$8,000
Kellar, Harry (Heinrich Keller). Kellar and his Perplexing Cabinet Mysteries. Cincinnati: Strobridge Litho, ca. 1891. Evocative lithograph depicts an artist’s version of the famous Spirit Cabinet of Harry Kellar. Ghosts materialize in the cabinet as bells and tambourines ring as if waved by unseen hands. 40 x 29 1/2". Scattered retouching in image, borders over-colored; B+. Scarce. Kellar learned the secrets of the Spirit Cabinet from the masters of the medium, the famous Davenport Brothers. Kellar served as an assistant to the famous brothers on their far-flung tours, and in the process, absorbed not only the secret behind their famous materializations in the wardrobe-like cabinet, but also the finer points of “selling” the illusion to the public – at a time when fervor and belief in the great beyond was a red-hot topic. The Spirit Cabinet would be a feature of the Kellar show until his retirement in 1908.
Auctioneer:
Potter & Potter
Date:
2016-06-25
