Harries Passe Passe Bottles by Harries

I’m not sure if anyone knows who was the inventor of the Classic Effect Passe Passe bottle and glass effect, but it was already common by the time Professor Hoffman wrote Modern Magic in 1876. This is how the good Professor describes it on page 457:

The “Passe-Passe” Trick: The performer brings forward a bottle and a small tumbler, which he places side by side upon the table. Producing a couple of tin or pasteboard covers, ornamentally japanned, of a size to just go over the bottle, be places one of them over the bottle, and another over the glass. He now commands the two articles to change places, and on again removing the covers the glass and bottle are found to be transposed. Again he covers them, and again the change takes place; and this he repeats as often as he pleases, occasionally pouring out wine or other liquor, to show that the bottle is a genuine one, and not a mere make-believe.

Which is remarkably close to today’s performance given that this was written over 143 years ago – that is the definition of Classic Effect.

Effect: They nest very closely, are spun of high-quality material and look very much like glass. The tubes (3) are made of lightweight material and covered with blue velvet paper, decorated with gold rings. The tops of the tubes are closed. A small hole in the center allows you to show the tubes empty with bottle inside.

The three-page instructions are clearly written and have suggestions for patter. The smallest of the bottles has a liquid compartment with a release in the bottleneck to allow the filling of a glass hidden underneath. This allows you to pour liquid in a glass and have the full glass change places with the bottle.

The passe passe bottle, as it was originally called, is the forerunner of the multiplying bottles. The routine with the passe bottle can be done with HARRIES MAGIC version A or B. Set A features three bottles, allowing you to do the comedy version and Set B only has two bottles, one with the liquid compartment which is also part of the three-bottle routine.

It is a good magic effect and works particularly well with the comedy version and the use of your partner’.

Knowing the effect well, it was a part of my first act in magic, I highly recommend this product. The price is very reasonable.

(Peter Pit – Genii Vol. 84, No. 11, 1984)

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