P.T.Selbit performs "Sawing through a woman"
Did you know that this year we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the “Sawing a Woman in Half”?
Well, "celebrate" may sound a little exaggerated, but it is pretty cool that some popular media (Reuters or The Guardian) paid attention to this fact this year.
This illusion was first performed in January 1921 by an English magician P.T.Selbit (who invented a lot of other cool illusions, e.g. "The Mighty Cheese") and soon was copied by an American performer Horace Goldin. Goldin did everything that he could to make sure the in the US he was known as the originator of this trick.
Selbit's original version was done with a regular (ungimmicked) wooden box, which I think is pretty cool. This illusion fit well in the trend of "naturalistic horror": audiences of the time loved performances that involved violence, blood and gore (google "Le Théâtre du Grand-Guignol" for another example of this trend). Fun fact: there were ambulances waiting near the theatre (if the saw slips) and Selbit's assistants took buckets with fake blood out of the theatre after each show and poured it into the gutter.
Introducing a woman as a passive victim (which was also quite a new idea) added a controversial element (it was the time of women actively fighting for their rights) + created the image of a "pretty&sexy female assistant" which became one of the key elements of magic shows in the XX century.
This trick became extremely popular and soon was associated with magic. Here is an ad by Camel cigarettes using it in their ad campaign in 1933.
And here are some links for you to enjoy different versions of "The Sawing"
The original Selbit's version - recreated by the great Paul Daniels
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceFtQw8Vr4I&t=1s
Harry Blackstone, "The Buzz Saw" - this one was created by Horace Goldin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUOgOROGd2k
Doug Henning and his "Double Sawing" - a variation on the classics
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ns-NoqwJ5wQ&t=230s
Penn & Teller Sawing - well, it's Penn and Teller :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNsGGTt9CTs
David Copperfield - Death Saw - I think this is one of the greatest versions ever performed because in this act everything makes sense and there is an actual story (unlike in many other versions which are just about a magician showing his cool magic box)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SefD84fbEE&t=2s
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