Felicitation!
And Voilà! A brand new crossword with a magical reveal
Puzzlers and magickers!
In this newsletter:
Puzzle Hunt Playing Cards: the perfect gift for any puzzler
Magician Arthur Lloyd - “The Human Card Index”
Holiday cards from Mandrake the Magician
A brand new crossword! Voilà!
Puzzle Hunt Playing Cards
‘Tis the season for shameless plugs! I thought I’d post this one more time in case you’re in need of last-minute stocking stuffers. If you have a magic- and puzzle-lover in your life, these cards are perfect for the holidays.
Enigmas: Puzzle Hunt Playing Cards. Included within this unique deck are four very special puzzle cards. Solve them all to unlock an online Puzzle Hunt! Available here.
Arthur Lloyd - “The Human Card Index”
I’ve always loved Arthur Lloyd because his act was right at the intersection of magic and puzzles. Lloyd’s “Human Card Index” routine exemplified an extreme amount of preparation and memorization.
Lloyd was born in 1891 in Medford, Massachusetts. After spending his youth in London, he was performing on the American stage by 1917. Lloyd could turn water into wine, make a broken plate whole, or make a live duck appear inside a previously empty pan. But his specialty was a trick that no one else to this day has matched—or ever fully figured out.
By 1925, Lloyd was challenging his audiences to “name a card, any card.” He wore a university gown (of the cap-and-gown variety) that was lined with dozens of pockets, each one loaded with a selection of business cards, calling cards, playing or bingo cards, membership or menu cards, and more. In fact, Lloyd could produce virtually anything on paper that his audience called for, from lottery and meal tickets to marriage licenses, memos to claim checks, divorce papers to war bonds, ration coupons to bank books, boxing licenses to playbills. So frequently did someone yell out “shirt card,” that Lloyd was prepared for this as well. As a climax to the routine, Lloyd would unbutton his shirt and produce a large piece of shirt cardboard.
Here’s a photo of some of Lloyd’s materials, as catalogued by Potter & Potter Auctions. Some lucky chap bought these pieces of history in 2019.
In 1936, Ripley’s Believe It or Not announced that his fully loaded gown weighed 45 pounds and concealed 15,000 items. Somehow, Lloyd almost always had the very card requested, and he knew precisely where to reach for it. On the extremely rare occasions when he couldn’t meet a challenge, he’d jot down the particulars and make sure to pocket it before he returned for his next engagement in that city.
Here’s a lovely write-up of Lloyd’s act and profession in the Portland Oregonian in 1921. (Hat tip to Redditor RobMagus for finding this). In the article, Lloyd recounts the genesis of his famous act:
Tongue Slip Spoils the Act
One night in announcing his trick the magician by a slip of the tongue said that he would produce “any card at all.” Some one asked for a postal card and in the ensuing laughter at the actor’s discomfiture, the act “flopped.”
All that night Lloyd lay awake thinking over the incident. In the morning he went out and secured about 50 different cards. At the next performance 30 of these were called for, and he instantly produced 25 of them without a mistake. That was the start of a collection which is now 8000 strong and growing daily.
I just love this. What a great example of turning a mistake and bit of embarrassment into a triumph. The Human Card Index was an act that Lloyd performed for thirty years in Vaudeville. After being one of the first magicians to perform on a cruise ship, Lloyd spent the latter part of his career as the Director of Entertainment on Furness Cruise Lines.
Felicitation from Mandrake the Magician
Mandrake the Magician was a syndicated comic strip created by Lee Falk in 1934. I think I’ll have to do an entire newsletter on him soon. Until then, enjoy these holiday cards I found. Felicitations!
New crossword! Voilà!
Another brand new crossword for you to solve. Play it now. Let me know in the comments below [without a spoiler] if you’ve worked out the bonus answer!
Events
Interested in booking me for your next event? More info here on private parties, corporate speaking & performances and team-building puzzle hunts.
Upcoming Shows
After a sold out run at The Kennedy Center, The Enigmatist next moves to Chicago Shakespeare Theater on Navy Pier in May 2024. The Windy City, get ready for the puzzle party! More info here.
As always, a delightful puzzle, David! Loved the bonus answer!
Came across this site courtesy of a friend after I gushed to them about my love of puzzles (in particular my excitement over the NYT Super-Mega releasing tomorrow). Always a treat to solve your enigmas, David! I'm trying to come up with a punny way to indicate that I've solved the secret answer, but that's a delicate art, isn't it? Season's greetings!