In public memory, the late magician Ricky Jay is remembered as a sleight of hand virtuoso who could perform marvels with a deck of cards. His work is eternalized in numerous TV and film appearances, which often included shooting cards like darts at various objects, most famously a halved watermelon. But the legendary performer, who passed away in 2018, was also a renowned magic scholar who authored 11 books and amassed a collection of about 10,000 rare books, posters, and artwork about all things esoteric. On October 27, a portion of his vast collection will go on an auction at Sotheby’s, offering his fans a chance to hold possession of these enchanting items.
The sale includes 634 lots of antique books, broadsides, handbills, and prints documenting centuries of magic, circuses, and more. Among the more eccentric items are several 17th-century broadsides advertising “learned animals,” like an “accomplished horse” who could speak English, French, and Italian and a card-playing pig. Harry Houdini, the master of escape acts, features prominently in the collection with 1913-1915 posters promoting his “Water Torture Cell” stunt. Another poster from 1913, beautifully illustrated by famed German lithographer Adolph Friedländer, features a stock levitation image for magicians to use on the road.
More standouts include a late 19th-century charming tabletop game featuring a moving trapeze artist and an “automaton,” a mechanical doll with which Jay appeared on stage. And we would be remiss leave out an 1818 etching of Madame Giradelli, also known as the “celebrated fireproof woman,” who was famous for “passing a lighted candle under her arms, dropping sealing wax on her tongue, and cooking eggs ‘fit for eating’ while holding boiling oil in her hands,” Sotheby’s quotes from Jay’s writings.
Get a taste of this rare and fascinating collection of curiosities in the following selection of images.
Mr. Bernatowicz, in your introductory text you talk about the need for honesty, the disease of hypocrisy, overreaching governments. You do not fulfill a single one of your own ideals.
The biggest problem with turning Dune into a film is that the book appears increasingly derivative of generic sci-fi tropes.
Ed Roberson’s motorcycle ride from Pittsburgh to the Pacific is a quest-romance, an exploration of American culture and American mythology.
Gardening company Michigan Bulb analyzed 30 famous artworks depicting plants and the value of the painted blossoms in the high-end market.
The proceeds will benefit the BDC’s community-centered initiatives and exhibitions.
Poussin and the Dance is a valiant attempt to break into Poussin’s staunchly academic oeuvre and provide a relatable point of entry, highlighting the exciting elements of revelry and movement despite impenetrable and unemotional rendering.
Leave a Reply