Rogers, John (American, 1829 ? 1904). The Traveling Magician. New York, 1878. Fine plaster sculpture showing an itinerant magician performing for three children. He produces a rabbit from his hat, while a secret assistant holds a pigeon behind the table, in readiness for the next trick. 15 x 15 ? x 23?. Tiny chips and wear around base, but professionally restored and repainted to very good condition. Rogers? slice-of-life sculpted scenes gained great popularity with the burgeoning ranks of middle-class American homeowners of the Victorian era. At the height of their popularity, more than 80 different ?groups? were available. The Traveling Magician is perhaps the most sought-after of the Rogers groups, the sculpture showcasing not only the trademark rabbit-from-hat trick, but all at once the astonishment, wonder, and boredom experienced by the spectators watching ?Mons. Cheatum?s? performance, and at the same time allowing viewers a behind-the-scenes view of how ? apparently ? the magician?s feats were secretly accomplished.