In the Collector’s Cabinet

F.G. Thayer, Los Angeles, ca. 1930. Turned wooden stand with four cups for displaying billiard balls produced at the magician’s fingertips. Classic black and gold Thayer finish.

Four canceled U.S. passports issued to legendary magician Johnny Thompson between 1977 and 2016, documenting his decades of international travel. From the personal collection of Johnny Thompson.

Owen Magic Supreme. Four doves vanish from a decorated chest, which is then completely dismantled, with each component shown on both sides. One of only six ever sold. From the collection of Keith Raleigh.

Jack Hughes, London, ca. 1960s. Four blue birds change colors, followed by the transformation of a larger bird into a peacock with a brightly colored tail.

Tannen’s Magic, New York, ca. 1960s. A painted wooden chalet plays music until the magician commands it to stop. When the cover is lifted, the chalet has vanished, replaced by a live dove. From the collection of Todd Harris

Abbott’s Magic, ca. 1960s. Large stage apparatus decorated in red, black, and gold. A blade passes harmlessly through a spectator’s neck while severing objects on either side.

Mel Babcock. Handcrafted wooden nesting boxes decorated with colorful Egyptian motifs. A borrowed, marked coin vanishes and reappears inside a small box concealed within two larger boxes.

Personally inscribed photograph of magician and collector Keith Raleigh, received in October 2026. A thoughtful gift from a fellow collector whose friendship, generosity, and willingness to share his knowledge of magic apparatus are deeply appreciated.

Jack Hughes, ca. 1950. A wooden radio vanishes within the folds of a newspaper. Finished in natural wood with black trim, fabric speaker grille, simulated tuning dial, and two knobs.

Black faux-leather carrying bag with red vinyl-lined interior, from the collection of legendary magician Johnny Thompson.

Owen Magic Supreme, ca. 2000. A selected card is returned to the deck and placed before the target. With the “fire” of an air gun, the cards scatter and the selection appears in the bullseye. Previously offered by Potter & Potter Auctions.

The Magic Hands, ca. 1980s. Chromed candlestick in which a silk handkerchief appears in a flash, tied around the candle.

Maker unknown, ca. 1940s. A sheet of glass placed in a wooden frame is tied in place with a silk ribbon, through holes in the glass and doors of the cabinet. Even so, the glass penetrates the ribbon.

Janos Bartl, Hamburg, ca. 1930s. A small imitation pistol that vanishes a silk when the trigger is squeezed. Fashioned from a Gilling 112 cap pistol with an elaborate mechanical addition.

Mel Babcock, ca. 2000s. Based on Okito’s Alphabet Block, ca. 1910. Wooden apparatus in an uncommon red, black, and gold finish with dragon decoration. Placed with another collector.

Hamburg: Janos Bartl, ca. 1930. Hand-painted papier-mâché skull with reflective red eyes, designed to rise into the air and float about the stage. Placed with another collector.

F.G. Thayer & Co., ca. 1944.
An ornate pagoda-style cabinet is shown empty, only to be filled to overflowing moments later.

Owen Magic Supreme, ca. 1990s.
Finely made faux-bamboo sticks finished in yellow, black, and red lacquer. As one cord is pulled, the other mysteriously responds. Handsomely constructed in the Owen tradition.

Charles Greene III, 2026. A collection of previously unpublished Houdini photographs reproduced from original glass plate negatives dating from 1903–1911. Includes the companion viewfinder featuring images from the collection.

Owen Magic Supreme. Glass-sided cabinet framed in exotic hardwoods and bearing the Owen hallmark. Shown empty, the cabinet suddenly becomes filled with colorful silks.

Hong Kong: Chu’s Magic Studio, 1975. Color-illustrated publication by Peter Y.C. Chu exploring the history, development, and traditions of Chinese magic. From the archives of The Houdini Museum.

Watertown: Raymond Goulet and Marco Garuh, ca. 1985. A borrowed ring vanishes from one box and reappears in another, wrapped around a carnation. One of only ten sets manufactured.

Mike Caveney’s Magic Words, 2026. Fred Rickard’s illustrated biography of Floyd Thayer, documenting his life, work, and celebrated apparatus. Deluxe edition in handcrafted walnut slipcase.

Thayer, ca. 1930s. Selected cards rise from a wooden houlette resting on the tabletop while isolated from the performer.

Royal Publishing Company, ca. 1900. Early instructional booklet bearing Harry Kellar’s name, covering hypnotism, sleight-of-hand, and a variety of magical effects.

Privately printed comic routines by magician R. Vernon Cook, dating to the 1940s. Obtained directly from Cook by the previous owner, the 17 scripts preserve a little-seen part of his performing repertoire.

Alan Warner, ca. 2000. A finely crafted geometric puzzle in which a completed white puzzle visibly transforms to red, leaving a single space perfectly filled by the red piece left outside the box.

Thayer & Jackson, Chicago, ca. 1905. Window card printed in black, white, and red, featuring an oval full-length portrait of Maro holding a magic wand above the bold "Prince of Magic" title.

Silent Mora (Louis McCord), 1956. A classic sympathetic-cord illusion in which the cords running through each bamboo stick mysteriously respond to one another. Hand-made and hand-painted by Silent Mora.

Abbott's Magic, ca. 1970. A knife is thrown at a young lady standing before a target. The knife visibly passes through her body lodging in the bull's-eye behind her.

Clarence S. Miller, 2002. Miller’s uncommon walnut version of the classic rattle box. Measures 2 ½" square. Signed and numbered 29, with original instructions bearing the matching number and dated November 2002.

U.F. Grant, ca. 1950s–60s. Four brightly colored wooden checkers mysteriously penetrate a silk in successive phases before returning above it. Includes the metal stand and original instructions.

Loyd, ca. 1940s. A decorated wooden block is secured within an open-sided cabinet by a solid brass rod, then vanishes and reappears elsewhere. Hallmarked. Very good condition.

E.J. Moore, ca. [?]. Inspired by Egyptian mythology, the Phenix—the legendary bird said to rise from its own ashes—serves as the basis for this effect. A marked strip of paper is placed on a staff, burned, and instantly restored. From the collection of Andrew Pinard.

After Martinka & Co., ca. 1890s. A selected card is placed into a finely crafted wooden box, its lid gently closed. Moments later, when reopened, the card has vanished—only to be replaced by a live bird.

Turn-of-the-century magic apparatus featuring a brass cage that vanishes beneath a handkerchief, only to reappear instantly—and in full view—within the open frame of a skeleton stand on the magician’s table.

Papier-mâché skull mounted on a glass column atop a wooden plinth clicks its jaw in answer to questions, once for “yes” and twice for “no.”

Jack Hughes, ca. 1960s. A rare Hughes creation in which a live dove vanishes when the magician snaps a photograph-only for the camera itself to instantly transform into the very cage containing the bird. This is the only known example.