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Houdiniana & The Davenport Magic Collection

Sat, Apr 9, 2016 11:00AM EDT - Sun, Apr 10, 2016 11:00AM EDT
Lot 15

Houdini, Harry. A Magician Among the Spirits. New York: Harper & Bros., 1924. First Edition. Blue cl

Estimate: $10,000 - $15,000

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$0 $5
$30 $10
$100 $25
$500 $50
$1,000 $100
$2,000 $200
$5,000 $500
$10,000 $1,000
$20,000 $2,000
$50,000 $5,000
$100,000 $10,000
Houdini, Harry. A Magician Among the Spirits. New York: Harper & Bros., 1924. First Edition. Blue cloth stamped in gilt. Frontispiece. Illustrated. 8vo. In a crushed leather clamshell box, titles in gilt. Inscribed and Signed on the flyleaf by Houdini, in German, to the magician Eugene Harkewitz, proceeded by a tipped-in 1925 Typed Letter Signed, сHoudini,о to Harkewitz, laid on the half-title, pertaining to their mutual friend F.W. Conradi, on various matters including сwaging war on the fraud mediums in this country.о Filled furthermore with enclosed or tipped-in pieces from Harkewitz's collection, including: a typed note from Houdini giving Harkewitz permission to use a story of his, and providing a private address for future correspondence; HarkewitzНs personal copies of two letters (one to and one from) Houdini, and one letter to Bess Houdini from Harkewitz sent shortly after HarryНs death, inquiring whether Harry has сcommunicated with youѓ from the beyondо; plus important correspondence from other magicians including a 1906 Autograph Letter Signed, сChung Ling Soo/Robinson,о to Harkewitz; a 1904 Autograph Note Signed, сAngelo Lewisо (Professor Hoffmann), to Harkewitz; two postcards hand illustrated in color from Arthur Buckle, сThe Manchester Wizard,о and a lengthy ALS from him; two ALSs from Chevalier Ernest Thorn; a pictorial Chung Ling Soo program; and a contemporary obituary of Houdini. A note added at the top of one of HarkewitzНs letters by Bernhard Benson, whom it appears preserved the material, bears out the provenance of the copy: сThis was given to me by E. Harkewitz, a personal friend of Houdini _ Houdini gave Mr. H сA Magician Among the Spiritsо which Harkewitz gave me while visiting Berlin October 26, 1929ѓо

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