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.

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.

Gallery Report: Lynn Chadwick’s Winged Figures hit lofty heights at Doyle

ATLANTA – At the start of every month, ACN columnist Ken Hall gathers top auction highlights from across the United States and the world as well. The April 2023 edition of Ken’s Gallery Report showcases strong results from the finest auction houses. All prices quoted include the buyer’s premium, except where noted.

Lynn Chadwick bronzes, $126,000, Doyle New York

British artist Lynn Chadwick’s (British, 1914-2003) bronze Winged Figures Version II from 1973, depicting male and female forms with wing-like capes and geometrical heads, sold for $126,000 at a 20th Century Abstraction auction held March 8 by Doyle in New York City. Also, Valencia I by Filipino artist Fernando Zobel (1924-1984) achieved $214,200 as well as a new U.S. record for the artist; and Fluidos by Spanish artist Juan Genoves (1930-2020) settled at $189,000, also a new U.S. auction record for the artist.

 

Roger Brown painting, $138,600, Hindman

A monumental 1989 painting by Roger Brown (American, 1941-1997), titled Crossing the Bandiagara Escarpment with Baobab Trees and Dogon Dancers, sold for $138,600 at the auction of the single-owner collection of Susann Craig held March 9 by Hindman in Chicago. Also, Untitled (Guitar Nun) by Sister Gertrude Morgan (American, 1900-1980) brought $34,650; and William Dawson’s A Group of Three Articulated Figures (1976-1977) went for a record $25,200.

Gold Rush-era gold ingot, $138,000, Holabird Western Americana Collections

A 32.15-ounce Kellogg & Humbert assayer’s California Gold Rush gold ingot sold for $138,000 at Part 2 of the sale of items recovered from the 1857 sinking of the S.S. Central America held March 4-5 by Holabird Western Americana Collections, LLC in Reno, Nevada. Also, a 19th-century daguerreotype photograph of an unidentified young woman that the S.S. Central America scientific mission recovery team nicknamed the Mona Lisa of the Deep changed hands for $73,200.

Chippendale corner cupboard, $8,400, Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates

A Maryland or Virginia Chippendale painted yellow pine corner cupboard sold for $8,400 at a Winter Americana Auction held March 2-4 by Jeffery S. Evans & Associates in Mt. Crawford, Virginia. In addition, a Buddy L Junior Line pressed-steel toy dump truck finished at $4,200; a Western Pennsylvania stoneware jar earned $2,040; a Frank Finney (American, b. 1947-) carved and painted figure of a basset hound achieved $6,600; and a group of antique and vintage pocket knives made $3,900.

Cox-Roosevelt button, $100,300, Hake’s Auctions

A James M. Cox and Franklin Roosevelt 1920 jugate button, one inch in diameter, sold for $100,300 at a Premier Auction held March 21-22 by Hake’s Auctions in York, Pennsylvania. Also, a circa-1920 Type 1 original photograph of Babe Ruth from his first New York Yankees season, credited to Paul Thompson, rose to $78,529; and a 1980 TOLTOYS (Australia) Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back JAWA vinyl-caped action figure brought $49,324.

Antique map after Ptolemy, $110,700, Neue Auctions

A map of the Persian and Red Seas after Claudius Ptolemy, titled Geographica and dating to circa 1482 or later, sold for $110,700 in an online-only Estate Fine Art and Antiques auction held March 11 by Neue Auctions in Beachwood, Ohio. Also, a circa-1910 carved and painted carousel giraffe by Gustav and William Dentzel, restored, brought $9,840; and a typed letter in German, signed by Albert Einstein and dated 1950, made $10,455.

 

19th-century Boston shelf clock, $49,200, Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers

A 19th-century B. C. Gilman (Exeter, N.H.) Boston shelf clock sold for $49,200 at a Couture, Jewelry and Fine & Decorative Art auction held February 27 by Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers in Cranston, Rhode Island. Also, an early 20th-century Duffner & Kimberly heraldic armorial table lamp earned $3,900; a Jose Reyes (American and Filipino, 1902-1980) Nantucket friendship basket reached $3,600; and a Chinese Qing dynasty porcelain sculpture of a Guanyin rose to $2,400.

Emmi Whitehorse painting, $36,300, Ahlers & Ogletree Auction Gallery

A 1992 mixed media on paper by Emmi Whitehorse (American/Navajo, b. 1956-), titled Field of Birds, sold for $36,300 at an Art of the American West & Native American Art & Objects auction held February 24 by Ahlers & Ogletree Auction Gallery in Atlanta. Also, a 1988 oil on canvas by Frank McCarthy (American, 1944-2002), titled The Warriors of Canyon Land, made $16,940; and a patinated bronze sculpture by Robert F. Elwell (American, 1874-1962), titled Birchbark Canoe, hit $7,260.

Mark Twain’s typewriter, $106,250, Heritage Auction

The Williams No. 6 typewriter that author Mark Twain purchased in 1906 and used until his death in 1910 sold for $106,250 at a Historical Manuscripts Signature Auction held February 22 by Heritage Auctions in Dallas. Also, a pair of paintings that artist Colin Campbell Cooper created while onboard the RMS Carpathia during the rescue of Titanic survivors achieved $112,500; and a copy of LIFE magazine from May 1965 signed by Martin Luther King, Jr. went for $93,750.

Benjamin Franklin-signed document, $39,928, RR Auction

A one-page Benjamin Franklin-signed document, dated Dec. 6, 1785, ordering a loan to support Pennsylvania’s new currency, sold for $39,928 in an online auction held in March by RR Auction in Boston. Also, a Wright Brothers portrait, signed by both Wilbur and Orville, finished at $30,819; a King Henry VII letter to expedite payment of Catherine of Aragon’s dowry brought $27,164; and an Abraham Lincoln handwritten letter to Attorney General Bates earned $18,750.

Circa-1900 juggler poster, $14,400, Potter & Potter Auctions

A circa-1900 poster touting juggler the Great Knetzger as The Master Spirit of Ambidexterity sold for $14,400 at Part 1 of the Ricky Jay collection held February 25 by Potter & Potter Auctions in Chicago. Also, a circa-1869 broadside advertising the Davenport Brothers earned $11,875; a circa-1905 poster for Bostock & Wombell’s World Renowned Menagerie hit $12,500; and a copy of the 1808 book New Art of Hocus Pocus Revived realized $12,000.

George Valentine Dureau painting, $8,750, Crescent City Auction Gallery

A painting by George Valentine Dureau (American, 1930-2014), titled El Viaje Dorado, from the artist’s Dead Toreador series, sold for $8,750 at an Important March Estates auction held March 17-18 by Crescent City Auction Gallery in New Orleans. Also, a 151-piece sterling flatware set by Gorham in the Old English Tipt pattern made $3,840; and an American carved walnut Rococo Revival marble-top dresser went for $2,500.

Circa-1820 flintlock pistol, $45,630, Milestone Auctions

A P & D Moll Allentown Pennsylvania brass-barrel German silver-escutcheoned flintlock pistol, manufactured around 1820, sold for $45,630 at a Premier Collectible Firearms Auction held March 11-12 by Milestone Auctions in Willoughby, Ohio. Also, a pair of circa-1860 Belgian Brevete Colt Navy revolvers, .36-caliber, hit the mark for $43,050; and a pair of 1851 Colt square-guard Navy revolvers, .36 caliber black-powder models, made $30,750.

Copy of Captain America #1, $146,000, Goldin Auctions

A copy of Captain America #1 from March 1941, graded CGC 3.0 and featuring the origin of Steve Rogers and his sidekick Bucky, sold for $146,000 in a Winter Comics, Video Games & TCG Elite Auction held in March by Goldin Auctions, based in Runnemede, New Jersey. Also, the original pen-and-ink artwork for the dust jacket of Batman: Hush 20th Anniversary Edition, signed by artist Jim Lee, brought $57,600; and a copy of Fantastic Four #1 from Nov. 1961 earned $84,000.

Ward Brothers duck decoy, $90,000, Copley Fine Art Auctions

A Ward Brothers Humpback black duck decoy sold for $90,000 at a Winter Sale held Feb. 24-25 by Copley Fine Art Auctions in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Also, a Harmon Running Curlew by Nathan F. Cobb, Jr., was the top shorebird of the sale, commanding $78,000; a Jerry Mastin Canada Goose soared to $51,000, a new world record for the maker; Richard Bishop’s painting Prairie Wings flew away with $180,000; and Bob Kuhn’s Close but No Cigar reached $78,000.

Paul De Longpre watercolor, $9,225, Michaan’s Auctions

An 1892 watercolor on paper by Paul de Longpre (American and French, 1855-1911), titled Matillija Poppies and Bees, sold for $9,225 at a Gallery Auction held March 17 by Michaan’s Auctions in Alameda, California. Also, a 1954 mixed media on wood board by Bruce Conner (American, 1933-2008), titled Facade, went for $7,995; a pair of Etruscan Revival bronze floor lamps attributed to Caldwell earned $7,995; and a 1782 Thomas Hennell sterling silver tea caddy brought $2,214.

Gertrude Abercrombie painting, $51,250, Thomaston Place Auction Galleries

A 1956 Modernist painting by Gertrude Abercrombie (American and German, 1909-1977), titled Leaf and Chaise Lounge, sold for $51,250 at a Winter Enchantment sale held Feb. 24-26 by Thomaston Place Auction Galleries in Thomaston, Maine. Also, Andy Warhol’s (American, 1920-1987) signed and numbered serigraph on paper from 1968, Campbell’s Soup (Cream of Mushroom), realized $42,000; and a 1965 offset lithograph by Roy Lichtenstein (American, 1923-1997), Shipboard Girl, earned $31,250.

Portrait of George Washington, $34,375, Nye & Company Auctioneers

A portrait of George Washington after Rembrandt Peale, titled Porthole Washington, sold for $34,375 at a March Estate Treasures auction held March 8-10 by Nye & Company Auctioneers in Bloomfield, New Jersey. Also, a lithograph by Roy Lichtenstein (American, 1923-1997), titled Foot and Hand, topped out at $8,750; a Chinese Qing-style cloisonne shallow charger earned $34,375; and a Chinese famille verte porcelain ginger jar rose to $7,500.

Drawing attributed to Joan Miro, $2,048, La Belle Epoque Auction House

A drawing of a woman attributed to Joan Miro, signed and dated 1917, sold for $2,048 at a multi-estates auction held March 18 by La Belle Epoque Auction House in New York City. Also, a 17th- century Italian walnut prie dieu with marquetry and parquetry inlay throughout rose to $832; a circa-1900 group of Schafer & Vater Alice in Wonderland German bisque porcelain pieces realized $448; and a Piranesi-style print, two-sheet 18th-century engravings of the Vatican, framed, hit $960.

All images shown in this report appear courtesy of the auction houses who sold the items they depict.

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

Part I of Ricky Jay magic collection nears $1M at Potter & Potter

1903 Forepaugh & Sells Brothers Enormous United Shows circus poster, $11,875
1903 Forepaugh & Sells Brothers Enormous United Shows circus poster, $11,875

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).

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Magician Ricky Jay’s peerless collection debuts at Potter & Potter, Feb. 25

1923 lithograph ‘Is Conan Doyle Right?,’ estimated at $6,000-$12,000
1923 lithograph ‘Is Conan Doyle Right?,’ estimated at $6,000-$12,000
1923 lithograph ‘Is Conan Doyle Right?,’ estimated at $6,000-$12,000

CHICAGO – Potter & Potter Auctions will proudly host a sale of historical artifacts, magicana and rare books from the personal collection of the late Ricky Jay, a magician, writer, actor and collector without peer. Scheduled for Saturday, February 25 and containing 370 lots, it will be the first of three sales from Jay’s collection, and it will commence at 10 am Central time. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

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Potter & Potter conjures stunning Winter Magic Auction Dec. 11

‘The Great Brindamour. Magician,’ circa-1903 color lithograph poster, est. $6,000-$8,000
‘The Great Brindamour. Magician,’ circa-1903 color lithograph poster, est. $6,000-$8,000
‘The Great Brindamour. Magician,’ circa-1903 color lithograph poster, est. $6,000-$8,000

CHICAGO – Potter & Potter Auctions is pleased to announce a 450-lot sale to be held on Saturday, December 11 starting at 10 am Central time. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

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