$6,500
St. Paul, Standard Litho, ca. 1920. Billboard-size poster advertising the escape feats of Nicola, with vignettes of his daring escapades surrounding a full-length central portrait of the magician bound from head to toes in handcuffs and shackles. The complimentary images show the Illinois-born magician making an escape from a packing crate, milk can, railroad tracks (ala the torture so often depicted in silent movies), and more. 81 x 109". Losses at intersecting folds in upper third restored, overpainting at old folds; B. One of three examples known. Nicola was never one to shy away from "borrowing" the ideas of his contemporaries in order to build and promote his own magic show. The stunts and escapes shown on this billboard are, without a doubt, those that helped make Houdini famous. In fact, Houdini was the first to introduce the Milk Can Escape. The use - authorized or otherwise - of the ideas of fellow magicians was a plan that worked well for Nicola, as unlike so many of his brethren, amassed and retained considerable wealth in his world tours and lived comfortably in his home town of Monmouth, Illinois until his death in 1946. It should also be noted that "Nic," as his friends called him, did present original illusions in his show, among them "The Dream of a Chinese Chop Suey Restaurant Keeper."
Auctioneer:
Potter & Potter
Date:
2017-02-04
