Potter & Potter Auctions
Live Auction

Houdiniana

Sat, Apr 8, 2023 12:00PM EDT
Lot 186

KELLAR, Harry (Heinrich Keller, 1849 – 1922). Kellar. [Goll...

Estimate: $12,000 - $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
KELLAR, Harry (Heinrich Keller, 1849 ? 1922). Kellar. [Golliwog Ball.] Cincinnati & New York: The Strobridge Litho. Co., ca. 1897. The magician stands at the center of a mysterious cave-like scene filled with tiny red imps pushing red spheres down slides and up spiral-shaped ramps, simulacrum of the famed equilibrist, LaRoche. Framed to 22 x 32?. Linen backed. Only minor wear and toning visible; not examined out of frame. This is an artist?s interpretation of the Golliwog Ball illusion favored by Kellar and David Devant, among other magicians of the ?golden age? and is arguably one of the most imaginative posters printed for Kellar by Strobridge. In performance, at Kellar's command, a large ball rolled up and down an inclined plank, one end of which rested on the back of a chair, its path seemingly guided by his words and an invisible hand.