If you want to know the Dove Through Glass trick secret, then look through the small glass window of the prop, to find out how the penetration trick is done.
This glass penetration magic trick can be found in the 1981 book “Jack Hughes World of Magic Volume One”.
This is another post from the Info Ruckus Magic Trick Secrets Revealed series.
I do not own or have seen the actual Dove Through Glass magical prop, so I do not know specifically how the penetration effect is done.
My speculation how this stage magic trick works, is solely by viewing the demo videos available online.
The apparatus has a clear plexiglass sheet encased in a decorative wooden/plastic frame.
The frame is mounted on a stand or base.
Above the square window, is attached with a hinged star-trap flap at each side of the plexiglass.
The spectators may touch and tap the clear plexiglass, proving it solid.
With both flaps are lifted up above the small window, the magician can pass a live dove through the star trap panels.
It means, the dove apparently penetrates through the solid clear plexiglass.
After the act, the frame is lifted up from the stand.
Both the hinged flaps are flipped 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?
Like all the glass/mirror penetration tricks, the glass or mirror either has a secret opening or it has to be temporary shifted to make way.
The Dove Through Glass trick method is similar to the Magic Wagon Mystic Mirror. Pagoda Mystery and the Hand Through Glass With Stand.
There is a hidden hole in the glass or mirror, which makes the penetration effect possible.
Dove Through Glass Trick Instructions
Now, let’s see how the dove through glass trick is done.
In all the demo videos, the performers lift up the frame and slot it back to the stand.
They do this, is because the secret of the trick is at both the frame and the stand.
The clear plexiglass has a cut-out or hole hidden within the frame, as indicated in orange color as shown below.
Before the frame is inserted into the stand, this piece of clear plexiglass with a cut-out is at the bottom of the frame.
As you can see the hole (cut-out) is inside the square window as indicated below.
In short, the hole for the penetration is already right before your eyes.
But it is camouflaged by the plexiglass of the square window.
The next thing is underneath the frame there are two hidden slots.
Then there are is a projection or tongue hidden inside each slot of the stand.
When the frame is inserted into the stand slot, the projections enter the two slots, thus pushing the clear plexiglass piece upward.
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.
Now they can perform the dove through glass trick.
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 plexiglass piece when it is pushed upward.
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 the frame is lifted up from the stand, the clear plexiglass piece drops down back to the bottom of the frame.
So the cut-out or hole at the plexiglass slips down and hides inside the square window.
This is what I think is the secret behind the Dove Through Glass trick.