Blackstone Magic Auction 2017-10-28 Auction - 473 Price Results - Potter & Potter Auctions in IL - Page 11
Leather Top Hat from Blackstone’s Whiskers Illusion.Harry Blackstone’s Ink to Goldfish.Eclipses the Sun. Blackstone. Greatest Magician The
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Chicago, IL, United States
Auction Details

Blackstone Magic Auction

Our October sale features relics from the career of Harry Blackstone, Sr. In a career spanning some five decades, Blackstone cemented his reputation as the leading stage magician of his generation. He filled theaters from coast-to-coast, became a comic book hero, endorsed products, and cast a magic spell over theater patrons for nearly half a century. The auction features Blackstone memorabilia owned, used, and collected by the master, among them original oil paintings, show costumes, Blackstone's famous Vanishing Birdcage (and other props), stone lithographs, photographs, correspondence and archival material, original cartoons and artwork, film footage and audio recordings of Blackstone and his troupe, and much more. Much of the material has been unseen for the last five decades. Complementing the Blackstone material will be objects related to the career of his son and successor, Harry Blackstone, Jr., as well as a selection of choice vintage magic posters, props, books, and ephemera.
Auction Curator:
Gabe Fajuri
Gabe Fajuri
President
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Tiger and Dragon Mystery.: Tiger and Dragon Mystery. Thailand: Magic Wagon, 2000s. An ornate gilt resin box depicting a ferocious tiger and dragon, divided into four compartments and holding a block, which the spectator places
0240: Tiger and Dragon Mystery.Est. $200-$300
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Dagger of Damocles.: Dagger of Damocles. London: Harry Stanley, ca. 1950. A chrome plated dagger is dipped into a clear tumbler. Mysteriously, the tumbler remains suspended from the dagger. Clever mechanical device. 10
0241: Dagger of Damocles.Est. $200-$300
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Deck Switching Plate.: Deck Switching Plate. Circa 1920. Heavy metal plate with spring loaded compartment used to secretly switch one pack of cards for another. Nickel plated. 9 ¼" diameter. Finely made.
0242: Deck Switching Plate.Est. $350-$550
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Fire Bowl.: Fire Bowl. Circa 1910. A brass bowl filled with flames is produced from an empty cloth. Covered with its lid, a moment later it is filled with flowers. Spun brass. 6 ¾" diameter. An early example of
0243: Fire Bowl.Est. $200-$300
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Giant Gammatration Card Frame.: Giant Gammatration Card Frame. Le Grand David and Eric Lewis, ca. 1980. Finely painted by Rick Heath. A giant card placed into a slat-work frame is pierced by a rod or handkerchief, yet remains
0244: Giant Gammatration Card Frame.Est. $500-$800
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Leon’s Glass Penetration (Jumbo).: Leon's Glass Penetration (Jumbo). North Hollywood: Merv Taylor, ca. 1955. A sheet of glass placed in a box is pierced by several metal spikes, yet the glass remains unharmed. Crackle finish box 9 x
0245: Leon’s Glass Penetration (Jumbo).Est. $600-$800
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Goldfish Net.: Goldfish Net. Kansas City: Donald Holmes, ca. 1940. The magician catches live goldfish in a fisherman's landing net as he waves it in mid air. Four fish capacity. With gimmicks. Uncommon.
0246: Goldfish Net.Est. $200-$300
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Meteor Card Gun.: Meteor Card Gun. New York: Louis Tannen, ca. 1950. A card vanishes from the tip of the pistol when the trigger is pulled. Retrofitted cap gun. 6 ½" long. Finish worn; working.
0247: Meteor Card Gun.Est. $200-$300
Card Pistol.: Card Pistol. American, ca. 1930. A playing card vanishes from the tip of the pistol when the trigger is pulled. Cast toy pistol with spring-loaded gimmick. 6" long. Finish worn.
0248: Card Pistol.Est. $200-$300Lot Passed
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Joseph Silk Gun.: Joseph Silk Gun. Clearwater Kansas: Chambers Manufacturing, ca. 1940. Cast metal faux-pistol visibly vanishes a handkerchief draped over its barrel when the trigger is pulled. Light wear. Good
0249: Joseph Silk Gun.Est. $150-$300
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Holmes Bang Gun.: Holmes Bang Gun. Detroit: Sterling Magic, ca. 1949. A triangular-shaped flag springs out of the gun's barrel with the word BANG printed on it. Wood and metal construction. 13" long. Flag soiled and
0250: Holmes Bang Gun.Est. $200-$250
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Large Bang Gun.: Large Bang Gun. Circa 1940. Retrofitted Bang-O cap pistol. When the trigger is pulled, the barrel splits open and out drops a silk flag bearing the word "BANG" in large letters. 19 ½" long (open).
0251: Large Bang Gun.Est. $150-$250
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New Bang Gun.: New Bang Gun. Colon: Abbott's Magic Novelty Co., ca. 1948. Faux gun. When trigger is pulled, four lettered tabs pop up from the firearm spelling out the word "Bang." Molded plastic with metal works.
0252: New Bang Gun.Est. $200-$300
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Three Comedy Gun Props.: Three Comedy Gun Props. Including a Bang Gun with colorful silk (likely manufactured by Tannen's, ca. 1960), another smaller Bang Gun (novelty item, ca. 1980), and a metal Spring Sausage Gun (ca.
0253: Three Comedy Gun Props.Est. $150-$250
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Handkerchief Burning Globe.: Handkerchief Burning Globe. Circa 1930. Handsome aluminum vase exchanges one object for another, or transforms burning cotton into handkerchiefs. 11" high. Small dents; gimmick works slowly.
0254: Handkerchief Burning Globe.Est. $300-$400
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Handkerchief Pedestal.: Handkerchief Pedestal. Circa 1920. Chrome plated stand secretly introduces a handkerchief into a glass tumbler resting on top of it. 13" high. Mechanism noisy.
0255: Handkerchief Pedestal.Est. $250-$350
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Handkerchief Pedestal.: Handkerchief Pedestal. Circa 1910. Spring-loaded brass pedestal approximates the look of a large candelabra. Secretly loads a silk handkerchief into a glass. 16" high. Unusual design Shows minor wear.
0256: Handkerchief Pedestal.Est. $300-$500
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Haunted Cabinet and Checkers of Quong Hi.: Haunted Cabinet and Checkers of Quong Hi. Los Angeles: F.G. Thayer, ca. 1929. Club-size version of the Checker Cabinet effect, as manufactured by Thayer. Dragon motif on front and rear panels.
0257: Haunted Cabinet and Checkers of Quong Hi.Est. $400-$600
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Houdini’s “Handcuff King Breaker” Lilly Iron.: Houdini, Harry (Ehrich Weisz). Houdini's "Handcuff King Breaker" Lilly Iron. American, ca. 1875. Modified to Houdini's specifications circa 1905. Sturdy bar-like restraint, owned and used by Houdini
0258: Houdini’s “Handcuff King Breaker” Lilly Iron.Est. $8,000-$12,000
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Fred Kaps’ Himber Ring Set.: Kaps, Fred (Abraham Pieter Adrianus Bongers). Fred Kaps' Himber Ring Set. Circa 1960. One gimmicked and one duplicate ungimmicked ring owned and used by the famous Dutch sleight-of-hand artist Fred
0259: Fred Kaps’ Himber Ring Set.Est. $3,000-$4,000
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Fred Kaps’ Linking Rings.: Kaps, Fred (Abraham Pieter Adrianus Bongers). Fred Kaps' Linking Rings. Circa 1970. Owned and used by the famous Dutch magician and multi-award winner at FISM. 12" diameter, seamless construction.
0260: Fred Kaps’ Linking Rings.Est. $4,000-$5,000
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Knife Through Arm.: Knife Through Arm. Circa 1930. Gimmicked knife appears to penetrate the arm, but does not harm the "victim." 11 ¼" long. Finely made.
0261: Knife Through Arm.Est. $100-$200
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Knife Through Head.: Knife Through Head. Circa 1980. Butcher knife "gag" prop appears to penetrate a human head. Sturdy construction; a professional prop, not an inexpensive novelty item. 17 ¼" long.
0262: Knife Through Head.Est. $100-$200