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Collecting Anverdi Magic
Chuck Caputo
I have been collecting and regularly using Anverdi effects

since 1989. My interest in “electronic magic” and automata was
triggered when I had the wonderful opportunity of performing on
the same bill with the great Del Ray here in Pittsburgh in 1987. At
the time I worked with Del Ray I was a professional magician who
performed full-time throughout the Pittsburgh and surrounding
areas, I relied heavily on complex sleight of hand for both close-up
and stage venues. That night when witnessing Del’s genius I was
literally blown away, Del sparked an interest in a totally different
aspect of magic, namely electronic magic. Shortly my magic acts
incorporated some very unique and original effects in conjunction
with standard routines. I was always looking for something out of
the ordinary when it came to performing magic. Del and I kept
in touch throughout the years mainly by telephone; he was a true
professional in our art.
In the early part of 1989 the name “Anverdi” was brought to
my attention, I honestly do not remember the source as it has been
so many years ago. I began doing some research on this unique
name; you have to remember that the Internet did not exist at this
time so I made many calls to dealers, collectors, etc. I learned
basically that Anverdi lived in Holland and was one of the very
first pioneers in the magic field to elaborate on using a modern
“invisible thread” so to speak, radio control.
113
114 The Yankee Magic Collector #12
Anverdi, not as well known by his real name Anthony DeVries,

was a very creative magician who performed a clown act. What
many people probably do not know is that he was really a baker in
the Netherlands and he applied his wonderful magic inventions to
his own act. Today, Anverdi magic is very collectible and can com-
mand fairly high prices among collectors and magic enthusiasts.
Anverdi also wrote two books: Miracles with Liquids in 1965 and
Anverdi—50 Years of Magic Creation in 1992. I enjoy sitting back
on a rainy day and skimming through his books and reading his
ideas, almost getting into his head, so to speak.
I purchased my first Anverdi effect, the miniature talking
skull, which I still use today, shortly after hearing about him. Of
course the skull does not really talk; his jaw actuates opening
and closing via the remote. I was amazed at how beautifully this
effect was made; it looked too cool sitting on its black Plexiglas
base and it worked like a charm. The only thing I added to this
in later years was a toe-switch for the remote which allows me to
have “hands free” operation. More inquires throughout the next
few years brought me other neat Anverdi effects such as the Ris-
ing Cards (both jumbo and bridge size), Barking Dog, Voice Box
and others.
Anverdi’s Mental Die is a true piece of electronic genius. A
beautiful 2½ inch by 2½ inch black Plexiglas die with white spots
Anverdi items from left to right. Back row: Bolt of Lightning; Mental Die;
Bionic Bunny. Front row: Talking Skull; Dial-A-Mental; Barking Dog.
Collecting Anverdi Magic 115
is freely placed in its box by a spectator. You can immediately

discern what value of the die is uppermost in the box while your
back is turned; there is no suspicious touching of anything! This is
accomplished through a complicated five or six channel (depending
on which model you have) receiver that illuminates corresponding
leds (light emitting diodes).
The Pad of Miracles is absolutely amazing but one of his more
obscure effects! This is a very well made close up case that opens
up; you can actually store your items in it. A card is selected and
replaced in the pack and shuffled. You now extract three cards
that you feel “strongly” about and place them face down on the
green felt covered case which lay open. On your command the
card visibly flips over! You really cannot get much better than this!
I have actually had spectators run out of the room on this one!!
The internal coil hidden in the case proper is huge; it is about ten
inches in diameter and weighs about four pounds. In my estima-
tion the capacitor that kicks out the stored energy to accomplish
the above effect can do some serious damage if touched when
removing the batteries.
One drawback to using many of Anverdi pieces is that they go
out of tune fairly frequently. You have to remember that he built
these items decades before digital encoding existed. Tuning must
be accomplished by manually adjusting potentiometers and tuning
screws, while it is a time consuming job, it is by no means impos-
sible. Another drawback of using electronic devices in performance
Poker chip Effect; Anverdi Key Box.

is we live in an age where our airways are not only polluted with
smoke and damaging particulates but by radio frequencies. Just
think about it, the airways are congested with transmission waves
from fax machines, computers with wireless Internet, car alarms,
pace makers, etc. In my twenty plus years of performing I some-
times get placed into hotel banquet halls for various shows and
these are by far the worst places to use electronic or radio control
equipment. A good idea for items that operate on common radio
frequencies (below the Del Ray recommended 800–900 mega-
hertz range) is to simply power them on an instant before using
them. I would have to say that Anverdi’s Jumbo Rising Cards are
by far his most unreliable piece and I would hesitate to seriously
use the trick in a performance. Good luck to anyone using older
electronic apparatus from any inventor that is less dependable
than Anverdi!
As implied by Anverdi’s first book, Miracles with Liquids, he
was just as creative in making magic apparatus for liquid tricks. I
am particularly fond of his Wonder Tray, Universal Bottle, Wonder
Ring Glass, Wonder Ring and a little known liquid effect called
Sigowi. Liquid effects can be messy and audiences realize this and
therefore appreciate this aspect and will respond loudly when a
magician performs one such effect professionally. Many magicians
shy away from liquids and such items, I say go for it!
Anverdi Hand Box; Various Bottles & Wonder Tray.

Collecting Anverdi Magic 117
Anverdi’s Wonder Tray came in several models but the out-

come was always the same. Milk is poured from a pitcher into an
empty glass on the tray, the other glass fills up! The unique feature
is that the filled glass can be lifted from the tray due to an inge-
nious gimmick developed by Anverdi. Now the milk in this glass
can diminish as the other one fills up, this is all very visual.
Anverdi’s Wonder Ring Glass is best described as “spooky”; I
have had many a jaw drop on this one. Unfortunately this item is
rarely used properly as two chemicals are needed to make a rich
colored wine slowly and visibly appear. Most performers take the
easy way out and simply hide kool-aid powder in the base of the
above. Anyway, you literally build a glass from the bottom upwards
by attaching clear rings together. The water (distilled is best for
this) is actually contained in the top ring unknown to the audi-
ence. When the water is released it trickles down into the base of
the glass and mixes with the chemical creating a rich, dark wine
to appear from the bottom on up.
I often use Anverdi’s Universal Bottle which is the ultimate
milk pitcher, again seldom if ever used correctly. In performance
the bottle is shown to be filled with wine, this is visibly poured
into a paper cone which is ripped up and thrown into the audience!
You are clean!!!! This double walled bottle again uses chemicals.
A bleaching agent is used to literally turn the wine into water; the
water is always in the bottle and never leaves but is invisible to
the audience. The audience swears it was poured into the cone.
I have seen less enthusiastic performers simply use this bottle as
a “milk pitcher” and partially pour some wine into a cone, a lot
less effective!
Anverdi’s Sigowi liquid effect is similar, but still a little dif-
ferent. A green silk is placed in a clear glass, when you cover the
silk/glass with a clear tube and lift upwards the silk vanishes and
turns into a green colored liquid which can be poured out. I might
add there are no “pulls” involved. All of the above effects are clearly
detailed in Anverdi’s books, check them out!
I regularly use many of Tony Anverdi’s props today in all
venues of magic. I would have to say the most amazing electronic
props I have from him, and the ones that have been very success-
ful for me, are his Talking Skull, Mental Die and Pad of Miracles.
I cannot tell you how many times I have used all of the above at
trade shows, hospitality suites, etc. You can view my Anverdi col-
lection in its entirety on my web site. It has been over 14 years
since Anverdi has left us but his genius lives on to inspire us all.
Because of Anverdi electronic magic has become a leading passion
of many, including myself.

Chuck Caputo is a busy Pittsburgh magician, collector and creator
of unique magic tricks manufactured in metal, wood and Plexiglas.
Many of the effects Chuck creates integrate the use of electronics
as inspired by Del Ray and Tony Anverdi. Chuck is married and a
father of two boys, Michael and Nick. You can learn more about
Chuck at his web sites: www.freewebs.com/caputocollection/ or
http://magician_chuckcaputo.tripod.com/

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Collecting Anverdi Magic

I have been collecting and regularly using Anverdi effects

Anverdi, not as well known by his real name Anthony DeVries,

is freely placed in its box by a spectator. You can immediately

Poker chip Effect; Anverdi Key Box.

Anverdi Hand Box; Various Bottles & Wonder Tray.

Anverdi’s Wonder Tray came in several models but the out-

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