Emil Jarrow (April 8, 1876 – March 4, 1959) was a sleight of hand magician. He sometimes referred to himself humorously as a "prestidigitator." Jarrow (also spelled Jaro & Jarow) was perhaps best known for creating the “lemon trick,” in which he would procure paper money from an apparently fresh

lemon The lemon (''Citrus limon'') is a species of small evergreen trees in the flowering plant family Rutaceae, native to Asia, primarily Northeast India (Assam), Northern Myanmar or China. The tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit is used for culin ...

Career and performances

Jarrow was born Emil Javorzynski in Pleschen Stadt, in

Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an ...

(now

Pleszew Pleszew (; german: Pleschen) is a town in central Poland, in Greater Poland Voivodeship, about 90 km southeast of Poznań. It is the capital of Pleszew County (''powiat pleszewski''). Population is 17,892 (2004). History The oldest permanen ...

, Poland). In 1891, as a young man of 15, he began his professional career as a

strongman In the 19th century, the term strongman referred to an exhibitor of strength or similar circus performers who performed feats of strength. More recently, strength athletics, also known as strongman competitions, have grown in popularity. Thes ...

for the Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. He travelled with the show when it moved to

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

and then the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

the following year. Later, he began working independently by performing acts of strength in local venues, in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

and New York. Some years later, after a stage accident left a leg permanently damaged, he reinvented himself as a sleight of hand artist with a flair for humor and a thick Low Dutch-accented patter, with which he accompanied his performances. Jarrow became quite adept with closely observed sleight-of-hand tricks. For instance, while seated at a dining table, he would unwind the salt shaker lid and empty it into his fist, and with a flourish, “vanish” the salt only to have it later reappear. The props he used for his illusions were simple, household items, rather than elaborate devices. Friendly with his peers, including Harry Houdini, he had a particularly fond relationship with

Harry Blackstone, Sr. Harry Bouton Blackstone (born Henry Boughton; September 27, 1885 – November 16, 1965) was a famed stage Magician (illusion), magician and illusionist of the 20th century. Blackstone was born Harry Bouton in Chicago, Illinois. He began his ...

, who would remain his friend until his death at the posh Percy Williams Home for Retired Actors and Actresses on Long Island. Jarrow was an early friend of Houdini. They had briefly worked together at a Coney Island performance in 1891.Immerso, Michael. (2002). ''Coney Island: The People's Playground''. Rutgers University Press. p. 114. "Harry Houdini's first Coney Island performance was in 1891, when he appeared in a tent act with strongman Emil Jarrow."

The lemon trick

In what would become his trademark trick, Jarrow would borrow a

banknote A banknote—also called a bill (North American English), paper money, or simply a note—is a type of negotiable promissory note, made by a bank or other licensed authority, payable to the bearer on demand. Banknotes were originally issued ...

, only to have it “disappear”. He would then offer a

to be examined, cut it in two with a pocket knife, and reveal the missing, crisp paper bill within. The "

Bill in lemon The bill in lemon is an effect in which a magician requests a currency note from a spectator and makes the note vanish, then proceeding to slice a lemon open to show the note inside. Variations include the coin in orange, and more generally "somethi ...

," as magicians would later refer to the effect, became popular with many performers. Jarrow's name became synonymous with the routine and his theatrical billing was often "Jarrow: Originator of The Lemon Trick." During the early 1920s when the stage illusion of "Sawing A Woman in Half" was at the peak of its popularity, Jarrow wryly billed his act as "Sawing a Lemon In Half."

Publications

*''Rope Magic: How to Do Rope Tricks: Professional Secrets Exposed for Amateur Use'' (1941)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jarrow, Emil 1876 births 1959 deaths People from Pleszew People from the Province of Posen Harry Houdini Polish strength athletes Sleight of hand Vaudeville performers Prussian magicians German emigrants to the United States