{"product_id":"foo-can-merv-taylor-stevens-estate-1","title":"Foo Can - Merv Taylor - Stevens Estate","description":"\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003eMerv Taylor Foo Can is a classic vintage magic prop from the 1950s, made by renowned American magic manufacturer Merv Taylor (1904–1974) in North Hollywood. It is a precision-engineered stainless steel \"Foo Can\" (also known as a Ching Ling Foo Can variant) used for vanishing or producing liquids. Water (or any liquid) poured into the can does not pour out until the magician commands it, thanks to clever internal mechanics—no electronics or threads required.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSpecs:\u003c\/strong\u003e Dims: 8.5\" Tall with 2\" circumference.  Includes Merv Taylor earmark symbol towards the top of the handle.   \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003eAs is obvious this is the handled version as he made some with no handle.  Both versions are streamlined and beautiful and have the value of immediately taking us back to a sort of Art Deco world.   Generally speaking the handled version sell for more, I believe for cosmetic reasons.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eEXCELLENT\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBorn in Dennison, Illinois, but lived most his life in California, Taylor started out teaching art, metalcraft, electrical shop and mechanical drawing. He also did some work for the government, but in 1940 a magician performing at the school took one of his broken props to Merv to fix, which sparked an interest in magic.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy 1945, Taylor, who found the magic business more fun than teaching, moved to the San Fernando Valley and went into fixing and creating magic props exclusively. With three of his brothers and a few friends, he built a shop with a retail store in 1948 called [Merv Taylor Magic]]. He employed\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/wiki.geniimagazine.com\/index.php?title=Alan_Wakeling\" title=\"Alan Wakeling\"\u003eAlan Wakeling\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003efor a time and many people wanted his pieces including\u003cstrong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/wiki.geniimagazine.com\/index.php?title=Richard_Himber\" title=\"Richard Himber\"\u003eRichard Himber\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eand\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/wiki.geniimagazine.com\/index.php?title=Orson_Welles\" title=\"Orson Welles\"\u003eOrson Welles\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"thumb tleft\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"thumbinner\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/wiki.geniimagazine.com\/index.php?title=File:GeniiCoverV17N1.jpg\" class=\"image\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/wiki.geniimagazine.com\/index.php?title=Bill_Larsen\" class=\"mw-redirect\" title=\"Bill Larsen\"\u003eBill Larsen\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e, he help start the Southern California Magic Dealer Association and was its first president, and two years later, was president of the national\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/wiki.geniimagazine.com\/index.php?title=Magic_Dealers_Association\" title=\"Magic Dealers Association\"\u003eMagic Dealers Association\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Stevens Magic Emporium","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47866415808564,"sku":null,"price":110.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0632\/1461\/6628\/files\/Foo_Can_Merv_Taylor_Stainless_Steel.png?v=1780614343","url":"https:\/\/stevensmagic.com\/products\/foo-can-merv-taylor-stevens-estate-1","provider":"Stevens Magic Emporium","version":"1.0","type":"link"}