SPRING CONTROL
By Richard Robinson

Buatier De Kolta's spring flowers have appealed to magicians since the day over a hundred years ago when one landed in the hands of a magic dealer in the audience who promptly started knocking them off.

De Kolta's original intent was to the create the illusion of a cornucopia, made from a simple sheet of paper, from which the magician conjured up a veritable garden of flowers. In order to produce this illusion, De Kolta invented a compressible, imitation flower now universally known among magicians as a Spring Flower.

It must be emphasized that De Kolta's intent was to produce flowers. These flowers were not metallic, vinyl or every color of the rainbow, which sadly is the fate of De Kolta's flower prop. The spring flowers sold by magic dealers generally do not resemble anything that approximates flowers, a mundane fate for a seriously useful device.

Yet the production of a seemingly endless number of flowers from a plain paper cone continues to capture the imagination of magicians. In truth it is a lovely effect and worth the trouble of searching down enough flowers of the same color (green leaves, red flower is a good idea) to have the proper volume.

In undertaking to perform the effect the magician will discover several technical details which must be dealt with. Among the most important is the proper method of keeping quantities of the flowers in a compressed but manipulatable state. Different presentations demand different methods, what follows are two solutions to problem.

Wire Release

I came across this particular gimmick many years ago while rummaging through a box of odds and ends at Al Flosso's magic shop. The original has a Victorian and professional feel to it. I'm surprised that it somehow was forgotten, since it is easy to manufacture and works extremely well.

Essentially it is just a loop of medium gauge wire twisted into a peculiar shape. Two units are needed for each set.

At the points marked X, the wire is twisted around itself to form, on the left a small eye, on the right an upright arm and at the top of the arm a short hook. The top corner illustration shows that the hooks and eyes meet when two units face each other.

Holding the two units with the hooks and eyes engaged, a number of compressed flowers are placed between them, the pressure of the flowers trying to expand locking the wire units quite securely. A squeeze will cause them to release. Painted black they are invisible in a cascade of flowers.

This wire holder is not only ingenious, it is capable of reasonably rough handling without releasing its load of flowers.

Elastic Band Release

An equally practical and simple release is buried toward the very end of Professor Hoffmann's 'More Magic' following a tedious explanation of how to make your own spring flowers and why you shouldn't.

Two rectangular pieces of flexible cardboard are used, one under and one over the compressed stock of flowers.

Once positioned a medium strength elastic band is placed around the cardboard strips.

The pressure of the flowers trying to expand is resisted by the elastic band thus keeping the compressed flowers in place.

The magician has only to squeeze at the left and right at the points where the elastic crosses from the top to the bottom cardboards to bow them so that the flowers can escape.

Today, this method might be improved using light, flexible plastic strips. Whatever the material, it should of course be green so that it is camouflaged. Green colored elastic bands are also recommended.