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

Hanlon Brothers advertising poster, which sold for $11,000 ($13,750 with buyer’s premium) at Potter & Potter.

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.

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.

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.

'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.

'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.

Collection of scrapbooks on London’s Bartholomew Fair, which sold for $22,000 ($27,500 with buyer’s premium) at Potter & Potter.

Collection of scrapbooks on London’s Bartholomew Fair, which sold for $22,000 ($27,500 with buyer’s premium) at Potter & Potter.

Hanlon Brothers advertising poster, which sold for $11,000 ($13,750 with buyer’s premium) at Potter & Potter.

Hanlon Brothers advertising poster, which sold for $11,000 ($13,750 with buyer’s premium) at Potter & Potter.

Jim Bunte

Jim Bunte

Jim Bunte has worked in editorial, design and the toy and auction industries for more than 30 years. He co-founded Auction Central News in 2007.

First-to-market magicana summons high hopes at Potter & Potter Dec. 9

Houdini’s Death-Defying Mystery poster, $40,000-$60,000 at Potter & Potter.

CHICAGO — A dazzling array of magicana, some of which is coming to market for the first time, enters the stage at Potter & Potter’s Select Secrets sale, scheduled for Saturday, December 9. The catalog is now available for bidding at LiveAuctioneers.

Every respectable magic sale manages to conjure material relating to Erik Weisz (1874 – 1926), best known as Harry Houdini. Potter & Potter secured 18 Houdini-related lots, topped by this fantastic stone-lithography promotional poster. The artwork depicts Houdini preparing for his Milk Can Escape routine, with a cutaway view showing him crouched within while assistants pour water and eventually “lock” him inside. The 40 by 30in poster has minor restoration to fold lines and corners, and is estimated at $40,000-$60,000.

Suzy Wandas (birth name Jeanne Van Dyk, 1896-1986) is largely forgotten today, but was considered a star at manipulation magic, using cards, cigarettes, or anything at her disposal to demonstrate classic sleight of hand. Billed as “the lady with the fairy fingers,” she retired in 1959 and married a fellow performer. A collection of items related to her career is another prominent segment of the sale, headed by her touring gear and props, representing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own a piece of magic history. It is estimated at $5,000-$8,000.

Famed English magician John Nevil Maskelyne (1839-1917) was an early version of The Amazing Randi (James Randi, 1928-2020) — part skeptic and 100% illusionist. Maskelyne as a youth watched a Gloucestershire performance by the American traveling spiritualist act The Davenport Brothers. Maskelyne immediately figured out the illusion, built a cabinet and gave a presentation showing local townspeople how they had been fooled by the Americans. Randi, of course, became best known late in his career for debunking psychic Uri Geller and other spiritualists. Trained as a watchmaker, this tool kit given by the Maskelyne family to the consigner was the prized possession of the famed magician. It is estimated at $8,000-$12,000.

Houdini’s Death-Defying Mystery poster, estimated at $40,000-$60,000 at Potter & Potter.

Houdini’s Death-Defying Mystery poster, estimated at $40,000-$60,000 at Potter & Potter.

Suzy Wandas (birth name Jeanne Van Dyk, 1896-1986) stage act and performing props, estimated at $5,000-$8,000 at Potter & Potter.

Suzy Wandas (birth name Jeanne Van Dyk, 1896-1986) stage act and performing props, estimated at $5,000-$8,000 at Potter & Potter.

John Nevil Maskelyne (1839-1917) toolbox and tools, estimated at $8,000-$12,000 at Potter & Potter.

John Nevil Maskelyne (1839-1917) toolbox and tools, estimated at $8,000-$12,000 at Potter & Potter.

Thurston, Kellar’s Successor poster, estimated at $15,000-$25,000 at Potter & Potter.

Thurston, Kellar’s Successor poster, estimated at $15,000-$25,000 at Potter & Potter.

Jim Bunte

Jim Bunte

Jim Bunte has worked in editorial, design and the toy and auction industries for more than 30 years. He co-founded Auction Central News in 2007.

Alice in Wonderland collection invites bidders to fall down the rabbit hole at Potter and Potter Nov. 30

Detail from the cover of Alice Liddell Hargreaves’s copy of Vladimir Nabokov’s 1923 translation of ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,’ signed by her, estimated at $10,000-$15,000 at Potter & Potter.

CHICAGO – The phrase ‘falling down the rabbit hole’ has its origins in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, the 1865 classic written by Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pen name of Lewis Carroll. The collectors Stephen and Nancy Farber built the ultimate rabbit hole in the form of a superlative collection of Alice-related books and collectibles, which will be presented at Potter & Potter Auctions on Thursday, November 30. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

Potter & Potter’s Director of Fine Books and Manuscripts Chris Brink said, “The Farbers were truly ‘mad as a hatter’ when it came to collecting all things Alice. One focus of their collection were the hundreds of various illustrators that, since 1865, have been producing unique renditions of the characters and scenes from this popular children’s book. The Farbers also had a deep fascination for the many translations of the work, chief among them perhaps the most important: the ‘original Alice’s copy’ of [Vladimir] Nabokov’s Russian translation of Alice. We are excited to jump down this rabbit hole on November 30.”

The book of which Brink speaks appears as lot 83, and was published in Berlin in 1923. It is signed in brown ink on the front pastedown by Alice P. Hargreaves, formerly Alice Liddell, who, when she was small, inspired an Oxford University mathematician to spin a wild tale about a girl who shared her name. The Nabokov translation of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland into Russian with the peerless Alice provenance carries an estimate of $10,000-$15,000.

Offered as subsequent lots in the lineup are two different presentation copies of the first authorized edition and first published English edition of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. One is inscribed by its illustrator, John Tenniel, who threw in a sketch of the Mad Hatter with a tea cup in one hand and a piece of toast in the other. It is one of only two copies of an 1866 Alice with a sketch by Tenniel, and the only one known to feature a Tenniel sketch of the Mad Hatter character. Its estimate is $15,000-$25,000.

The other first authorized edition, first published English edition and presentation copy of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland consigned to the sale boasts a markedly heftier estimate of $30,000-$50,000, and not just because its inscription is from the author instead of the illustrator. In addressing the copy to British illustrator Richard Doyle, Dodgson signed it with his own name, and not that of Lewis Carroll. As the lot notes explain, such a signature is “exceedingly rare as Dodgson was careful to protect his privacy and to prevent his serious mathematical works from being linked with his books for children.” In addition, this particular copy was once owned by Max Charles Gaines, the father of Bill Gaines, who would launch EC Comics as well as Mad magazine. And it is offered with an 1872 first edition, first state copy, also previously owned by Gaines, of the sequel to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland – Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There.

First edition of the 1923 Russian translation of ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,’ done under a pseudonym by Vladimir Nabokov, which once belonged to the former Alice Liddell, aka the real-world Alice. It sold for $36,000 ($45,000 with buyer’s premium) at Potter & Potter.

First edition of the 1923 Russian translation of ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,’ done under a pseudonym by Vladimir Nabokov, which once belonged to the former Alice Liddell, aka the real-world Alice. It sold for $36,000 ($45,000 with buyer’s premium) at Potter & Potter.

First authorized edition, first published English edition and presentation copy of ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,’ inscribed by illustrator John Tenniel and featuring a Mad Hatter sketch by him, estimated at $15,000-$25,000 at Potter & Potter.

First authorized edition, first published English edition and presentation copy of ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,’ inscribed by illustrator John Tenniel and featuring a Mad Hatter sketch by him, estimated at $15,000-$25,000 at Potter & Potter.

First authorized edition, first published English edition and presentation copy of ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,’ inscribed by the author as ‘C. Dodgson,’ estimated at $30,000-$50,000 at Potter & Potter.

First authorized edition, first published English edition and presentation copy of ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,’ inscribed by the author as ‘C. Dodgson,’ estimated at $30,000-$50,000 at Potter & Potter.

Greaves & Thomas ‘Alice’-themed celestial globe, relying on the artwork of John Tenniel, estimated at $5,000-$7,000 at Potter & Potter.

Greaves & Thomas ‘Alice’-themed celestial globe, relying on the artwork of John Tenniel, estimated at $5,000-$7,000 at Potter & Potter.

Sheila Gibson Stoodley

Sheila Gibson Stoodley

Sheila Gibson Stoodley is the associate editor for Auction Central News. She has written and edited for Robb Report, Art & Antiques magazine, and Andrew Harper online. She also authored The Hot Bid, a blog devoted to intriguing and delightful lots coming up at auction.

Japanese Antarctic Expedition artifacts yielded historic results at Potter & Potter

Yoshitake Shima, 'Nankyoku Tanken to Kotaijingu no Hosai (South Pole Expedition and the Enshrinement of Kotaijingu),' which sold for $30,000 ($37,500 with buyer’s premium) at Potter & Potter.

CHICAGO — Other than those who undertook the dangerous mission, no one knows more about the 1910-12 Japanese Antarctic Expedition than Chet Ross. Pulling from myriad sources, Ross authored what is considered to be the definitive bibliography of accounts of the expedition, the first by a non-Western nation.

In doing so, Ross acquired an unparalleled collection of artifacts and accounts from participants in the adventure, which came to auction at Potter & Potter October 12. Complete results are available at LiveAuctioneers.

Interestingly, two of the leading lots related to expedition commander Nobu Shirase failed to sell: the only known copy of the lost 16mm film shot during the expedition, and a framed commemorative fan signed by Shirase shortly after his return from Antarctica.

Polar exploration collectors instead focused on rare books from the Ross collection. Nankyoku Tanken to Kotaijingu no Hosai (South Pole Expedition and the Enshrinement of Kotaijingu) by Yoshitake Shima is considered the rarest of the first-person narratives related to the expedition and comes complete with photos and a color map. A Shinto priest, Shima served as purser aboard the Kainan Maru and clerk for both seasons of exploration. Estimated at $10,000-$15,000, it sold for $30,000 ($37,500 with buyer’s premium).

From an edition of 15 and the only known surviving copy, Hokuyo Nankyoku no Kaitaku-sha: Shirase Chui (Pioneer of Northern Antarctica: Lieutenant Shirase) by Zenya Taniguchi and Kimura Yoshimasa, sold for $28,000 ($35,000 with buyer’s premium) against an estimate of $10,000-$15,000. The authors met the elderly Nobu Shirase at university and formed the Nippon Polar Research Institute, with Shirase serving as its first president.

A first edition of what amounts to an official account of the Japanese Antarctic Expedition, published in 1913 by the Japanese Antarctic Expedition Support Committee, was based on the journals and logs of Lt. Shirase and other expedition members. It contains a red seal on the title page, indicating this volume had been read by the Emperor of Japan. It sold for $14,000 ($17,500 with buyer’s premium), having been estimated at $6,000-$8,000.

Yoshitake Shima, 'Nankyoku Tanken to Kotaijingu no Hosai (South Pole Expedition and the Enshrinement of Kotaijingu),' which sold for $30,000 ($37,500 with buyer’s premium) at Potter & Potter.

Yoshitake Shima, 'Nankyoku Tanken to Kotaijingu no Hosai (South Pole Expedition and the Enshrinement of Kotaijingu),' which sold for $30,000 ($37,500 with buyer’s premium) at Potter & Potter.

Zenya Taniguchi and Kimura Yoshimasa, 'Hokuyo Nankyoku no Kaitaku-sha: Shirase Chui (Pioneer of Northern Antarctica: Lieutenant Shirase),' which sold for $28,000 ($35,000 with buyer’s premium) at Potter & Potter.

Zenya Taniguchi and Kimura Yoshimasa, 'Hokuyo Nankyoku no Kaitaku-sha: Shirase Chui (Pioneer of Northern Antarctica: Lieutenant Shirase),' which sold for $28,000 ($35,000 with buyer’s premium) at Potter & Potter.

Nobu Shirase, 'Nankyoku-ki (Records of Antarctica),' which sold for $14,000 ($17,500 with buyer's premium) at Potter & Potter.

Nobu Shirase, 'Nankyoku-ki (Records of Antarctica),' which sold for $14,000 ($17,500 with buyer's premium) at Potter & Potter.

Jim Bunte

Jim Bunte

Jim Bunte has worked in editorial, design and the toy and auction industries for more than 30 years. He co-founded Auction Central News in 2007.

Iconic posters of World War II take command at Potter and Potter Nov. 10

1939 Keep Calm And Carry On poster, created by Britain’s Ministry of Information, estimated at $8,000-$12,000 at Potter & Potter Auctions.

CHICAGO – On Friday, November 10, Potter & Potter will hold its next Vintage Posters sale, featuring more than 700 lots. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

Bearing the highest estimate in the sale is a 1939 copy of the famed Keep Calm and Carry On poster created by Britain’s Ministry of Information (MOI), aka its propaganda wing. Designed mere weeks before Germany invaded Poland and started World War II, the MOI suffered a bout of cold feet after it had sent almost two and a half million copies to distribution centers across the U.K. According to a blog post by the British government on the history of the poster, “The individual responsible for sanctioning expenditure at the Treasury had, for instance, expressed real fear that ‘the population might well resent having this poster crammed down their throats at every turn’ whilst [leading MOI civil servant A.P.] Waterfield maintained that the slogan was ‘too commonplace to be inspiring’ and feared that ‘it may even annoy people that we should seem to doubt the steadiness of their nerves’.” This unease prompted the MOI to pull the plug on the poster campaign, and the bulk of the Keep Calm and Carry On press run was pulped.

It went unheralded and largely unknown until the year 2000, when two British booksellers, Stuart and Mary Manley, found a few copies of the striking, almost wholly typographic white-on-red poster in a box of second-hand books they had won at auction. The sentiment that turned the MOI against it at the dawn of World War II had, with the passage of time and with Britain’s brave and successful resistance of Nazi forces, seemed to capture and exemplify that age for people enjoying the hindsight afforded by the dawn of the 21st century. The example offered by Potter & Potter carries an estimate of $8,000-$12,000.

Another significant World War II-era poster on offer in the November 10 sale is Above and Beyond the Call of Duty, a 1943 poster designed by David Stone Martin and issued by the U.S. Government Printing Office. It is based on a photograph of Doris “Dorie” Miller in his Navy uniform, wearing the Navy Cross he received for valor during the attack on Pearl Harbor.

As a Black man, Miller would not have been trained to fight. He was serving as a mess attendant, second class when the Japanese ambush hit. After carrying wounded sailors out of danger, Miller seized control of an anti-aircraft gun and proceeded to shoot down at least four, and as many as six, enemy aircraft. His efforts made him the first Black man to earn the Navy Cross, but sadly, racist Navy officials refused to consider him for a Medal of Honor despite a vigorous campaign on his behalf. Miller was subsequently killed in action in November 1943 when a Japanese submarine torpedoed his ship.

While the Dorie Miller poster is not as rare or as iconic as the Keep Calm and Carry On poster, it is significant for being a government-issued, widely distributed portrayal of a Black person as a war hero. Its estimate is $4,000-$6,000.

1939 Keep Calm And Carry On poster, created by Britain’s Ministry of Information, estimated at $8,000-$12,000 at Potter & Potter Auctions.

1939 Keep Calm And Carry On poster, created by Britain’s Ministry of Information, estimated at $8,000-$12,000 at Potter & Potter Auctions.

1943 David Stone Martin poster for the U.S. Government Printing Office, ‘Above and Beyond the Call of Duty (Dorie Miller),’ estimated at $4,000-$6,000 at Potter & Potter Auctions.

1943 David Stone Martin poster for the U.S. Government Printing Office, ‘Above and Beyond the Call of Duty (Dorie Miller),’ estimated at $4,000-$6,000 at Potter & Potter Auctions.

1930 N.C. Wyeth poster, ‘Pittsburgh in the Beginning / Pennsylvania Railroad,’ estimated at $2,000-$3,000 at Potter & Potter Auctions.

1930 N.C. Wyeth poster, ‘Pittsburgh in the Beginning / Pennsylvania Railroad,’ estimated at $2,000-$3,000 at Potter & Potter Auctions.

1970s Pan Am travel poster for New York, estimated at $1,000-$1,500 at Potter & Potter Auctions.

1970s Pan Am travel poster for New York, estimated at $1,000-$1,500 at Potter & Potter Auctions.

Sheila Gibson Stoodley

Sheila Gibson Stoodley

Sheila Gibson Stoodley is the associate editor for Auction Central News. She has written and edited for Robb Report, Art & Antiques magazine, and Andrew Harper online. She also authored The Hot Bid, a blog devoted to intriguing and delightful lots coming up at auction.

Magician Ricky Jay’s collection back for Part II sale at Potter & Potter Oct. 28

Circa-2005 spirit photograph of Ricky Jay and Abraham Lincoln, taken by Stephen Berkman, estimated at $1,500-$2,500 at Potter & Potter.

CHICAGO – Potter & Potter’s second sale from the collection of the peerless Ricky Jay (1946-2018), magician, author, actor, curator, lecturer and scholar-historian, is scheduled for Saturday, October 28. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers. The first sale, held in February 2023, totaled more than $980,000 and had an almost perfect sell through rate.

In addition to his stage performances and lecture-demonstrations, Jay appeared in the films Tomorrow Never Dies, Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Heist, House of Games, and The Prestige, among others. Through his company, Deceptive Practices, he consulted on a range of films that included The Natural, Forrest Gump, The Illusionist, The Escape Artist, and Leap of Faith.

The lineup features 323 lots, with the highest estimate going to an extensive archive of correspondence between the magician Karl Germain (born Charles Mattmueller, 1878-1959) and his assistant and colleague, Paul Fleming. Beginning in 1908 and ending with Germain’s death in 1959, the materials include detailed explanations of several of his illusions, including his one-man Spirit Cabinet, the workings of which were not discussed in the Germain biographies written by Stuart Cramer. The lot carries an estimate of $30,000-$60,000.

Perhaps the only lot in the sale that features an image of the late collector-magician is a circa-2005 spirit photograph, taken by Stephen Berkman, which shows a seated Ricky Jay with the spectral presence of Abraham Lincoln behind him, resting a hand on his shoulder. The silver gelatin photograph, which measures 14 by 11in, is the only known printed example. Its estimate is $1,500-$25,000.

The Bartholomew Fair was one of Jay’s many interests, and he was hardly alone in that. The fair, a London summer institution from 1133 until 1855, when it was banned for causing one too many breaches of the peace, was the subject of a comedic 1614 play by Ben Jonson. On offer is a group of three large quarto scrapbooks full of Bartholomew Fair-related clippings. The lot notes state, ‘The books contain hundreds of mounted holographic notes, letters, and related information culled from contemporary accounts regarding the Fair and the performers, presenters, and even the thieves working at the event … In addition, countless mounted cuttings from the eighteenth and nineteenth century fill the pages, together with approximately 100 engravings, half of which depict freaks, entertainers, and curious characters.’ Its estimate is $8,000-$12,000.

Naturally, Jay’s collection extended to Harry Houdini, and a choice piece, estimated at $5,000-$10,000, appears in the October 28 sale: a large, horizontal 1925 poster proclaiming ‘3 Shows In One. The World Famous Houdini. Master Mystifier.’ It was produced for what turned out to be Houdini’s final tour, which ended after he was punched in the abdomen in his dressing room in Montreal, Canada, an incident that ultimately lead to his death from peritonitis in Detroit, Michigan on October 31, 1926.

Jay was famously interested in extraordinary people, and a fair representative of that interest is a group of clothing and furniture that belonged to Cassie and Victoria Foster, two exceptionally small girls, born seven years apart, who were exhibited as “The Fairy Sisters.” The earliest newspaper notice on the two described them as “perfect in form and feature and look like little dolls.” Their performance careers were short – Victoria succumbed to meningitis in November 1874, when she was not yet four years old, and her older sister Cassie followed 11 months later, dying from a bacterial skin infection. The items in the lot, which is estimated at $3,000-$6,000, provide evidence of their extremely small statures. The largest piece, a couch finished in red fabric, measures 15 by 7 by 11in.

Circa-2005 spirit photograph of Ricky Jay and Abraham Lincoln, taken by Stephen Berkman, estimated at $1,500-$2,500 at Potter & Potter.

Circa-2005 spirit photograph of Ricky Jay and Abraham Lincoln, taken by Stephen Berkman, estimated at $1,500-$2,500 at Potter & Potter.

Archive of correspondence between magician Karl Germain and his assistant and colleague Paul Fleming from 1908 to 1959, estimated at $30,000-$60,000 at Potter & Potter.

Archive of correspondence between magician Karl Germain and his assistant and colleague Paul Fleming from 1908 to 1959, estimated at $30,000-$60,000 at Potter & Potter.

Sheila Gibson Stoodley

Sheila Gibson Stoodley

Sheila Gibson Stoodley is the associate editor for Auction Central News. She has written and edited for Robb Report, Art & Antiques magazine, and Andrew Harper online. She also authored The Hot Bid, a blog devoted to intriguing and delightful lots coming up at auction.

Japan’s Antarctic expedition history highlighted at Potter & Potter’s Oct. 12 sale

'Shirase Nankyoku Tanken Kiroku (Lt. Shirase’s Antarctic Expedition),' copy of original 1912 documentary, estimated at $15,000-$25,000 at Potter & Potter Auctions.

CHICAGO — A treasure trove of historic materials related to the Japanese Antarctic Expedition of 1910-1912 comes to market at Potter & Potter Auctions on Thursday, October 12. The sale is now open for bidding at LiveAuctioneers.

Privately financed and headed by Imperial Army Lieutenant Nobu Shirase (1861-1946), the JAE was the first non-Western Antarctic expedition. Failing in their first try to reach the South Pole, Shirase and his team returned for a second, more successful attempt. They made landfall and set at number of records, including being first to land on King Edward VII Land (a sector of Antarctica) and only the fourth team to travel below the 80°S mark.

The expedition failed to capture the world’s attention at the time, and it ultimately fell into obscurity, only recently undergoing a revival of interest.

The collection at Potter & Potter comes from Chet Ross, who authored the definitive and only bibliography about the expedition, pouring through countless Japanese-language accounts previously forgotten. Since the publication of Ross’ book, several new items have been located, including Shirase’s personal military textbooks. Consequently, Potter & Potter notes that this auction catalog will serve as a “revised bibliography” to Ross’ original work.

One of the most important artifacts included in the sale is a believed one-off copy of the original 16mm film (now lost) of the Japanese Antarctic Expedition of 1910-1912 led by Nobu Shirase. The 55-minute film documents the team’s preparation for departure, the journey south, the return to and stay in New Zealand, the second attempt to reach Antarctica, landfall on the Antarctic Continent and the return to Japan. It was given to Chet Ross by the Memorial Hall of the Shirase Expeditionary Party to the South Pole, Nikaho, Japan, in November 2010 as thanks for writing the Shirase JAE bibliography.

A fan signed by Nobu Shirase a month after the expedition’s return to Japan is considered a “very rare” item in the collection. It carries an estimate of $12,000-$15,000.

The latter portion of the Potter & Potter sale includes numerous exploration-related artifacts. The top lot in the sale is an Akeley ‘pancake’ motion picture camera used by two Paramount cinematographers on Byrd’s first Antarctic expedition. Their footage would end up as the Academy Award-winning documentary With Byrd at the South Pole. It is estimated at $30,000-$50,000.

'Shirase Nankyoku Tanken Kiroku (Lt. Shirase’s Antarctic Expedition),' copy of original 1912 documentary, estimated at $15,000-$25,000 at Potter & Potter Auctions.

'Shirase Nankyoku Tanken Kiroku (Lt. Shirase’s Antarctic Expedition),' copy of original 1912 documentary, estimated at $15,000-$25,000 at Potter & Potter Auctions.

Nobu Shirase-autographed fan with poem, estimated at $12,000-$15,000 at Potter & Potter Auctions.

Nobu Shirase-autographed fan with poem, estimated at $12,000-$15,000 at Potter & Potter Auctions.

Akeley 'Pancake' camera that filmed the Academy Award-winning documentary 'With Byrd at the South Pole,' estimated at $30,000-$50,000 at Potter & Potter Auctions.

Akeley 'Pancake' camera that filmed the Academy Award-winning documentary 'With Byrd at the South Pole,' estimated at $30,000-$50,000 at Potter & Potter Auctions.

Original auxiliary deck wheel from the USS Bear, owned by Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd, estimated at $10,000-$15,000 at Potter & Potter Auctions.

Original auxiliary deck wheel from the USS Bear, owned by Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd, estimated at $10,000-$15,000 at Potter & Potter Auctions.

Jim Bunte

Jim Bunte

Jim Bunte has worked in editorial, design and the toy and auction industries for more than 30 years. He co-founded Auction Central News in 2007.

Potter & Potter conjures amazing results for its Vintage & Modern Magic sale

1909 'Thurston the World’s Greatest Magician' poster, sold for $36,000 ($45,000 with buyer's premium) at Potter & Potter.

CHICAGO — Magical numbers were achieved in Potter & Potter’s Vintage & Modern Magic sale on August 26, with Harry Houdini, posters from the Golden Age of stage magic and a David Copperfield television-used prop all selling above their estimates. The auction was featured on LiveAuctioneers.

As anticipated, a 1904 theatrical contract between an English theater and Harry Houdini (birth name Erich Weisz), hand-signed by the magician, soared well above its $3,000-$5,000 estimate to land at $12,000 ($15,000 with buyer’s premium). This result continues the trend for strong showings by Houdiniana in the contemporary market.

A Houdini-signed two-volume set of 1859’s Memoirs of Robert-Houdin, written by Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin, who is considered the father of modern magic, reached $26,000 ($32,500 with buyer’s premium) against an estimate of $6,000-$8,000. Houdini personally inscribed the book to his friend Bernard M.L. Ernst in 1922, and it features additional notations by the magician.

A 1909 promotional poster for ‘Thurston, the world’s greatest magician‘ topped the sale at $36,000 ($45,000 with buyer’s premium). The colorful linen-backed lithograph is one of only a handful known.

A television-used interactive illusion from The Magic of David Copperfield XIV, a 1992 special that aired on CBS, astounded the floor by hammering at $32,000 ($40,000 with buyer’s premium), against an estimate of only $1,000-$2,000. A sheet of glass with 12 recognizable symbols, the custom-made prop was used by Copperfield for an interactive mind-reading effect performed through the television screen for millions of at-home viewers. The item is one of only two Copperfield props ever sold to the public, with the blessing of his organization.

1909 'Thurston the World’s Greatest Magician' poster, sold for $36,000 ($45,000 with buyer's premium) at Potter & Potter.

1909 'Thurston the World’s Greatest Magician' poster, sold for $36,000 ($45,000 with buyer's premium) at Potter & Potter.

1859 two-volume 'Memoirs of Robert-Houdin' by Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin, given and signed by Harry Houdini, sold for $26,000 ($32,500 with buyer's premium) at Potter & Potter.

1859 two-volume 'Memoirs of Robert-Houdin' by Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin, given and signed by Harry Houdini, sold for $26,000 ($32,500 with buyer's premium) at Potter & Potter.

Contract for Houdini’s Christmastime engagements in England from December 26 – 31, 1904, signed by the magician, sold for $12,000 ($15,000 with buyer's premium) at Potter & Potter.

Contract for Houdini’s Christmastime engagements in England from December 26 – 31, 1904, signed by the magician, sold for $12,000 ($15,000 with buyer's premium) at Potter & Potter.

Interactive illusion from the 1992 television special 'The Magic of David Copperfield XIV,' sold for $32,000 ($40,000 with buyer's premium) at Potter & Potter.

Interactive illusion from the 1992 television special 'The Magic of David Copperfield XIV,' sold for $32,000 ($40,000 with buyer's premium) at Potter & Potter.

Jim Bunte

Jim Bunte

Jim Bunte has worked in editorial, design and the toy and auction industries for more than 30 years. He co-founded Auction Central News in 2007.

First among Firsts: The Smiley library of modern first editions wins $516K at Potter & Potter

First American edition, first state copy of J.R.R. Tolkien’s ‘The Hobbit or There and Back Again,’ $20,000 ($25,000 including buyer’s premium) at Potter & Potter.

[av_heading heading=’First among Firsts: The Smiley library of modern first editions wins $516K at Potter & Potter’ tag=’h1′ style=” subheading_active=” show_icon=” icon=’ue800′ font=’entypo-fontello’ size=” av-desktop-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” subheading_size=” av-desktop-font-size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” icon_size=” av-desktop-font-size-1=” av-medium-font-size-1=” av-small-font-size-1=” av-mini-font-size-1=” color=” custom_font=” subheading_color=” seperator_color=” icon_color=” margin=’,,35px,’ av-desktop-margin=” av-desktop-margin_sync=’true’ av-medium-margin=” av-medium-margin_sync=’true’ av-small-margin=’,,20px,’ av-mini-margin=” av-mini-margin_sync=’true’ headline_padding=” headline_padding_sync=’true’ av-desktop-headline_padding=” av-desktop-headline_padding_sync=’true’ av-medium-headline_padding=” av-medium-headline_padding_sync=’true’ av-small-headline_padding=” av-small-headline_padding_sync=’true’ av-mini-headline_padding=” av-mini-headline_padding_sync=’true’ padding=’10’ av-desktop-padding=” av-medium-padding=” av-small-padding=” av-mini-padding=” icon_padding=’10’ av-desktop-icon_padding=” av-medium-icon_padding=” av-small-icon_padding=” av-mini-icon_padding=” link=” link_target=” title_attr=” id=” custom_class=” template_class=” av_uid=’av-lm6c5tf7′ sc_version=’1.0′ admin_preview_bg=”][/av_heading]

[av_post_metadata post_selected=” seperator=’ | ‘ before_meta_content=’Sheila Gibson Stoodley |’ after_meta_content=” margin=” margin_sync=’true’ padding=’,,35px,’ 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’ align=’left’ custom_title=” size=” av-desktop-font-size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” alb_description=” id=” custom_class=” template_class=” av_uid=’av-lm6c637l’ sc_version=’1.0′ admin_preview_bg=”]
[av_metadata_item metadata=’published’ before_meta=” after_meta=” link_meta=’default’ link_target=” av_uid=’av-18x9qwpl’ sc_version=’1.0′]
[av_metadata_item metadata=’categories’ before_meta=’in’ after_meta=” link_meta=’default’ link_target=” av_uid=’av-12yh0zrt’ sc_version=’1.0′]
[/av_post_metadata]

[av_textblock fold_type=” fold_height=” fold_more=’Read more’ fold_less=’Read less’ fold_text_style=” fold_btn_align=” textblock_styling_align=” textblock_styling=” textblock_styling_gap=” textblock_styling_mobile=” size=” av-desktop-font-size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” color=” fold_overlay_color=” fold_text_color=” fold_btn_color=’theme-color’ fold_btn_bg_color=” fold_btn_font_color=” size-btn-text=” av-desktop-font-size-btn-text=” av-medium-font-size-btn-text=” av-small-font-size-btn-text=” av-mini-font-size-btn-text=” fold_timer=” z_index_fold=” id=” custom_class=” template_class=” av_uid=’av-lm6c7avw’ sc_version=’1.0′ admin_preview_bg=”]

CHICAGO – As co-publishers and editors of Firsts: The Book Collector’s Magazine, established in 1991, Robin and Kathryn Smiley’s bookshelves were brimming with choice first editions from across the broad span of British and American literature. The 382-lot sale of their library offered at Potter & Potter Auctions on August 17 totaled $516,000.

Among the earliest American firsts in the sale was an 1833 edition of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. Described as “an exceptional copy complete and uncut in original boards,” it hammered for $16,000 ($20,000 including the buyer’s premium).

By the late 19th century, American editions could follow UK and European printings in a matter of months, but this Carey, Lea & Blanchard (Philadelphia) two-volume printing of Frankenstein came years after the first edition was published anonymously in London in January 1818. Shelley’s name first appeared in the second edition published in Paris in 1821, with the story’s first theatrical adaptation watched by the author in 1823. The first US edition features a misspelling of the author’s surname as Shelly on the title page.

Estimated at $10,000-$15,000 and sold at $20,000 ($25,000 including the buyer’s premium) was a first American edition, first state copy of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit or There and Back Again in its original jacket. It was published by Houghton Mifflin in 1938, less than a year after it was issued by Allen & Unwin in the UK in September 1939. The story goes that Paul Brooks of Houghton Mifflin, later to be named editor-in-chief, “fell for Mr Bilbo Baggins and his crew” despite negative criticism from others he consulted. Anxious to “veto anything from or influenced by the Disney studios (for all whose work I have a heartfelt loathing),” Tolkien provided a series of new illustrations for the project, two of which were reproduced on the dust jacket. Today it is very rare: fewer have survived than the classic UK first edition jacket.

The first state of the US edition is distinctive for the image of what’s known as the ‘bowing hobbit’ on the title page (that was replaced by a publisher’s device in the second state) while the endpapers are bound opposite the List of Illustrations.

Easily earning top-lot status in the Smiley sale was an early copy of Mark Twain’s The Innocents Abroad, or The New Pilgrims’ Progress, from 1870 (it was first published in 1869). A good rather than pristine copy, it was elevated by a 1906 inscription from its pseudonymous author that included one of his famed aphorisms: ‘Do your duty to-day and repent tomorrow. Truly yours, Mark Twain.’ Estimated at $15,000-$20,000, it hammered for $50,000 ($62,500 including the buyer’s premium). 

Sold for $12,000 ($15,000 including the buyer’s premium) was a 1960 first edition of Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird. Not only did it include the first issue jacket, with the photo of Lee credited to Truman Capote, it was offered with a note from Harper Lee to the Smileys, dated January 1, 1997, thanking them for a complimentary copy of Firsts and including a check for a subscription. “I’m not a collector (of anything) but I have, as you may guess, great interest in books. Firsts is absolutely first-rate!” she wrote. The Smileys did not cash the check, signed with her full name Nelle Harper Lee, so that, too, was also included in the lot.

[/av_textblock]

[av_button label=’VIEW COMPLETE CATALOG’ icon_select=’no’ icon=’ue832′ font=’entypo-fontello’ link=’manually,https://www.liveauctioneers.com/catalog/295567_the-library-of-robin-and-kathryn-smiley/?page=1&sort=lotNumber’ link_target=’_blank’ size=’small’ position=’left’ 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-xr0glsp’ sc_version=’1.0′ admin_preview_bg=”]

[av_hr class=’invisible’ icon_select=’yes’ icon=’ue808′ font=’entypo-fontello’ position=’center’ shadow=’no-shadow’ height=’20’ custom_border=’av-border-thin’ custom_width=’50px’ custom_margin_top=’30px’ custom_margin_bottom=’30px’ custom_border_color=” custom_icon_color=” id=” custom_class=” template_class=” av_uid=’av-t3wsti1′ sc_version=’1.0′ admin_preview_bg=”]

[av_slideshow img_copyright=” size=’no scaling’ control_layout=’av-control-minimal av-control-minimal-dark’ slider_navigation=’av-navigate-arrows av-navigate-dots’ nav_visibility_desktop=” nav_arrow_color=” nav_arrow_bg_color=” nav_dots_color=” nav_dot_active_color=” img_copyright_font=” av-desktop-font-img_copyright_font=” av-medium-font-img_copyright_font=” av-small-font-img_copyright_font=” av-mini-font-img_copyright_font=” img_copyright_color=” img_copyright_bg=” animation=’fade’ transition_speed=” autoplay=’false’ interval=’8′ img_scale=” img_scale_end=’10’ img_scale_direction=” img_scale_duration=’3′ img_scale_opacity=’1′ conditional_play=” img_scrset=” lazy_loading=’enabled’ alb_description=” id=” custom_class=” template_class=” av_uid=’av-q7c8zh5′ sc_version=’1.0′]
[av_slide slide_type=’image’ id=’178589′ video=’https://’ mobile_image=” fallback_link=’https://’ title=” video_ratio=’16:9′ custom_title_size=” av-desktop-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” custom_size=” av-desktop-font-size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” custom_title=” custom_content=” heading_tag=” heading_class=” link_apply=’image’ link=’manually,https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/157314256_clemens-samuel-langhorne-mark-twain-1835-1910-the-i’ link_target=’_blank’ av_uid=’av-lm6daqu0′ sc_version=’1.0′ video_autoplay=” video_controls=” video_mute=” video_loop=”]
Early edition of Mark Twain’s ‘The Innocents Abroad,’ inscribed by the author with one of his aphorisms, $50,000 ($62,500 including buyer’s premium) at Potter & Potter.
[/av_slide]
[av_slide slide_type=’image’ id=’178590′ video=’https://’ mobile_image=” fallback_link=’https://’ title=” video_ratio=’16:9′ custom_title_size=” av-desktop-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” custom_size=” av-desktop-font-size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” custom_title=” custom_content=” heading_tag=” heading_class=” link_apply=’image’ link=’manually,https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/157314127_tolkien-jrr-1892-1973-the-hobbit-or-there-and-back-a ‘ link_target=’_blank’ av_uid=’av-lm6dczc3′ sc_version=’1.0′ video_autoplay=” video_controls=” video_mute=” video_loop=”]
First American edition, first state copy of J.R.R. Tolkien’s ‘The Hobbit or There and Back Again,’ $20,000 ($25,000 including buyer’s premium) at Potter & Potter.
[/av_slide]
[av_slide slide_type=’image’ id=’178592′ video=’https://’ mobile_image=” fallback_link=’https://’ title=” video_ratio=’16:9′ custom_title_size=” av-desktop-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” custom_size=” av-desktop-font-size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” custom_title=” custom_content=” heading_tag=” heading_class=” link_apply=’image’ link=’manually, https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/157314329_shelley-mary-wollstonecraft-1797-1851-frankenstein-or’ link_target=’_blank’ av_uid=’av-lm6desy8′ sc_version=’1.0′]
First American edition of Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus,’ $16,000 ($20,000 including buyer’s premium) at Potter & Potter.

[/av_slide]
[av_slide slide_type=’image’ id=’178593′ video=’https://’ mobile_image=” fallback_link=’https://’ title=” video_ratio=’16:9′ custom_title_size=” av-desktop-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” custom_size=” av-desktop-font-size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” custom_title=” custom_content=” heading_tag=” heading_class=” link_apply=’image’ link=’manually,https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/157314075_lee-harper-1926-2016-to-kill-a-mockingbird-philadelphi ‘ link_target=’_blank’ av_uid=’av-lm6dfsrv’ sc_version=’1.0′]
First edition of Harper Lee’s ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ in the first issue jacket offered with a note from Harper Lee dated January 1, 1997, $12,000 ($15,000 including buyer’s premium) at Potter & Potter.
[/av_slide]
[av_slide slide_type=’image’ id=’178594′ video=’https://’ mobile_image=” fallback_link=’https://’ title=” video_ratio=’16:9′ custom_title_size=” av-desktop-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” custom_size=” av-desktop-font-size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” custom_title=” custom_content=” heading_tag=” heading_class=” link_apply=’image’ link=’manually,https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/157314123_steinbeck-john-1902-1968-the-grapes-of-wrath-new-york’ link_target=’_blank’ av_uid=’av-lm6dgmij’ sc_version=’1.0′]
First edition of John Steinbeck’s ‘The Grapes of Wrath,’ described as ‘an exceptionally attractive copy,’ $4,200 ($5,250 including buyer’s premium) at Potter & Potter.
[/av_slide]
[av_slide slide_type=’image’ id=’178595′ video=’https://’ mobile_image=” fallback_link=’https://’ title=” video_ratio=’16:9′ custom_title_size=” av-desktop-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” custom_size=” av-desktop-font-size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” custom_title=” custom_content=” heading_tag=” heading_class=” link_apply=’image’ link=’manually,https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/157314010_christie-agatha-1890-1976-death-on-the-nile-london-co’ link_target=’_blank’ av_uid=’av-lm6dhq9c’ sc_version=’1.0′]
First edition in Robin Macartney dust jacket of Agatha Christie’s ‘Death on the Nile,’ $3,800 ($4,750 plus buyer’s premium) at Potter & Potter.
[/av_slide]
[/av_slideshow]

[av_hr class=’invisible’ icon_select=’yes’ icon=’ue808′ font=’entypo-fontello’ position=’center’ shadow=’no-shadow’ height=’50’ custom_border=’av-border-thin’ custom_width=’50px’ custom_margin_top=’30px’ custom_margin_bottom=’30px’ custom_border_color=” custom_icon_color=” id=” custom_class=” template_class=” av_uid=’av-7iin3rt’ sc_version=’1.0′ admin_preview_bg=”]

More than 700 lots of coin-operated devices and advertising at Potter & Potter Sept. 22

[av_heading heading=’More than 700 lots of coin-operated devices and advertising at Potter & Potter Sept. 22′ tag=’h1′ style=” subheading_active=” show_icon=” icon=’ue800′ font=’entypo-fontello’ size=” av-desktop-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” subheading_size=” av-desktop-font-size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” icon_size=” av-desktop-font-size-1=” av-medium-font-size-1=” av-small-font-size-1=” av-mini-font-size-1=” color=” custom_font=” subheading_color=” seperator_color=” icon_color=” margin=’,,35px,’ av-desktop-margin=” av-desktop-margin_sync=’true’ av-medium-margin=” av-medium-margin_sync=’true’ av-small-margin=’,,20px,’ av-mini-margin=” av-mini-margin_sync=’true’ headline_padding=” headline_padding_sync=’true’ av-desktop-headline_padding=” av-desktop-headline_padding_sync=’true’ av-medium-headline_padding=” av-medium-headline_padding_sync=’true’ av-small-headline_padding=” av-small-headline_padding_sync=’true’ av-mini-headline_padding=” av-mini-headline_padding_sync=’true’ padding=’10’ av-desktop-padding=” av-medium-padding=” av-small-padding=” av-mini-padding=” icon_padding=’10’ av-desktop-icon_padding=” av-medium-icon_padding=” av-small-icon_padding=” av-mini-icon_padding=” link=” link_target=” title_attr=” id=” custom_class=” template_class=” av_uid=’av-llqhfmh4′ sc_version=’1.0′ admin_preview_bg=”][/av_heading]

[av_post_metadata post_selected=” seperator=’ | ‘ before_meta_content=’Jim Bunte |’ after_meta_content=” margin=” margin_sync=’true’ padding=’,,35px,’ 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’ align=’left’ custom_title=” size=” av-desktop-font-size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” alb_description=” id=” custom_class=” template_class=” av_uid=’av-llqhfusr’ sc_version=’1.0′ admin_preview_bg=”]
[av_metadata_item metadata=’published’ before_meta=” after_meta=” link_meta=’default’ link_target=” av_uid=’av-19e4flst’ sc_version=’1.0′]
[av_metadata_item metadata=’categories’ before_meta=’in’ after_meta=” link_meta=’default’ link_target=” av_uid=’av-15c0wbrx’ sc_version=’1.0′]
[/av_post_metadata]

[av_textblock fold_type=” fold_height=” fold_more=’Read more’ fold_less=’Read less’ fold_text_style=” fold_btn_align=” textblock_styling_align=” textblock_styling=” textblock_styling_gap=” textblock_styling_mobile=” size=” av-desktop-font-size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” color=” fold_overlay_color=” fold_text_color=” fold_btn_color=’theme-color’ fold_btn_bg_color=” fold_btn_font_color=” size-btn-text=” av-desktop-font-size-btn-text=” av-medium-font-size-btn-text=” av-small-font-size-btn-text=” av-mini-font-size-btn-text=” fold_timer=” z_index_fold=” id=” custom_class=” template_class=” av_uid=’av-llqhqydy’ sc_version=’1.0′ admin_preview_bg=”]
CHICAGO — Classic advertising and coin-operated devices from bygone days are the stars at Potter & Potter on Friday, September 22. With more than 700 lots up for bid, the range and depth of the Coin-Op & Advertising sale is something not commonly seen in today’s auction environment. Bidding is available on LiveAuctioneers.

Beginning in the late 19th century, retailers began using trade stimulators – coin-operated devices designed to entertain and challenge patrons (usually in drinking establishments) while they passed the time. Powered by coins and ever-advancing technology, the devices were issued in a dizzying array of designs, from ‘penny drop‘ to target and shooting-type machines. Some localities considered the machines gambling devices and either seized or destroyed them, making many examples exceedingly rare today.

So too is the diversity of advertising signs. Unlike the conformity of LED-powered signs we see today, 100 years ago (or more), signs were usually unique, created especially for the specific client, and for the trades, often resembled elements associated with the business, such as eyeglasses for an optician. Many signs from the late 19th and early 20th centuries were reverse painted on glass, meaning the sign was actually a piece of glass with graphics applied in a mirror reversal to show the correct orientation to the viewer, while preserving the delicate painting on the reverse. Due to their fragility, these are rare today.

A featured lot in the sale is this optician’s trade sign made from hand-forged metal and featuring colorful blue and red glass. Designed to hang outside an eye doctor’s office, this lot is estimated at $1,500-$2,500.

Financing has long been a part of American commerce. A ‘Glasses on credit’ reverse painted sign featuring a prominent eyeball image carries an estimate of $1,000-$2,000.

Pre-Prohibition drinking establishment signs are always in demand. A J. F. Jecker Saloon hanging sign, with clear provenance to its original home in Victoria, Texas, just northeast of Corpus Christi, is made from wood and measures 95 by 42 by 1.5in. It is estimated at $4,000-$8,000.

A great way of entertaining while separating patrons from their money is the shooting gallery-type device. This Norris 1-cent target practice countertop game is in working condition – just drop the penny in and the patron attempts to “shoot” the coin into the target hole. It has a $1,500-$2,000 estimate.

Register now for Potter & Potter’s Coin-Op and Advertising Sale September 22 at LiveAuctioneers.
[/av_textblock]

[av_button label=’VIEW COMPLETE CATALOG’ icon_select=’no’ icon=’ue832′ font=’entypo-fontello’ link=’manually,https://www.liveauctioneers.com/catalog/299678_coin-op-and-advertising/?keyword=&page=1&pageSize=120&sort=lotNumber’ link_target=’_blank’ size=’small’ position=’left’ 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-xiktixp’ sc_version=’1.0′ admin_preview_bg=”]

[av_hr class=’invisible’ icon_select=’yes’ icon=’ue808′ font=’entypo-fontello’ position=’center’ shadow=’no-shadow’ height=’20’ custom_border=’av-border-thin’ custom_width=’50px’ custom_margin_top=’30px’ custom_margin_bottom=’30px’ custom_border_color=” custom_icon_color=” id=” custom_class=” template_class=” av_uid=’av-ss1x0f1′ sc_version=’1.0′ admin_preview_bg=”]

[av_slideshow img_copyright=” size=’no scaling’ control_layout=’av-control-minimal av-control-minimal-dark’ slider_navigation=’av-navigate-arrows av-navigate-dots’ nav_visibility_desktop=” nav_arrow_color=” nav_arrow_bg_color=” nav_dots_color=” nav_dot_active_color=” img_copyright_font=” av-desktop-font-img_copyright_font=” av-medium-font-img_copyright_font=” av-small-font-img_copyright_font=” av-mini-font-img_copyright_font=” img_copyright_color=” img_copyright_bg=” animation=’fade’ transition_speed=” autoplay=’false’ interval=’8′ img_scale=” img_scale_end=’10’ img_scale_direction=” img_scale_duration=’3′ img_scale_opacity=’1′ conditional_play=” img_scrset=” lazy_loading=’enabled’ alb_description=” id=” custom_class=” template_class=” av_uid=’av-r8s6cpp’ sc_version=’1.0′]
[av_slide slide_type=’image’ id=’178148′ video=’https://’ mobile_image=” fallback_link=’https://’ title=” video_ratio=’16:9′ custom_title_size=” av-desktop-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” custom_size=” av-desktop-font-size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” custom_title=” custom_content=” heading_tag=” heading_class=” link_apply=’image’ link=’manually,https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/159663423_optician-trade-sign-circa-1890s-hand-forged-metal-opticia’ link_target=’_blank’ av_uid=’av-llqjmzms’ sc_version=’1.0′]
Circa-1890s optician’s trade sign, estimated at $1,500-$2,500 at Potter & Potter.
[/av_slide]
[av_slide slide_type=’image’ id=’178147′ video=’https://’ mobile_image=” fallback_link=’https://’ title=” video_ratio=’16:9′ custom_title_size=” av-desktop-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” custom_size=” av-desktop-font-size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” custom_title=” custom_content=” heading_tag=” heading_class=” link_apply=’image’ link=’manually,https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/159663327_reverse-painted-large-optometrist-glass-sign-glasses-on-c’ link_target=’_blank’ av_uid=’av-llqjohsw’ sc_version=’1.0′]
Reverse painted on glass optometrist’s sign, estimated at $1,000-$2,000 at Potter & Potter.
[/av_slide]
[av_slide slide_type=’image’ id=’178145′ video=’https://’ mobile_image=” fallback_link=’https://’ title=” video_ratio=’16:9′ custom_title_size=” av-desktop-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” custom_size=” av-desktop-font-size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” custom_title=” custom_content=” heading_tag=” heading_class=” link_apply=’image’ link=’manually,https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/159663247_j-f-jecker-saloon-large-hanging-outdoor-sign-victoria-t’ link_target=’_blank’ av_uid=’av-llqjpved’ sc_version=’1.0′ video_autoplay=” video_controls=” video_mute=” video_loop=”]
J. F. Jecker Saloon outdoor sign, estimated at $4,000-$8,000 at Potter & Potter.
[/av_slide]
[av_slide slide_type=’image’ id=’178144′ video=’https://’ mobile_image=” fallback_link=’https://’ title=” video_ratio=’16:9′ custom_title_size=” av-desktop-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” custom_size=” av-desktop-font-size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” custom_title=” custom_content=” heading_tag=” heading_class=” link_apply=’image’ link=’manually,https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/159663017_norris-1-cent-target-practice-countertop-game-columbus-oh’ link_target=’_blank’ av_uid=’av-llqjr8wv’ sc_version=’1.0′ video_autoplay=” video_controls=” video_mute=” video_loop=”]
Norris 1 Cent Target Practice countertop game, estimated at $1,500-$2,000 at Potter & Potter.
[/av_slide]
[av_slide slide_type=’image’ id=’178143′ video=’https://’ mobile_image=” fallback_link=’https://’ title=” video_ratio=’16:9′ custom_title_size=” av-desktop-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” custom_size=” av-desktop-font-size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” custom_title=” custom_content=” heading_tag=” heading_class=” link_apply=’image’ link=’manually,https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/159662998_mills-5-cent-quartoscope-automatic-flip-card-viewer-with-ma’ link_target=’_blank’ av_uid=’av-llqjt1s6′ sc_version=’1.0′ video_autoplay=” video_controls=” video_mute=” video_loop=”]
Mills 5 Cent Quartoscope automatic flip card viewer, estimated at $3,500-$6,500 at Potter & Potter.
[/av_slide]
[av_slide slide_type=’image’ id=’178146′ video=’https://’ mobile_image=” fallback_link=’https://’ title=” video_ratio=’16:9′ custom_title_size=” av-desktop-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” custom_size=” av-desktop-font-size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” custom_title=” custom_content=” heading_tag=” heading_class=” link_apply=’image’ link=’manually,https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/159663286_mortar-and-pestle-large-illuminated-jeweled-pharmacy-trade’ link_target=’_blank’ av_uid=’av-llqjujdk’ sc_version=’1.0′ video_autoplay=” video_controls=” video_mute=” video_loop=”]
Mortar and pestle illuminated pharmacy trade sign, estimated at $1,500-$3,000 at Potter & Potter.
[/av_slide]
[/av_slideshow]

[av_hr class=’invisible’ icon_select=’yes’ icon=’ue808′ font=’entypo-fontello’ position=’center’ shadow=’no-shadow’ height=’50’ custom_border=’av-border-thin’ custom_width=’50px’ custom_margin_top=’30px’ custom_margin_bottom=’30px’ custom_border_color=” custom_icon_color=” id=” custom_class=” template_class=” av_uid=’av-8jnuo4d’ sc_version=’1.0′ admin_preview_bg=”]