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Hi everyone,

I am currently living in an old house and my landlord collects antiques and things. He found something in a drawer and, knowing that I'm interested in magic, asked me if I knew what it was. It's basically a paper wallet, which is made to look on the outside like leather. When you open it up, it is like a sheet of paper with 9 folded squares. Around the outside are pictures of the ace of spades, the jack of clubs, the king of hearts and the queen of diamonds. In the middle, behind a glass cover and surrounded by a gold border, is the four of spades. However, when you turn the wallet round and open it, it again unfolds into a sheet of paper with 9 folded squares, but this time around the sides are the two of hearts, the three of clubs, the four of spades, the five of diamonds and in the middle surrounded by a gold border is the queen of diamonds. You can also unfold one of the outside flaps so only one of the cards on each side are visible - the jack of clubs on one side, and the two of hearts on the other.

Any ideas what this might be used for? It seems to be a trick, although it could possible be a card game. There seems to be a connection in that the cards on either side form a straight with a remainder card. My landlord thinks it's probably from the early 20th century (1910s - 1920s). Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks very much,

cc100

From the description it sounds like a fancy version of one of the old carnival wallets which was the inspiration for the Himber wallet. Maybe it is some kind of prediction using the cards in the gold frames as two outs.

this turns up on ebay now and again. It is a conjuring effect. It was often included in magic sets from the late 20s.
I believe it is still made .
the card in the window section can be changed, depending on how the paper is folded.

Ah ok thanks Dale, so how does it work then?

I first came across this trick in Paul Clive's Magic Shop--Blackpool-in the late 40's early 50's. But whether it was in the big shop on the North Pier, the other shop on Central Drive or in his round shaped booth on central Pier( where he permanently demmed magic) I do not know.

It all had to do with the way the 'folder' was refolded. That is as far as my memory goes.

However in one of the Ellisdon catalogues there is a version at 1 shilling & sixpence plus post & package 4 d----
which uses only 4 miniature cards on a 'magic carpet' i.e a piece of thick paper, possibly a sort of lino paper.

it was entitled-- 'The Folding Card Frame'.

I felt sure I had also seen it in a an old Davenports catalogue--in one of those advertising squares, 10 squares to a page.
BUT I cannot fiond it in any of the old Davenports' catalogues I have

Allen Tipton

For anyone at all interested in this post, I've been informed that it is what is known as a 'Buddha Paper' and apparently first appeared in Reginald Scott's Discoverie of Witchcraft (unfortunately I don't think the actual paper I've got dates back to the 16th century though )

It is definitely NOT the Buddha Papers trick.
That (& it is still on the market) I first bought from Ellisdons in 1944--our local Woolworths.
And 2 months ago--I bought the version available for my son in Portugal.

The Buddha Paper Mystery-- consists of a large folded piece of paper. Unfolded you find another folded paper--then a third,(occasionally there were 4 folded papers)Into the last paper you placed a coin, a card a small photo or anything that will fit.
All papers are refolded.
Opened again--the article has vanish or changed to something else.

Ellisdon called it..'The Great Folding Paper Mystery(1 shilling-5p) In another catalogue it is called 'The Great Eastern Folding Paper Mystery'.(25p)
Currently--with good strong colourful papers it is around £3-50p

Still, in the right circumstances--a great switching device.

My oldest friend in Magic, Leslie Melville, uses it in his book, Magitales-- as 'Merlin's Purse' in his effect--'Arthur's Quest For The Dragon Gold'.
And gives measurements & directions for making it.

The Discoverie Of Witchcraft version is the first item in Chapter XXV1--page 187 in my copy. It uses 2 folds of paper.

Thank you cc100 for that reference--I had never noticed the 'To transforme anie one small thing into anie other forme by folding of paper'.

Allen Tipton

Oh right thanks for the correction there Allen, I think the person who told might have got them muddled up.

If anyone has a copy of Self working paper magic by Karl Fulves. Take a look at page 88. It's trick 49 "The Budda Papers."
The description by CC100 is

"When you open it up, it is like a sheet of paper with 9 folded squares.....However, when you turn the wallet round and open it, it again unfolds into a sheet of paper with 9 folded squares.

I will not quote Karl Fulves material..But can anyone see any differences between what Karl Fulves describes & C100's description?

Hi daxi, I think they are completely different things. If you type in buddha papers in google and click on a site selling them, you can see that they are 3 sheets of paper (a big one, a middle one and a smaller one) which you wrap objects in to make them vanish. I'm pretty sure that Allen is right in saying that what I'm referring to is called 'The Folding Card Frame'. Someone told me it was a buddha paper, but I have been told that buddha papers and the thing I'm talking about are different.

Yes cc100 --you are absolutely right---The Buddha Paper Mystery is NOTHING like the trick with the small cards cards and the glass frame in the centre.

Allen Tipton

Just found a copy, on the bookshelves of Paul Clive's catalogue from his London base.

The trick was called 'Framing The Card', page 47 and cost then, 3d..that is for the young guys 3 pennies. It still, like the Ellisdons though onky has 4 cards on the folding paper
Allen Tipton