Actually, it’s all three. Since the days of a lonely seventeenth century sailor putting a model ship and memories of home inside a bottle this pastime (if you can call it that) has been exploited by artists, magicians or just nerdy folk like me. The first bottles (‘whimsy bottles’ ) helped lonely sailors cope with being far from home. Making the bottle helped overcome boredom and the final result became a tangible companion. Many of these original items reside in museums but you can find many versions via the internet.
In the 1970s, Harry Eng, a schoolteacher and magician took this art form to the next level. He created ‘impossible bottles’, i.e. bottles with items too large to pass through their necks. He created a new artform and also a ‘cult’ with rules. These rules were very simple. Neither the bottle nor the items should be cut or modified in any way. Eng is credited with elevating his craft to an art form and a magical puzzle leaving a lasting mystery because he didn’t reveal his secrets. His principles were well known and, over the years, magicians and creative artists have evolved his craft. This speaker will review the history and explain, step by step, how these items are made. He bends Harry’s rules (slightly) by adding a relevant photograph here and there. Sorry Harry.