Jean Henri Servais LeRoy born in 1865. The Belgian wizard is remembered today for his many important inventions and illusion techniques, but during his career he was also famous for his sleight of hand. Years after LeRoy’s retirement, he met a young Milbourne Christopher in Baltimore. Christopher complimented the white-haired master on a performance he had seen many years before in vaudeville. He asked LeRoy about a particular flourish, as he wasn’t sure he’d remembered it correctly. Did LeRoy once balance a deck on the toe of his shoe, and then…? LeRoy furrowed his brow, stood, took a nearby deck, and demonstrated the move. He kicked the deck high in the air and deftly caught it in his right hand, spreading it in a perfect fan. “Oh, that,” he said with a Gallic shrug.
