<P> The question of who was the first woman to be sawn in half has received much less publicity than the question of which magician first presented the illusion . According to Jim Steinmeyer the woman who participated in the December 1920 demonstration was Jan Glenrose, who was Selbit's main assistant at that time and who was also the partner of magician Fred Culpitt . In the public performance the role of victim was taken by principal assistant, Betty Barker . </P> <P> Later in 1921, Horace Goldin, a magician working in the United States, presented the first version which might look familiar to modern audiences . Goldin's assistant lay in a box from which her feet, head and hands protruded . Goldin sawed through the middle of the box, inserting metal sheets to cover the cut ends, and then pushed the two halves a little way apart . This process was then reversed, and the assistant released unharmed . Goldin later developed a sawing illusion that dispensed with boxes and used a large buzzsaw . The success of Selbit and then Goldin led to more and more magicians trying to imitate them with copies or improved versions of sawing illusions . By November 1921 the Thayer magic company in America was advertising a version for sale . A complete prop from Thayer would cost $175 or they would sell plans for $5 . </P> <P> There are many sawing tricks with significant differences in their basic effect . In some, the illusion is merely of a blade passing through an assistant's body, while in others it appears that the assistant is severed into two pieces that are moved apart . Some so - called "sawing" illusions do not actually involve a saw but instead use plain blades or blunt dividing panels . </P> <P> One major group of tricks involves an assistant in a box, which conceals his or her body from view while any cutting takes place . This group includes the "Selbit", "Wakeling" and "Thin Model" tricks as well as several versions associated with Horace Goldin . Most "box" sawings give the illusion of the two halves of the assistant being moved apart, although there are versions where the effect is simply that a blade must have passed through the assistant's body . In some versions the box completely covers the assistant while in others the assistant's head, hands and feet remain in view during the trick . </P>

How does the illusion of cutting someone in half work