ABOUT THIS ARTWORK 
 
Known as the "Dean of American Magicians," Harry Kellar (1849-1922) toured the world from the 1870s until the early 1920s with spectacular stage shows that were promoted with lithograph posters in the city after city. Tens of thousands of his different posters were printed over the years, but few have survived. We offer three “Kellar” posters that demonstrate the magician’s flair for self-promotion. Working with the Strobridge Lithographing Company in Cincinnati, Ohio, Kellar insisted on mystery and exoticism to fill theaters. His career had an enormous influence on the next generation of American magicians, including Harry Houdini. 
 
ARTWORK DETAILS
Artwork title: Magician and Demon
Edition: Limited edition of 1000
Proof of Ownership: Certification on the Ethereum blockchain under the ERC1155 protocol. Each artwork is delivered privately and directly to collectors as non-fungible tokens (NFTs) that guarantee proof of ownership.
Format: Pieces consist of PNG files sized 2160x3840 pixels - 150 dpi.
Medium: Colored lithography
Artwork Materials: Paper
Contract Address: 0x495f947276749ce646f68ac8c248420045cb7b5e
ID: 2749212597480566...
 
ABOUT THE ARTIST
As a master of stage imagery, Kellar wanted striking posters and the Strobridge Lithographing Company produced just that, featuring outstanding artistry and design. These are the most stunning, color-saturated advertisements in the history of magic, thanks to advances in printing and color lithography that coincided with a golden age in the performance of magic and illusion, led by Kellar. No credit is given to an individual artist, which is typically the case for lithography companies in the late 19th century. Rather than risk the possibility that one artist could control the final product and demand too much money, they used multiple artists. In this image from one of his posters, Kellar is toasting with the devil, as if to suggest that his “magical powers” were obtained in collaboration with dark forces.
 
COLLECTION CREDITS
Historical curatorship: HARI - Historical Art Research Institute (HARI Editions)
Artwork: Harry Kellar & Strobridge & Co. Lith.
Year of original publication: 1899
Post-production: HARI - Historical Art Research Institute (HARI Editions)
Digital art supervisor: Marie-Lou Desmeules
Editorial: Braden Phillips
Historical research: Evangelos Rosios, Braden Phillips
Executive production: Victor Zabrockis
 
RIGHTS OVERVIEW
Source of artwork: Library of Congress
Underlying work rights: CC0
Digital copyrights: CC0