A double lift is a

sleight of hand Sleight of hand (also known as prestidigitation or ''legerdemain'' ()) refers to fine motor skills when used by performing artists in different art forms to entertain or manipulate. It is closely associated with close-up magic, card magic, card ...

maneuver used by

magicians Magician or The Magician may refer to: Performers * A practitioner of magic (supernatural) * A practitioner of magic (illusion) * Magician (fantasy), a character in a fictional fantasy context Entertainment Books * ''The Magician'', an 18th-ce ...

card magic Card manipulation is the branch of magic that deals with creating effects using sleight of hand techniques involving playing cards. Card manipulation is often used in magical performances, especially in close-up, parlor, and street magic. Some ...

. It is a method by which the identity of the top

card Card or The Card may refer to: * Various types of plastic cards: **By type ***Magnetic stripe card *** Chip card *** Digital card **By function ***Payment card ****Credit card **** Debit card ****EC-card ****Identity card ****European Health Insur ...

may be kept secret by lifting the top two cards as one, making it seem as if only the top card is picked up. Similar techniques may be applied to more than two cards to perform a triple or even quadruple lift. The term was coined by

Theo Annemann Theodore "Theo" Annemann (born Theodore John Squires; February 22, 1907 – January 12, 1942), stage name Ted Anneman, was an American professional magician who specialized in the field of mentalism. He is most famous for inventing and ref ...

. When the card is shown to the audience, the audience is tricked into believing that they are shown the top card in the deck where in fact they are shown the second card. When the cards are displayed, the maneuver is sometimes called the "double turnover". Some versions of the

ambitious card The Ambitious Card, or Elevator Card, is a magic effect in which a playing card seems to return to the top of the deck after being placed elsewhere in the middle of the deck. One of many versions of the Ambitious Card Routine available on internet ...

routine rely almost entirely upon this sleight. In combination with a few other mechanics and good showmanship, entire acts can and have been made out of this single move.

Origins

The first recorded publishing of the double lift is in Richard Neve's book ''The Merry Companion'' in 1776. It can be seen on page 141, item XXV under "to seem to change the top card of the pack into another". The double lift was next seen in print in the 19th century in Jean Nicholas Ponsin's ''Nouvelle Magie Blanche Dévoilée''. The earliest reference to the double lift in the 20th century is in

John Northern Hilliard John Northern Hilliard (August 18, 1872 – March 14, 1935) was an American newspaperman, poet, novelist, and playwright. Among his works is a best-selling book on magic, ''Greater Magic''. Biography John Northern Hilliard was born in Palmyra, ...

's book ''Greater Magic''.Hilliard, John Northern, Carl Waring Jones, Jean Hugard, and Harlan Tarbell. ''Greater Magic; A Practical Treatise on Modern Magic''. Minneapolis: C.W. Jones, Priv. Print. for Professional & Amateur Magicians, 1938. N. pag. Print. Many confuse the creation of the double lift with the

Dai Vernon Dai Vernon (pronounced alternatively as "DIE" or as "DAY" as in David; June 11, 1894 – August 21, 1992), a.k.a. The Professor, was a Canadian magician. His sleight of hand technique and knowledge, particularly with card tricks and close- ...

double turnover, which is an extension of the double lift where two cards are flipped to hide the identity of the top card. Still, many magicians and magic historians debate that Vernon was the creator, though he never has claimed to be the creator. In an interview in the 1982 small-time film ''The Wonder of Magic'', Dai Vernon said that he "may be the creator" of the double turnover, but was not certain.

References

Sleight of hand Card tricks {{Magic-stub