Downs, T. Nelson. T. Nelson Downs. King of Koins. Chicago: Carqueville Litho, ca. 1905. Magnificent color lithograph bears a central bust portrait of Downs, surrounded by vignettes of his coin manipulation act, ribbons of silver coins, and soft red flowers. 28 ½ x 42". Over-coloring in image and margins to repair old tears. B. Born and raised in rural Iowa, Downs reportedly learned how to manipulate coins while working as a cashier in a telegraph office. He was one of the first magicians to devote his entire vaudeville turn to a single effect – in his case, the “Miser’s Dream” of catching handfuls of coins from mid-air, hence his lifelong moniker, the “King of Koins.” While the effect was nothing but an illusion, soon enough, Downs was a highly paid and well-known variety artist. A contemporary and close friend of Houdini, he rose through the ranks of vaudeville in America and Europe at nearly the same time as his escape-artist friend. Downs retired from the stage having achieved considerable success and after amassing a sizeable bankroll, which allowed him to return to Iowa where he operated a small movie theatre and continued to present magic shows. He remained an avid if not fanatic magician for his the rest of life, endlessly seeking out subtle sleight-of-hand moves and magic secrets, constantly practicing and corresponding with other like-minded men all the while. He died in 1938.