How To Do The Torn And Restored Newspaper Trick

One of magic’s most enduring effects has always been the torn and restored newspaper and for good reason. 

Newspapers and magazines are objects that almost everyone interacts with on a daily basis, so when a magician picks up one of these seemingly ordinary items and performs a highly visual, veritable miracle with it, people immediately take notice.

In today’s post, I’ll be giving you all the information you need to know in order to appreciate the torn and restored newspaper trick and how YOU can perform it yourself.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

1. What is the torn and restored newspaper? 

2. A little background on the effect?

3. How you can perform it?

What is the torn and restored newspaper?

First, things first, let’s go over what exactly this legendary routine is. Picture this:

The magician displays an ordinary newspaper and unfolds it so it reaches full size to the audience. They spin it around so the spectators can see there is no funny business going on. Next, the magician displays the inside of the magazine.

Once everyone is satisfied that there is nothing strange about the magazine, the magician moves to the next phase of this routine (the fun part).

The magician tears it straight down the middle, puts the two torn pieces together, and tears it yet again. Then he takes the four pieces together and tears it ANOTHER time. He carries on doing this until all that’s left is a load of ripped-up pieces of paper. At this point, the magician mashes it into a ball and squeezes the newspaper together until it’s compact and small. The magician then holds up the mashed ball of newspaper to the audience again.

Now’s when things start to get interesting…

The magician says the magic word and opens up the ball of ripped paper. 

To the audience’s utter astonishment, when the magician slowly unfolds the ball of newspaper it appears to be normal (if a little creased where the rips were) – with not a single rip on it! The magician shows the restored newspaper to the audience yet again making sure they are all satisfied that there is nothing strange about the magazine. The magician can then enjoy the befuddlement of the stunned audience all the while knowing how easy the trick is.

This is an incredible effect that is performed by professional magicians all the time and for good reason. It’s strong, direct, and the method is very simple.

Here’s a video of Great Soprano performing this classic magic trick.

Right now, there’s probably ONE question running through your head (It was the first thing I thought when I saw it…)

HOW??? 

Well, great question. 

First, a little background on the torn and restored newspaper trick in case you are interested:

Torn and Restored Newspaper is a version of the torn and restored paper effect done with a large sheet of Newspaper making it suitable for the stage.

Many versions have been developed and performed by magicians over the years.

This illusion is typically attributed to Cortini (1890–1954) from Germany, who introduced it to American audiences in 1922. Other claims to its invention in the late 1920s have been made for Bill Lohmeyer and Lu Brent.

Jean Hugard marketed his version through Holden’s in 1930. Al Baker and Ned Williams followed with theirs in 1931.

How you can perform it:

But how can you discover the secret behind it?

Well here’s the secret…

Step 1:

Pick up two newspapers and pull out the same page from each. You want the page to have a pressed crease down the center. Fold one of the pages into a small square before performing the trick.

Hold up the unfolded newspaper with two hands. How you hold the newspaper is the key to this trick. You want to hold the small folded piece of newspaper behind the unfolded newspaper with your right hand’s thumb while your other fingers are placed together around the front. Hold the edge of the newspaper taut and set your fingers the same way.

Show one side of the newspaper to the audience, then show the other side by moving your hands deliberately to conceal the small square. As you turn the paper around, push the small square into the four fingers of your left hand so that it is concealed in front of the unfolded newspaper as you turn it around and hold up the other side. Practice this maneuver in front of a mirror until you can turn the newspaper around seamlessly.

Rip up the newspaper while concealing the folded newspaper in one hand. Once finished showing how the newspaper is ripped up, mash into a ball and squeeze together in your hands until compact and small. Hold up the mashed ball of newspaper again to the audience.

Close your hands again and squeeze the newspaper inside, moving the restored newspaper against your palm. Begin unfolding the restored newspaper by holding the mashed ripped newspaper against your palm and slowly unfolding each part of the newspaper. Hold up the newspaper and turn around the same as you did before, carefully concealing the ripped pieces against your four fingers.

The Newspaper is restored!

If you are still struggling to understand, you can learn exactly how to do the Torn and Restored Newspaper in the video below.

Torn and restored paper tutorial!

Note: Imagine the paper is a newspaper.

Thank you for reading how to do the Torn and Restored Newspaper trick, hope you enjoyed it!