Van Hoven, Frank. Frank Van Hoven The American Dippy Mad Magician. Scotland, 1916. Two-color letterpress broadside advertising Van Hoven as the headlining act on a variety program featuring singers, comedians, bioscope silent films, and more. 11 x 35". Minor edge chips restored; A-. Van Hoven, often billed as “The Man Who Made Ice Famous,” performed a slapstick magic act that was more broad physical comedy than it was amazing. Promising to pass a silk handkerchief into a large cake of ice was the premise of the turn, but what followed were noisy, gut-busting antics that included near-abuse of two boy “volunteers” from the audience, as well as joking directly with many audience members. At one point in the act, Van Hoven fired off a blank pistol in an effort to make a trick work. It didn’t. Van Hoven’s retort was, simply, “Nobody sleeps during my act!”