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Part II of magician Ricky Jay’s collection conjured solid returns at Potter & Potter

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CHICAGO — The second installment in the sale of magician Ricky Jay’s collection produced solid returns across a range of items at Potter & Potter October 28. Complete results are available at LiveAuctioneers.

The top seller was a collection of correspondence between famed illusionist Karl Germain (1878–1959) and his assistant, student, successor and friend Paul Fleming, spanning the years 1908 to 1959. The letters provide rare insight into the magic business in the early 20th century, considered invaluable to magic historians. The lot hammered just below its top estimate at $55,000 and sold for $68,750 with buyer’s premium.

A so-called “spirit photograph” of Ricky Jay with the “ghost” of Abraham Lincoln, created by photographer Stephen Berkman, was another strong performer, gathering dozens of bids before hammering for $6,500 and selling for $8,125 with buyer’s premium.

London’s Bartholomew Fair, which ran for 700 years, was an English institution. A collection of scrapbooks documenting various acts and features of the legendary event climbed to nearly double its top estimate, hammering for $22,000 and selling for $27,500 with buyer’s premium.

The Hanlon Brothers produced pantomime-filled live shows dominated by spectacular mechanical theatrical effects and trickery, beginning in 1890 and staying on the road throughout America for 20 years. This advertising poster is the only surviving copy known, printed with stone lithography for brilliant colors. Estimated at $2,000-$4,000, it hammered for $11,000 and sold for $13,750 with buyer’s premium.
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Collection of correspondence between famed illusionist Karl Germain (1878–1959) and his assistant Paul Fleming, which sold for $55,000 ($68,750 with buyer’s premium) at Potter & Potter.
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‘Spirit photograph’ of Ricky Jay with the ‘ghost’ of Abraham Lincoln, created by photographer Stephen Berkman, which sold for $6,500 ($8,125 with buyer’s premium) at Potter & Potter.
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Collection of scrapbooks on London’s Bartholomew Fair, which sold for $22,000 ($27,500 with buyer’s premium) at Potter & Potter.
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Hanlon Brothers advertising poster, which sold for $11,000 ($13,750 with buyer’s premium) at Potter & Potter.
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Mason & Co. card trimmer device for gambling cheats, which sold for $6,000 ($7,500 with buyer’s premium) at Potter & Potter.
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