One of the most intriguing of all magic tricks, the Disappearing Handkerchiefs, was presented to King Louis-Philippe at the Château St-Cloud in 1846 by the renowned French magician Robert-Houdin. An account can be found in his Memoirs:

I borrowed from my noble spectators several handkerchiefs which I made into a parcel and laid on the table. Then at my request different persons wrote on the cards the names of the places whither they desired their handkerchiefs to be invisibly transported. When this had been done, I begged the King to take three of the cards at hazard and choose from them the place he might consider most suitable.

LRB 6 February 2003 | PDF Download