Harry Kellar poster – 1900 – Magic Poster
This Harry Kellar poster has a slight twist on the usual magic posters of the era. Rather than the artist being portrayed during their magic act, this one features Harry Keller simply taking a stroll in the woods. Suddenly, you spot his impish devils following the magician through the wooded glade.
The ambiguity of the image is wonderfully alluring. Are the devils assistants that help provide him with magical powers? Are they protecting him? Are they keeping a watchful eye on him for a darker power? Or is he trying to suggest that he is their master and therefore, could, be the devil himself.
Whichever it is, on this Harry Kellar poster the magician looks very nonchalant, as if he is used to them always being there or hasn’t even noticed them himself. One from behind the tree looks as though he is trying to pickpocket the magician.
Harry Kellar and his Impish Devils
The use of the devlish imps often seen colluding and whispering in the ears of magicians has often been used on magician’s advertising posters. The inquisitive Victorian’s loved all things supernatural. From clairvoyant’s and seers to mind-readers, horoscopes and séances.
The first magic poster to introduce these companions from the underworld, is Harry Kellar’s 1894 magic poster. It depicts two small sprites, one sitting on each shoulder passing important imnformation or revelations to their master. Kellar’s imps are not merely his companions, they hold the secrets to Kellar’s amazing magic.
Many of Harry Kellar’s magic posters feature him fraternising with devils, demons and sprites. It was part of his magical trademark that his act was helped through the supernatural powers of the underworld. The image enhanced by the inclusion of the devil and his helpers in posters like Kellar Toasts the Devil.
The public loved it. Harry Kellar was one of the most famous magicians of his time. His signature trick was the “Levitation of Princess Karnac”, in which he seemingly made a princess float in mid-air. He also performed the “Vanishing Lamp” and “Self-Decapitation” tricks, both of which were equally astonishing to audiences.
Kellar toured extensively throughout Europe and America, always drawing large crowds. His performances were so popular that some people even began to believe that he had supernatural powers! In reality, of course, Kellar was just a masterful illusionist. He knew how to create the appearance of magic, and his audience was always left spellbound.
How much is the Harry Kellar poster worth?
The Harry Kellar poster was originally printed by the The Strobridge Lithographing Company of Cincinnati, Ohio, and New York, in 1900. The iconic poster shows the famous magician, clad in formal wear and sporting a black top hat, strolling through an imp-filled scene in the midst of a forest.
The Golden Age of Magic is widely considered to be between 1887 and 1930. Original stone lithographic posters from this period are highly sought-after and coveted by collectors. The posters offered a range of styles, from formal portraits of the magicians, often surrounded by red, devil-like imps, to images of specific stage illusions and tricks.
Magic posters from the early 1900s were never intended to have a long lifespan. Their sole purpose was to capture the imagination of an entertainment-hungry public to sell seats to the shows of traveling magicians. They were printed on thin, cheap paper and pasted onto the walls of buildings and billboards.
Once the show was over, the posters were either ripped down or pasted over with new posters, advertising the next upcoming act. With the unceremonious way in which posters were handled, it makes sense that so few of these posters survived. In fact we’re perhaps lucky that some, at least, do!
Original copies of this Harry Kellar in the Woods with Devils poster are extremely rare and rarely come to auction. It is one of the most iconic of Kellar’s posters. An original stone lithographic print, in Grade A condition, was put up for auction in 2017 with a magical guide estimate of between $12,000-$18,000.
There’s no argument from us, if you can find an original Harry Kellar poster and can afford to buy it, you’re on to a winner. There’s nothing like owning an original vintage poster and they often make a great investment. Chances are in just a few years you’ll be able to sell it for more than you paid for it.
Unfortunately, for most of us, an investment, even at the entry-level prices of the collectible poster isn’t even close to being a possibility. This is where our stunning high-quality reproductions come into their own. They cost a fraction of an original and look absolutely fantastic when they’re framed and hung on your living room wall.
Just like Kellar’s performances this poster is magical and will leave you spellbound. Order your copy of this fabulous Harry Kellar poster today and we’ll magic it over to you!
