If you want to know the Dove Through Glass trick secret, keep reading this post to find out how this penetration trick is done.
How the dove could slip through the solid glass, or rather the plexiglass sheet.
This glass penetration magic trick is featured in the 1981 book “Jack Hughes World Of Magic Volume One“.
Jack Hughes is also know for other magical inventions like “Cuban Release” and “Super Chair Suspension” aka “Cataleptic Fakir”.
- NOTE: You can find more about the “Chair Suspension” stage illusion over here and here.
Welcome to another post from the Info Ruckus Magic Trick Secrets Revealed series.
Where I answer the popular question: how are magic tricks done?
How magic tricks work, or what is the secret behind magic tricks?
The magicians refer to it as the method; the secret technique uses to create the illusion of a magical effect.
I do not own or have seen the actual Dove Through Glass magical prop.
Furthermore, I do not know the method of this penetration effect.
It is my speculation how this stage magic trick works, by viewing the demo videos available online.
I would also include the psychology behind this classic trick by Jack Hughes.
Effect:
The apparatus has a clear plexiglass sheet encased in a decorative wooden/plastic frame.
Place the frame into a stand.
Then magnetically attach a hinged star-trap flap at each side of the plexiglass.
The spectators may touch and tap the clear plexiglass, proving it solid.
Now lift up both flaps above the small window, and pass a live dove through the star trap.
It means, the dove apparently penetrates the solid clear plexiglass.
After the act, lift up the frame from the stand.
Flip both hinged flaps down to the small window to show the clear plexiglass is still intact.
Besides dove, you can use other small animals, objects or even a child’s hand, as magician David Ginn does in this video.
Watch the Dove Through Glass demo video by Abbotts Magic using a plastic funnel below:
Dove Through Glass Trick Revealed
So how does the Dove Through Glass magic trick work?
I think the Dove Through Glass trick method is similar to the Magic Wagon Mystic Mirror, which I have already explained.
It is also identical to the Pagoda Mystery and the Hand Through Glass With Stand.
There is a concealed hole in the glass, which makes the penetration effect possible.
Dove Through Glass Trick Explanation
Now, let’s explore the secret of the Dove Through Glass Trick.
All the demo videos, the performers lift up the frame and slot it back to the stand.
They do this, is because the secrets of this trick are at both the frame and the stand.
Plexiglass With Cut-Out
The big clear plexiglass has a cut-out or hole as indicated in this picture.
This cut-out or hole is inside the square window.
But this square window has its own plexiglass sheets at the front and the back of the frame.
Thus the hole is well camouflaged inside the square window.
The viewers do not realize there is a cut-out hole right in front of the prop all the time.
In other words, the hole is right in front of their eyes, but they do not see it!
To do the trick, the performer has to move this cut-out hole upward to the star trap window above.
So how does the magician shift the concealed hole up to the round hole above?
Frame With Slots
The next secret is there are two hidden slots underneath the frame, as indicated below.
Here is another scene of the two slots beneath the frame captured from another video clip.
There is a vertical structure hidden between each set of upright at the stand.
Below is a side-view of the stand with the two vertical structures between the uprights.
When they insert the frame into the stand uprights, these two structures enter the bottom two slots and push the plexiglass sheet upward.
It looks something like this:
Thereby the cut-out hole inside the square window would move up to the star trap area.
Now the cut-out hole is between the hinged star-trap flaps, as seen below.
Below is a close-up side view of the cut-out hole between the hinged star-trap flaps, captured from Daytona Magic demo video at 0:53.
As you can see from the picture below, now he can do the Dove Through Glass trick.
Plexiglass Movement
At 0:22, watch closely at the big plexiglass sheet, you can see it moving upward when he slips the frame into the upright stands.
From this video clip by Colin Watkins, you can see the clear plexiglass moving upward, when he slots the frame into the stand uprights.
Keep your eye on the scratch mark on the plexiglass (indicated in the pictures below) at 0:29 and also 1:19.
Now you know why all the frame design of the Dove Through Glass trick have this identical high arched piece at the top.
It is to accommodate the raised plexiglass sheet.
After the act, under the pretext of proving to you that it is a solid plexiglass behind the hinged star-trap flaps, they remove the frame from the stand.
The truth is, when they lift up the frame from the stand, the clear plexiglass sheet drops down back to the bottom of the frame.
So the cut-out hole at the plexiglass slips down and hides back inside the square window.
They cannot let the frame sets on the stand, without the hinged star-trap flaps attached onto the plexiglass.
Then you would see the cut-out hole in the plexiglass above the square window as illustrated below.
This is what I think is the secret behind the Dove Through Glass trick.
Psychology Of Dove Through Glass Trick
The psychological element of this penetration trick is visual illusion.
As I have explained above, the hole for the dove to pass through is already right there in plexiglass.
But we do not notice it is because of the transparent plexiglass of the square window.
Magicians use camouflage, for instance the color black (Black Art) and also transparent or see-through, which can confuse your visual perception.
Our brain loves patterns, and ignores things that match or blend.
That’s why we miss the see-through hole and the clear plexiglass of the square window.
Different Dove Through Glass Trick Apparatus
Here are two more versions of Dove Through Glass Trick found online, besides the Pigeon Through Glass Trick.
The first one is taken from Pandit Magic Shop, India.
The method of his apparatus is very different from John Hughes’ creation.
But the key idea is identical; to shift the window plexiglass sheet to allow the dove to go through.
At the onset you can see the slim opening underneath the frame.
This is to allow the window plexiglass to move.
By the way, at 0:48 you can see the curve edge of the movable plexiglass of the window.
At 0:59 his right hand slides down the window plexiglass sheet, before closing up the back star-trap flap.
I think this is where the arched shape plexiglass sheet is hidden, when it is shifted down (indicated with white dotted lines).
That’s is why this magic prop has a high rectangular box stand; to take in the window plexiglass when it is slide down.
At 1:24 after getting the dove through the window, his right hand has already lifted up the plexiglass sheet back in place.
You can see the blurred view of his right hand through the front star-trap window.
As the star-trap does not close properly, at 1:25 he presses it down to close up the hole, to avoid the secret being exposed.
At 1:31, when he opens the back flap, he notices the plexiglass sheet is still not properly lifted up.
Then he uses his right hand to adjust it, and you can see the black front star-trap moves at 1:32.
Dove Through Glass Small
This second design is a smaller apparatus, and the trick works differently from the two versions which I have aforementioned.
Just like Pandit Magic design, the Dove Through Glass Small has a tall or deep stand.
It is for hiding the glass sheet frame, when it is pushed down during the penetration trick.
There is a slot or opening at the bottom frame between the two doors.
From the demo video, at 0:23, his right hand sliding the glass frame down into the stand, before he lifts up the back door to close it.
After the trick, at 1:08, after he has opened the back door, he quickly pulls up the glass frame back into position.
Likewise, at 0:11 you can see the Mask performer’s right hand pushing down the glass frame, before closing up the back door.
After the demonstration, at 0:45, after lowering the back door, you can see him lifting up the glass frame through the yellow round star-trap.
Spikes Through Glass Trick
By the way, this magic apparatus is also used for another trick called “Spikes Through Glass”.
The method of the spikes penetrating the solid glass is the same as the above “Dove Through Glass”.
The glass is shifted down to the tall black stand to make way for the penetration effect.
From this demo video, at 1:00, his right hand slides down the glass frame, as he locks the front door.
After the act, at 2:47, his right hand drags the glass frame upward, before opening the front door.
So is this performance by Dr. Geminiano Gertes.
At 0:21, his left hand pushes the glass frame down into the black stand.
To end his act, after opening the back door, at 1:28, he lifts the glass frame up from the stand.