Repository

What follows is an alphabetized list of major illusions and effects. The list includes PUBLIC DOMAIN, LICENSED, and PROTECTED illusions. Please review our DEFINITIONS page for more detail on the differences between these categories.

DISCLAIMER: The Illusion Repository assumes no risk or responsibility for the information listed here nor for your purchases or builds and provides this list as a professional courtesy.

If you are truly interested in purchasing one of the “protected” illusions, please call your favorite builder and see if they are authorized to build the illusion. Oftentimes a builder may simply pay a fee to the designer for the right to build a single unit (a one–off). In that case, the builder may not be listed, but would still be authorized by the designer to build the illusion as a one-off.

The other way to purchase an illusion from this list would be to directly contact the designer. Often the designer can recommend a preferred builder. (e.g. Jim Steinmeyer prefers that clients contact him directly.)

In some cases the illusions listed here are NOT available for purchase or performance. Some have been exclusively licensed to individual performers and are not available to the public. So when in doubt, CONTACT THE DESIGNER! And don’t worry – most designers (including the “big names”) are more than happy to help – it’s their job!

Doll House
Illusion Name
Designer
Frederick Culpitt
Illusion Main Category
Short Description

Magician constructs a "house" in front of the audience and produces an assistant at the end.

Double Boxes
Illusion Name
Designer
The Great Leon
Illusion Main Category
Short Description

An assistant magically appears from the center of empty boxes.

Double Spike Tower Escape
Designer
Michael Grandinetti
Illusion Main Category
Short Description

The magician escapes a platform before being impaled by fiery spikes.

Website for More Info and/or Purchasing
Elastic Girl (aka Stretching a Girl)
Designer
P.T. Selbit
Illusion Main Category
Short Description

An assistant enters a cabinet and her arms, legs, and head are impossibly stretched apart.

Illusion Name
Designer
Robert Harbin
Illusion Main Category
Short Description

The magician to takes a box with 13 protruding rods and stabs them through the front of assistant who is held upright by means of a set of stocks. The rods are shown extending from the back of the stocks.

Fire and Water
Illusion Name
Designer
The Great Leon
Illusion Main Category
Short Description

An assistant is set on fire atop a small table. She vanishes and reappears inside a tank of water raised off the ground.

Flip Switch
Illusion Name
Designer
Brian Daniel
Illusion Main Category
Short Description

Flip Switch is a transposition effect of a magician and assistant.

Website for More Info and/or Purchasing
Designer
Guy Jarrett
Illusion Main Category
Short Description

The magician vanishes inside a cabinet containing a mirror and an "old time girl" appears in his place.

Hammer Spiker
Illusion Name
Designer
Franz Harary
Illusion Main Category
Short Description

An audience member is placed in a box and the box is slammed on top of a spiked platform. The audience member is then shown to have vanished from inside the box.

Website for More Info and/or Purchasing
Harary’s Car Appearance
Designer
Franz Harary
Illusion Main Category
Short Description

The magician places a toy car on stage. The toy car then magically transforms into a real car.

Website for More Info and/or Purchasing