most effective creations.

Effect: An Amazing New Principle Accomplishes This Greatest Of All Ribbon Escapes!

A beautiful frame is composed of two uprights and a cross-piece midway in the frame. The frame stands upright on a base. There are a series of holes in the cross-piece. A sheet of trans- parent plastic is shown to have holes midway in it so that when the plastic sheet is placed in the frame the holes in the plastic and the frame line up.

A length of ribbon is then threaded back and forth through cross-piece and sheet, binding both together. Nevertheless, with the ends of the ribbon held by spectators the magician pulls the transparent sheet clear of the ribbon and frame though the ribbon is still securely threaded through the cross-piece of the frame.

• No set-up or complicated mechanism to get out of order.
• Easy to do.
• Nothing added or taken away.
• Astounding in effect.

The frame is 5″ x 5″, finished in brilliant Chinese red with the cross-piece of a rich black plastic.

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