DELAGE, Alfred (1914 – 98). Delage’s Substitution Trunk Illusion. Circa 1960. A small and sturdy metal footlocker, cleverly constructed to withstand scrutiny, yet allowing the performers to present the Metamorphosis exchange/escape illusion as popularized by Houdini. DeLage was locked inside the trunk and his wife Margaret stood on top, with a curtain in her hands. Almost instantly, at the toss of the curtain, the two changed places; DeLage was now outside the box and when it was opened again, his assistant was revealed locked inside.
Trunk measures 33 x 22 ½ x 23” (not inclusive of wheels). With the original reinforced fabric cover bearing the name De Lage stencil-painted in block capital letters and outfitted with straps, metal reinforcements, and attachments. A well-worn and well-used road-tested prop that was a mainstay of the DeLage act for decades, and part of the flash magic act that kept the duo in constant demand during the nightclub era and beyond.
A trouper through-and-through, Al DeLage cut his teeth in showbusiness at the end of the vaudeville era, worked the Palace in its waning days, and flourished as a television pioneer, nightclub, and hotel performer. The hallmark of his act was its speed – in the vein of Horace Goldin, he worked exceptionally quickly, earning him the billing “America’s Fastest Magician” – and the trunk trick offered here was always the DeLage’s closing number. In the 1960s, he presented the illusion on To Tell the Truth, incorporating the effect in a way that allowed the question, “Will the real Al DeLage please stand up?” to be answered by the climax of the effect when Al appeared on top of the trunk (moments before, he’d been locked inside).
This prop was presented by DeLage’s widow to one of his students, Bill Kress. Prior to his passing, Mr. Kress arranged for the donation of the proceeds from the sale of any items in his magic collection to charity. As such, the proceeds from the sale of this prop will be donated to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.