In 1966, Robert Harbin performed his new illusion, The Zig Zag Lady, on the live variety show Sunday Night at the London Palladium. This famous “lady divided into three parts” illusion revolutionized magic because it worked equally well on a stage or on a nightclub floor. Harbin had circled the idea for years, considering different principles. One day he surprised his friend, magician Eric Lewis, by announcing that he’d just thought of the solution, and it was far simpler than he’d considered. He sketched the idea. Lewis told him it probably wouldn’t fool anyone, but Harbin insisted it would be great. Harbin was right.
Photo courtesy of Potter & Potter Auctions