In the early 1950s, I was a toddler of about 2½ years of age. My brother was 8 years older and my sister 4 years older than me. Most of the time, I was an observer of their very busy lives or a pest getting in their way.
On one particular afternoon, we were gathered in the kitchen while our mother worked between the kitchen sink andbrother had acquired two large cardboard boxes and was attempting to construct a magic trick. He was reconstructing the illusion of the “Sword Through the Box,” which was originally designed and constructed by a magician in 1924. We had magic shows, cowboys and Saturday matinees for entertainment in our area. Those performers were our heroes and mentors.
