BLACKSTONE, Harry (Harry Bouton, 1884 ? 1965). Harry Blackstone Sr. Vanishing Birdcage. Circa 1950. This working birdcage was originally owned and used by Harry Blackstone Sr., and was then handed down to his chosen successor, Bill Chaudet (1921-2013). In June of 1946, Harry Blackstone publicly named his ?nephew" Bill Chaudet as his successor (a mantle that Bill carried until Harry Blackstone Jr. decided to follow in his father's footsteps years later). Harry Sr. gave Bill a multitude of his props and ephemera to start his career, including two of the early ?Blackstone" cages. Chaudet used both cages throughout the course of his 60-year career, both in live performance as well as his many television appearances.At Bill and Mary Chaudet's wedding in 1946, ?Best Man" Harry Blackstone gave Bill a custom-made steamer trunk for their professional travels. Before his passing, Chaudet gave that steamer trunk along with all of his other props to his close friend and prot?g?, Kerry Ross. This is one of two ?Blackstone" cages, which have been in that very trunk for many years. Includes a LOA tracing the provenance of the cage.