Reformation

Reformation

By Guy Hollingworth

EFFECT: "The Reformation," as seen on "The World's Greatest Magic" and recognized by
experts around the world as the ultimate Torn and Restored Card. Michael Close called it "one of
the best tricks of the year..." Guy Hollingworth created a sensation with his piece-by-piece
restoration of a signed and torn playing card. It was called, "The Reformation." While extremely
magical in appearance, the handling was not easy to learn. This is a step-by-step extraction of each
meticulous move, however - it will be even harder to understand without pictures.

PREPERATION: A court card is forced and signed across the bottom half of the card. You must
have a duplicate of that card also folded vertically in half - court face facing out palmed in the left
hand. The two cards are quickly switched and the duplicate is held exposed to the audience with
the fingertips covering the non-existent signature.

Move 1 - Duplicate Card (DC) folded in fourths held lengthwise facing audience and then ripped
down the center tear to the center of the card

Move 2 - Top fourth piece on the left side is folded back behind the card and then the “folded half”
is folded behind the DC.

Move 3 - In One quick motion the two hands with two halves are brought together to give the
appearance of one card and the card is then “fake torn” and pulled apart. Folded half exposed in
left hand, folded ¾ DC exposed in right hand.

Move 4 - The two cards are placed one in front of the other - the ¾ DC in front - folds on top,
rounded edges of the cards on bottom

Move 5 - The stack is then folded vertically back and forth, on the last fold, the folded half is folded
in fourths and held in the right hand grip the remaining “fourth” of the DC is now covering the
folded card in fourths.

Move 6 - Rip a real tear down the center - this will free the two sides one last time. In the left hand

Reformation

Reformation

you will have ¾ of the DC, and in the right hand you will have ¼ of the DC in front of a full
duplicate folded in fourths.

Move 7 - All the pieces can now be placed in one hand giving the illusions of four ripped pieces. Say
that you will place “two pieces off for safe keeping,” and place the whole card between your teeth
calling it two pieces.

Move 8 - Now hold the ¼ piece in your right hand - facing the audience rounded edge on top
pointing to your right. Hold the ¾ piece in your left hand - mirroring the right card. From the
audience view it would look as though the two cards line up perfect.

Move 9 - Bring the two together and secretly palm the ¼ card and “un-flap” the back flap on the ¾
card - creating an instant healed half card!

Move 10 - Take palmed ¼ up to mouth - and switch the ¼ piece for the whole card.

Move 11 - Hold the ¾ card in the right hand with the ¼-hidden piece on the bottom as the card is
held up and down. Hold the whole card in the left hand and move it in to the same location as the
hidden ¼ piece - mirroring once again to restore the bottom right hand corner.

Move 12 - Palm the whole card and “un-flap” the back flap on the ¾ card to show the entire card.
Unfold the whole signed card once secretly so that it is back to being folded in half.

Move 13 - THIS IS THE HARDEST MOVE AND WILL TAKE A LOT OF COVER AND
MISDIRECTION. Secretly - fold up the ¾ card back to look like a single ¼ and hold it pinched
above the folded signed card so that the whole ensemble looks like the previously seen ¾ card. The
signature is now seen across the bottom of the exposed half folded card. This is the first time the
audience sees the signature in the whole trick so play up on it.

Move 14 - Retrieve the last ¼ piece from your mouth for a total restoration. ONCE AGAIN -
UNDER COVER OF HANDS - Palm off the top two extra pieces and SECRETLY “un-flap” the
back half of the signed card and hand it out for examination.

Move 15 - Ditch the extra pieces quickly.

© Guy Hollingworth from Drawing Room Deceptions

Reformation