Posters with magicians Malini, Kellar, Thurston, Houdini at Sotheby's online auction

Magician, actor, scholar, author: the range of achievements of Ricky Jay is as varied as the formats and subjects of the material in his famous Collection.

Give vibrant posters with famous magicians such as Kellar, Malini and Thurston to leather-bound books hand-signed by Harry Houdini himself, this collection knows no bounds. Celebrating decades of memorabilia from some of the greatest wizards who ever lived, collecting these remarkable artifacts went beyond a passion for Ricky Jay. Furthermore, it seemed to him a reverential responsibility to learn more about his beloved profession than he did.

Here are some of the most interesting lots:

Description Remarkable Persons

A two-volume collection of over 460 prints accurately described in a 2th-century auction catalog as “A large collection of portraits of notable characters, male and female, beggars, misers, bandits, swindlers, forgers, imposters, jugglers, thugs , people Tried for treason, sedition, etc.” Various places, artists and engravers, mostly 437th and 271th centuries XNUMX volumes, folio (XNUMX x XNUMX mm). The inlaid prints (comprising a handful of original drawings) on larger sheets, usually singly or in pairs (and very occasionally more than two to a sheet), many in the first vol. with extensive handwritten notes by Esdaile on mounting folios, sometimes extending to supplementary folios bound for this purpose, handwritten index to front of first vol., with engraving adapted as title page with handwritten title “Notable Characters”, similar section -titles in all, second vol. unannotated but containing similar genre portraits; Scattered stains and tears, some prints trimmed close together, some bent to fit in album. Purple flat morocco by Rivière & Son, covers with French purfling, gilt spines in seven compartments, smooth endpapers, rough gilt edges; nicely redone, ends rubbed. A remarkable collection of notable characters. People notable for both their physical appearance and unusual achievements were a particular interest of Ricky Jay, and Esdaile albums were one of the most prized items in his collection; the collection is especially important for preserving popular and ephemeral images of the kind that rarely survive the notoriety of their subject.

Houdini, Harry (Erik Weisz) Houdini upside down in water torture cell. London: The Dangerfield Printing Co., ca. 1913–1915 Color lithographic poster (29 x 19 5/8 in.; 739 x 498 mm). Crease creases, the most pronounced and slightly abraded horizontal crease. Framed and glazed with Plexiglas. A beautiful and very rare poster, effectively conveying Houdini's expression of concern. “Wizard posters are usually guilty of exaggeration. But here Houdini used a stark image to emphasize the simple drama of his famous Water Torture Cell. Instead of imagining the water tank, locks and latches, Houdini's face told the whole story. Each performance was a melodrama of life and death” (Magic). This image is considered one of “the most impressive Houdini posters in the Allan Slaight Collection” (Illusions, p. 47).

Houdini, Harry (Erik Weisz) Houdini in Russia. Leipzig: Atelier J. Zier, [after 1903] Color lithographic poster (28 x 39 1/4 in.; 711 x 1000 mm). Stretched out on canvas, significant but marginal restoration to the upper left corner. This poster commemorates, rather than promotes, a Houdini performance. The famous escape from a Siberian transport cell, which has been described as a "cell on wheels", took place in Moscow's Butyrka prison during Houdini's 1903 travels across Russia. The text of the manifesto summarizes the event: “Russian secret police chief Lebedoeff had Harry Houdini stripped and searched, then locked up in the Siberian transport cell or Carette, on May 10, 1903 in Moscow and within 28 minutes Houdini escaped to the unspeakable astonishment of the Russian police.” There is still no consensus on how the escape was accomplished. The reverse N in Houdini in the title gives the poster a fittingly “Cyrillic” look. The identification on the carette reads Police Department or Municipal Police.

Houdini, Harry (Erik Weisz) Harry Houdini. King of cards. Chicago: National Pr. & Eng. Co., [1895] (#1838) Color lithograph poster (28 1/4 x 21 inches; 717 x 534 mm). Horizontal fold, some marginal tears. Laid on linen. Probably the first solo Houdini poster. Before achieving worldwide fame as an escape artist, Houdini performed as a card magician in dime museums, burlesque shows and circuses, most notably that of the Welsh Brothers. According to “Wild About Harry” blogger John Cox, “When Houdini first performed in Paris in 1901, the public was not yet familiar with handcuffs (they were not yet widely used in France), so he received few challenges. His work with cards is said to be what made him a hit in France." This beautiful and unusual poster features a romantic central portrait of the young Houdini in a white tie, with two inset vignette images: a full-length portrait of the magician displaying card ribbons on both arms, and a close-up image of him making a – hand cuts with each hand.

Kellar, Harry (Heinrich Keller) Kellar. Cleveland: WJ Morgan & Co., [1886] Color lithograph poster (28 1/4 x 21 inches; 717 x 534 mm). Light creases, some short closed tears, very few scattered stains. Laid on linen. This fine poster, with its Egyptian motifs evoking the illusions of Pharaoh's magicians, was used to promote Kellar's highly successful engagement at the Arch Street Opera House in Philadelphia in the spring of 1886. Very rare.

More details at the link