Who is Dan Baines?
(The Article That Asks "What Do Dead Fairies
and 19th Century Toys Have To Do With It All?")
by P. Craig Browning

As many of you know I downright loathe and despise young people with exceptional talent, the newest of uprising enigmas is Dan Baines a.k.a. Lebanon Circle Magic the maker of headline grabbing artifacts that would make George Hull (of "Cardiff Giant" fame) proud; Dan’s phenomenal “Dead Fairies” stealing the headlines of the UK’s popular "Bizarre Magazine" (comparable, in many ways to the famed "National Enquirer" of the U.S.) But at 31 years of age Dan is just getting started and getting started in a way that is most spectacular. No, even in his own words Dan is not the latest and slickest dude to hit the scene as a showman but rather as one of the industry’s more unique skilled crafts people; a genuine artist with a penchant for things strange and unusual, be it Jack the Ripper or reproductions of the instruments used by 19th century Spiritualists.

Regardless of which device it might be it will certainly be a thing of value and envy in that very few of them will ever exist and for good cause; a.) Dan makes these wonderful little odds and ends on the side in his home garage and basement, and b.) He’s come to understand how rarity in an effect lends power and commercial advantage to that handful of customers he deals with. In that Dan is too nice a guy to come out and say it, I will… he would prefer that his creations remain secret and in the hands of the serious collectors and working pros who can appreciate their novelty.

Not all that long ago Dan introduced the world to a bit he refers to as “Ghost in the Machine” a kind of EVP type of demonstration based on a 19th century styled device. But there has been a small cornucopia of other offerings as well:

- "The Number of the Beast"
- An electronic Ouija system
- "The Book of Revelations" (a demo can be seen here)
- "From Hell" card routine

And of course that little buddy that everyone is raving about now, "The Swami Spirit Altar".

A reproduction of an actual device used in the Spiritualist era that can be totally disassembled for the sake of inspection. All that will be found is a very ornate “restored” antique curio composed of an obviously weathered doll (the swami) a podium upon which it rests and for lack of a better description, an empty cigar box base that has been properly adorned to fit the general motif of YOUR particular unit (each unit is handcrafted and unique but also, tailored to the needs of the buyer). At around $1,200.00 in U.S. cash it’s a most excellent buy. Why? Well frankly speaking, it’s bloody freak’n impossible! When you open this thing up to show all is fair, three items are found in the base box; a bell, a music box gear set and a child’s whistle. Your gathered members of the Séance group can select any one of these items and you will get the classic one tone for yes and two tones for no action. Further more, they can change their minds and even after the very first reply, change to any of the other two items… even a borrowed coin can be set into the box and you will hear it flip… you will even hear breathing, thumps & knocks or voices emit from the Swami’s Altar itself!

I’ve seen all kinds of over-priced spirit bells and séance props over the years but NOTHING compares to the cleanliness, simplicity and beauty of this particular little gem. Like his “Ghost in the Machine” this is one of those little ditties that will go down in the history books as a rare and phenomenal classic that allows us to readily revisit a classic era.

Not everything Dan offers falls into the “expensive” category however and even for a guy like me, who happens to loathe 99.5% of all card magic, Dan’s "From Hell" routine (especially when coupled with his modified "Book of Revelations", so as to fit the theme) is an awesome bit of business. Then again I tend to let my own inner-packrat get the best of me when it comes to odds and ends that deal with Jack the Ripper. But when you have a genuine forensics’ specialist pulling everything together… now that lends to you the kind of “edge” most seem to lack. (Dan’s “day job” is serving as a forensic consultant in London. He likewise hosts a solid military and law enforcement background in conjunction to his formal schooling as an artists and quasi-anthropologist.)

As I said a month or two ago about my friend Roni Shachnaey and his "House of Darkness" company, it is the resurgence of builders and effects designers like Dan that will “save” magic from the magicians in the world. That is to say, they will be giving to us some wonderful gems that will remain part of the more exclusive world of the adept vs. the chaos and mayhem of the curiosity seeker and money grabber. I know that sounds cold in the mind of some but I have always loathed the over-commercialization of this craft regardless of which side of it one might be working; the information has become far too easy to obtain and the result has been far less respect not just from the patrons but by those calling themselves “magicians” or “mentalists” as well; we’ve forgotten how to value our craft and to build value around it and yet, when it comes to effect systems such as we are finding at Lebanon Circle, the House of Darkness and other such sources… well, such things aren’t as quickly taken for granted in that they are both, a thing that must be earned and their possession a matter of personal prestige; a statement if you would, that you’re not just some jerk that does a 101 card tricks but knows little to nothing else about the craft.

Author's Note: For those residing in the eastern U.S./New England states. I will be touring with the Swami Spirit Altar as well as other pieces of Dan’s, Roni Shachnaey and of course, my own in July. If you would like to know the dates and times of these demonstration shows and when they will be in your area (or if you wish to schedule one) please drop me a note at Nimeton@earthlink.net with the subject line reading TUPPERWARE

Craig Browning