It is not precisely known when the illusion was first performed. Some accounts claim that a magician named Torrini performed the illusion in front of a papal audience as early as 1809. This account is supported by the writings of Jean Robert-Houdin. However, other accounts claim the trick originated in ancient Egypt. It is known that in 1921, British magician P.T. Selbit performed the illusion at a public theater, billing the trick "Sawing Through a Woman." The woman, his assistant, was named Betty Barker.
In one variation, the illusion is achieved by placing a very petite woman in one half of the box, so that her head sticks out while her folded body is concealed. A second very petite woman is placed at the other end of the box with her feet protruding. When the box is sawed in half, both women are unharmed. Using another popular method, a very petite woman is placed in one half of the box with a fake pair of feet dangling on the other end of the box.
A famous performance of the illusion was done more recently by contemporary American Illusionist Criss Angel. In this performance, Angel appeared to separate a woman with his bare hands. Then, half of the woman crawled away, shocking audience members. This trick was performed with a woman that had sacral agenesis. The diseased woman's body consisted of only a trunk, arms and a head. The woman had removed her prosthetic legs for the trick.
Dorothy Dietrich has achieved notoriety for being the first illusionist to reverse the traditional gender roles for this illusion. In the early 1980s, Dietrich sawed a man in half, earning herself the title "The First Lady of Magic." Dietrich performs the illusion using different devices, including chain saws, jig saws, bow saws and swords. Her live performances at the Houdini Museum have featured different celebrities, including Robert Klein, as the "sawed" man.