Jack Hughes

From the Collection

Craftsman, Magician, Inventor

Jack Hughes was a respected British magician and prolific inventor whose work helped shape close-up and parlor magic in the 1930s and 1940s. Known for clear, logical plots and deceptively simple apparatus, Hughes created effects that emphasized direct visual impossibilities over theatrical flourish.

His best-known creations include Coins in Glass and Penetra-Spheres, the latter later licensed and marketed in the United States as Hole in One. Hughes’ work was manufactured and distributed by leading dealers of the era, including Abbott’s Magic, bringing his ideas to an international audience.

Today, original Jack Hughes apparatus is scarce and highly regarded by collectors, valued for its historical significance, thoughtful engineering, and enduring influence on penetration and container-style effects.

Jack Hughes Collection

Visible Coins in Glass, ca. 1960s [?]

Four half-crown are placed on a stand. A whiskey glass is placed on a small base and covered with an inverted pint glass. A foulard is thrown over them and ONE BY ONE the coins are taken off the stand and vanish.
Each coin is heard to fall into the whiskey glass with a distinct 'RING'. The foulard is removed, the coins poured from glass to tumbler.
Fifi the Card Pecker

A cheeky classic from the golden age of British magic. “Fifi the Card Pecker” is a bizarre, feathered contraption with undeniable charm. A spectator selects a card and returns it to the deck, which is then dropped into a metal pail. With a dramatic nod, Fifi dips her beak—and triumphantly retrieves the chosen card. Scarce.
New List Item

Description goes here
Run Bonzo Run, ca. 1975

A canine twist on the classic Run Rabbit Run. Bonzo, the mischievous pup, darts back and forth between his kennel and the bone store, always a step ahead of the magician as children shout his whereabouts. Constructed in wood, silk-screened in vivid colors, and built in the larger Hughes style. Sturdy, colorful, and full of laughs—a Hughes classic for children’s shows. Includes original box and instructions. Near mint condition. Hallmarked
Bird Camera, ca. 1960s

A rare Hughes creation in which a live dove vanishes when the magician snaps a photograph—only for the camera itself to instantly transform into the very cage containing the bird. The apparatus consists of a camera mounted on slender metal legs, standing 42” tall inclusive of cage.
This is the only known example of the prop manufactured by Hughes, built expressly for the cabaret act of his daughter, Bernice (performing as Lynn Sharon). Detailed instructions and provenance are documented in Jack Hughes World of Magic, Vol. II, pp. 24–26.
Penetra-Spheres

An extremely rare eight-ball version (most examples use five). Invented circa 1937 by Jack Hughes as a follow-up to Coins in Glass, later licensed by Abbott’s and introduced in the U.S. in 1947 as Hole in One.
A marked ball is freely selected. Two nested glasses are shown sealed, the remaining balls arranged around them, and the tray covered. In an instant, the chosen ball is invisibly extracted and appears inside the sealed glass. The effect may be repeated immediately.
List of Magic Catalog

Jack Hughes Magic catalog and price list. Sixteen pages with illustrations of the latest available effects at the time. Date of publication unknown.
World of Magic, Vol. 1, 1981

A cornerstone work documenting the inventive mind of Jack Hughes, World of Magic, Volume 1 presents a wide cross-section of his original thinking in close-up and stand-up magic. The book captures Hughes’ practical, methodical approach to construction and routining, with effects characterized by clarity, economy of method, and strong audience impact. First edition