CHICAGO – The first of Potter & Potter Auctions‘ three planned Ricky Jay collection sales, held on February 25, totaled $980,000 and had a sell through rate of more than 99%. Its 369 lots consisted of historical artifacts, magicana and rare books from the actor, sleight-of-hand magician and noted author Ricky Jay (American, 1946-2018).

Posters promoting 19th-century magic acts took many of the top lot slots. A clear standout was Herrmann, Decapitation, a hand-painted poster maquette from circa 1878 that achieved $38,400. This original artwork provided the basis for the poster, which was printed in Chicago by The Jeffrey Printing Co. It depicted Alexander Herrmann holding a sharp tool and standing beside a horrified man whose eyes bulge as the magician draws the steel across the victim’s neck. This was the first Herrmann poster maquette Potter’s experts have ever handled, and one of a handful of maquettes extant for any poster produced during magic’s golden age.

A circa-1869 broadside or handbill emblazoned with the legend ‘The World-Renowned Davenport Brothers! Their Wonderful Seances,’ was estimated at $1,000-$2,000 and delivered $11,875. It was published in Allentown, Pennsylvania, featured an image of the brothers tied in their spirit cabinet, and described their act as devoid of “complicated machinery” and “glittering apparatus,” and that “startling wonders” will occur “which through ignorance and superstition, have been attributed to demonology & witchcraft.”

Jay’s collection also featured fine posters advertising early 20th-century performers and performances, led by a linen-backed one sheet circa-1900 color lithograph dubbed ‘Al. G. Field Big Minstrels. The Master Spirit of Ambidexterity.’ Estimated at $1,000-$2,000, it brought in $14,400. It was printed in Newport by The Donaldson Litho. Co. and pictured a juggler in vignettes both balancing and juggling four striped clubs, with a floral motif accented by larger depictions of the clubs in the background.

A horizontal half-sheet color lithograph from around 1905 for Bostock & Wombwell’s World Renowned Menagerie earned $12,500 against an estimate of $800-$1,200. It was printed in Glasgow by Sam Lithgow and featured an interior view of the giant traveling menagerie, with corner vignettes depicting trained lions, bears, wolves and tigers in action.

Yet another strong vintage poster, Rameses In His Egyptian Temple Of Mysteries, was estimated at $3,000-$6,000 and sold for $12,500. This linen-backed example was published by S.C. Allen in London around 1910. It promoted Ramses, a British magician who was the first illusionist to appear at London’s Palladium. The poster spotlighted his signature levitation, depicted as the flight of an assistant with wings, and another woman springing from a burning brazier.

Lot #149, Forepaugh & Sells Brothers Enormous United Shows. M’lle DeVere, LaBelle Leora & The Brothers Lowande, traded hands at $11,875 against an estimate of $1,500-$2,500. Printed in Cincinnati & New York by The Strobridge Litho. Co. in 1903, this horizontal, linen backed one-sheet color lithograph depicted a wide range of circus acts including trick riding, tightrope walking and juggling on horseback.

Antique books from Jay’s exceptional personal library were, unsurprisingly, best-sellers. A tome titled New Art Of Hocus Pocus Revived, estimated at $3,000-$5,000, went for $12,000. It was printed in London in 1808 and sported marbled boards over a pebbled black leather spine titled in gilt, with marbled endsheets. Its frontispiece depicted the “droll trick of a Cambridge scholar” as also seen in editions of Breslaw’s Last Legacy.

A first edition of The Rogues and Rogueries of New York made $13,750 against an estimate of $500-$1,000. It was published in New York by C. Haney & Co. in 1865. This broad treatise on scams included commentary on bogus jewelry, fortune telling, marriage scams, pickpockets, safe cracking, thimble-rigging, highway robbery, quacks and medical humbug, fortune-telling and lotteries, among other cons.

Jay’s collection of magic- and sideshow-related archives also tempted bidders across the world. Of particular note were two consecutive lots relating to magician Karl Germain (born Charles Mattmuller, 1878-1959). Lot #161, 50 diaries kept by Germain, was estimated at $10,000-$20,000 and rose to $36,000. “Germain the Wizard” kept extensive records of his personal and professional life; these diaries chronicled his ideas, thoughts, tour dates, finances and records of performances from circa 1890-1940.

Lot #160, an archive of Germain’s scripts, patter, and programs, was estimated at $8,000-$12,000 and brought $28,800. This collection included a file of typed and handwritten pages for many of Germain’s best-known feats, including mind reading, the Kellar Rope Tie and the Mummy Case Illusion. The archive also included a 50-page script for his performances for the 1903–05 seasons among many other insightful documents related to one of the great Lyceum and Chautauqua magicians of the early 20th century.

The Ricky Jay collection sale part one also presented magic-related antiques and apparatus. Causing much excitement was Max Malini’s briefcase, which was estimated at $4,000-$8,000 and attained $20,400. This well-worn black leather case was owned by the sleight-of-hand magician, and was one of just a few personal relics from Malini’s life to come to market in the last 100 years.

According to Gabe Fajuri, President at Potter & Potter Auctions, “This sale exceeded expectations in every imaginable way – from the incredible material gathered by Ricky Jay, so much of it one-of-a-kind – to the incredibly spirited bidding in the auction hall. Everyone involved was astonished, amazed, and thrilled at the results. We’re looking forward to doing it again in October of this year.”

[av_button label=’Click to view the auction catalog complete with prices realized’ icon_select=’no’ icon=’ue800′ font=’entypo-fontello’ link=’manually,https://www.liveauctioneers.com/catalog/274472_the-ricky-jay-collection/?keyword=&page=1′ link_target=’_blank’ size=’small’ position=’center’ label_display=” title_attr=” size-text=” av-desktop-font-size-text=” av-medium-font-size-text=” av-small-font-size-text=” av-mini-font-size-text=” margin=” margin_sync=’true’ padding=” padding_sync=’true’ av-desktop-margin=” av-desktop-margin_sync=’true’ av-desktop-padding=” av-desktop-padding_sync=’true’ av-medium-margin=” av-medium-margin_sync=’true’ av-medium-padding=” av-medium-padding_sync=’true’ av-small-margin=” av-small-margin_sync=’true’ av-small-padding=” av-small-padding_sync=’true’ av-mini-margin=” av-mini-margin_sync=’true’ av-mini-padding=” av-mini-padding_sync=’true’ color_options=” color=’theme-color’ custom_bg=’#444444′ custom_font=’#ffffff’ btn_color_bg=’theme-color’ btn_custom_grad_direction=’vertical’ btn_custom_grad_1=’#000000′ btn_custom_grad_2=’#ffffff’ btn_custom_grad_3=” btn_custom_grad_opacity=’0.7′ btn_custom_bg=’#444444′ btn_color_bg_hover=’theme-color-highlight’ btn_custom_bg_hover=’#444444′ btn_color_font=’theme-color’ btn_custom_font=’#ffffff’ btn_color_font_hover=’white’ btn_custom_font_hover=’#ffffff’ border=” border_width=” border_width_sync=’true’ border_color=” border_radius=” border_radius_sync=’true’ box_shadow=” box_shadow_style=’0px,0px,0px,0px’ box_shadow_color=” animation=” animation_duration=” animation_custom_bg_color=” animation_z_index_curtain=’100′ hover_opacity=” sonar_effect_effect=” sonar_effect_color=” sonar_effect_duration=’1′ sonar_effect_scale=” sonar_effect_opac=’0.5′ css_position=” css_position_location=’,,,’ css_position_z_index=” av-desktop-css_position=” av-desktop-css_position_location=’,,,’ av-desktop-css_position_z_index=” av-medium-css_position=” av-medium-css_position_location=’,,,’ av-medium-css_position_z_index=” av-small-css_position=” av-small-css_position_location=’,,,’ av-small-css_position_z_index=” av-mini-css_position=” av-mini-css_position_location=’,,,’ av-mini-css_position_z_index=” id=” custom_class=” template_class=” av_uid=’av-7wsfz6m’ sc_version=’1.0′ admin_preview_bg=”]

Click to view top auction results on LiveAuctioneers: https://www.liveauctioneers.com/pages/recent-auction-sales/