Thursday, November 7, 2019

Houdini's Magicians Club portrait to be auctioned

An interesting piece of Houdini history is set to be sold in Haversat & Ewing Galleries latest magic auction November 8-9. I'll let the auction description speak for itself.

This fabulous framed portrait was given to Will Goldston by Harry Houdini for the London Magician's Club. The Magicians' Club of London was formed in 1911 by Harry Houdini, Will Goldston, Servais Le Roy along with other notable names in magic. 
On March 19, 1913 the gathering place for the organization was officially recognized with a large crowd and much pomp and circumstance. With the press at hand, the organization's president Harry Houdini formally declared the club as being officially open! The Clubroom is where the Houdini portrait was hung in 1913 and where it would remain for decades. The early photo of the room (below) clearly identifies the Houdini framed image on the right hand side of the wall. 
The Davenport Family acquired the famous portrait when they purchased Will Goldston's estate in 1949 and it has since been hanging at Davenport's Magic Shop. In original frame, does not contain glass. Portrait itself measures 26" x 19.5" - with frame 28.5" x22". This is a genuine and important piece of magic history, not to be missed. Est. $10,000-12,000

The auction includes several other nice Houdini lots from the Davenport Family/Will Goldston estate that can be viewed HERE.

UPDATE: Bidding topped out at $6,125.00, but the Reserve Price was not met.

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10 comments:

  1. What are we looking at? A photograph or a painting?

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  2. It looks like a photograph to me. The strange blurriness and color could be from UV damage or it was a tinted photo. I don't see any details about this on the auction website. Hopefully somebody here will know.
    Jack

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    1. Yeah, looks like a photo to me too. It is a well known image. But I'm not sure if the blurriness is damage or if it's an ascetic treatment of some kind. Give it a painting-like look?

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  3. Looks vintage hand colored, a normal practice in in the day, because they used lead in the ink it held up well.

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  4. The bids didn't go much beyond $6,000 and the reserve wasn't met. I'm sure the Davenports were hoping for more.

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    1. I had a feeling that would happen. I thought the estimate was high.

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    2. If I had known,I would have bid that bad boy up to 10K

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    3. I never feel comfortable buying from that seller, I just say buyer beware, Dam a fine pic though

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    4. I know Tom Ewing and David Haversat personally and have nothing but the highest regard for them. I would recommend their auctions to any buyer or seller.

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    5. Well John that,s something, but don't forget business is one thing, and a personal friendship is another..
      I have been burned by them.

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