Potter & Potter Auctions
3759 N. Ravenswood Ave. Ste. 121, Chicago, Illinois 60613
773-472-1442
About Auction House
We're a Chicago auction house specializing in the sale of collectibles and antiques of all types, including paper Americana, vintage advertising, rare books, coin-op, playing cards, gambling memorabilia, vintage posters, prints and magicana - antiques and collectibles focused on magic and magicians. Between world-record prices, lavish catalogs, aggressive advertising and promotion, and a team that cares about your experience - as a customer or consignor - we strive to make the auction experience exemplary in every way.Auction Previews & News
48 Results![TWAIN, Mark [pseudonym of CLEMENS, Samuel (1835-1910)]. The...](https://auctiondaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/16-7-1.webp)
Auction PreviewHistoric Books by Mark Twain and Thomas L. McKenney Come to Sale with Potter & Potter Auctions
Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, was a celebrated writer, essayist and humorist. He was also known for his amusing travel writings, drawing on his rich experiences. One such bestselling work by Twain is a key highlight of the upcoming sale, offered by Potter & Potter Auctions. The Innocents Abroad, or The New Pilgrims’ Progress, published by American Publishing Company in 1869, is an eight-volume book with a frontispiece and engraved title-page. It comprises 14 plates inserted throughout and numerous intertextual illustrations. The book journals Twain’s travel accounts on the U. S. S. Quaker City steamship. The presentation copy is inscribed by Twain on the first blank. It reads, “This book is given to Miss Jane Findlay Shunk, With the Kindest regards of Mark Twain [flourish] Harrisburgh, [sic].” Another lot of interest is Thomas L. McKenney’s History of the Indian Tribes of North America. The book has 42 hand-colored lithographed plates, mostly portraits of Native Americans painted by Charles Bird King. McKenney was a US official who served as Superintendent of Indian Affairs from 1824 to 1830. He worked with James Hall and Charles to create three volumes of the book, released between 1836 and 1844. Visit Potter & Potter Auctions to view the complete auction catalog and register to bid in the upcoming Fine Books & Manuscripts sale. Check out more previews of upcoming auctions by visiting Auction Daily.
Auction PreviewPawnee Bill Poster, Barnum & Bailey Memorabilia Available in Potter & Potter Auctions’ Circus and Sideshow Sale
Potter & Potter Auctions’ upcoming Circus, Sideshow & Oddities sale highlights a spectrum of circus-related memorabilia. Many items relate to American entertainment shows, such as Pawnee Bill’s Historic Wild West, Barnum & Bailey, and Ringling Brothers. Leading the catalog is a color lithograph poster promoting Pawnee Bill’s Historic Wild West show. It dates back to 1902 and maintains its bold colors with minimal discoloration. An American showman known for his Wild West shows and collaboration with “Buffalo” Bill Cody, Pawnee Bill (also known as Gordon William Lillie) started his career as an interpreter for Buffalo Bill’s show. He was later involved in the white settlement of Native American lands in present-day Oklahoma and was known for his traveling performers. The available lithograph depicts a cowboy and Native American riding beside a buffalo, shooting it. This circus and sideshow memorabilia auction continues with painted canvas advertisements and banners, including a work by Wyatt Snap for “World’s Strangest People.” This piece from the 1940s or 50s depicts a group of “odd” people, including a three-legged man and conjoined twins. Among Barnum & Bailey items in the catalog, a 1918 color lithograph poster is particularly notable. This piece advertises Bird Millman, a high-wire performer known as one of the biggest circus stars of the era. She appears in this poster in a pale pink dress. She is balanced gracefully on a wire while holding a parasol. An elephant headdress from Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey is also available, as well as a Steiff mohair tiger toy jumping through a metal hoop and several French automaton dioramas. Visit Potter & Potter Auctions to browse the complete Circus, Sideshow & Oddities catalog, and find more auction previews by visiting Auction Daily.
Auction PreviewEdward Sheriff Curtis Photographs Lead the Outsider, Folk, Contemporary & Fine Art Sale by Potter & Potter Auctions Benefiting Howard L. Gottlieb Foundation
A French Arcade automaton theater (circa 1900s) with ten vignettes showing ten scenes is a leading lot in the Outsider, Folk, Contemporary & Fine Art Sale by Potter & Potter Auctions. This working automaton is made of wood, metal, oil paint, fabric, and wiring. It was probably from an arcade around the turn of the century. The French are revered for this tradition of beautifully constructed kinetic sculptures. There are 10 vignettes, each with a faux-painted Corinthian column, and stylized ornaments of a floral nature. The firemen are seen pumping water for the burning buildings in the background. The husband pulls on donkey ears while the wife pulls on the tail on a landscape background. A farmer is grabbing a pig in a farm outbuilding background. It has also been refitted with twinkly white Christmas tree lights. A rare production image from the 1914 silent film “In the Land of the Head Hunters” is also a standout lot. The film was directed by Edward Sheriff Curtis (American, 1868-1952). Cutis is known for his photographs and portraits of the Native American tribes. The caption label reads, “10 b / Yoklus, Fierce War Chief, Played by Bulootsa - / Kwakiutl Ref. Pg. 63. / Pioneer Cinematographer.” The sale will offer photographs, prints, Folk, Fine, and Contemporary art. All proceeds will benefit the Howard L. Gottlieb Foundation, which has supported nonprofit organizations in the fine arts since 2015. View the complete catalog and register to bid, visit the Outsider, Folk, Contemporary & Fine Art Sale.
Auction PreviewMystery Timepieces by Illusionist Robert-Houdin and Magic-Themed Painting by Hubert Salentin Lead Potter & Potter Auctions’ Upcoming Sale
French watchmaker Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin was an illusionist who is celebrated as the father of modern conjuring. He invented the unique “mystery” watch in the 19th century. One such clock attributed to Robert-Houdin is a key highlight of the upcoming sale by Potter & Potter Auctions. The “Series 4” timepiece features two arrow-shaped hands attached to a clear glass dial. Both the dial and bezel rest on tall clear glass tubes mounted on four beasts with tails. The arrangement rests to an ormolu platform. It is called a mystery clock since the viewers are left guessing how the hands turn when the dial is made of clear glass. The engraved bezel is connected only to glass tubes, which are detached from the base. Other offered mystery timepieces designed by Robert-Houdin include a “Series 3” piece and an arched dial clock. Hubert Salentin’s Magic Trick with a Little Bird (Der Zaubertrick mit dem Vöglein) is an oil on canvas painting available in this sale. It depicts a magician conjuring up a bird from underneath a cover held in his hand. Startled spectators are gathered around a table in an inn. Visit Potter & Potter Auctions to view the complete catalog and register to bid in the upcoming Magicana: Featuring the Collection of Peter Hackhofer sale.
Auction PreviewRare Napoleon Bronze Bust by Renzo Colombo, Staffordshire Toby Jug of Nelson Available at Potter & Potter Auctions
A selection of rare historical and military items from the 19th century will lead the upcoming sale from Potter & Potter Auctions. Among the top lots is an original 1885 bronze figure of Napoleon Bonaparte by Italian sculptor Renzo Colombo. Known as a great conqueror of modern times, Napoleon expanded the French Empire following the French Revolution and controlled European affairs. The offered piece, among the most sought of this artist’s output, presents the leader in his familiar military garb. Napoleon is portrayed as an imposing, dignified figure with tightly set brows and intent-looking eyes. An eagle sits beneath the emperor and holds a two-headed torch, signifying courage and honor. This bronze bust of Napoleon Bonaparte is one of fewer than forty sculptures Colombo created in his lifetime and is significant in its artistic and historical qualities. Another notable work in this upcoming auction is a hand-painted Staffordshire Toby Jug figure of Horatio Nelson. An English admiral, Nelson played a crucial role in the Battle of Trafalgar during the Napoleonic Wars. Nelson is seen standing beside a cannon, holding a telescope, and tucking his right hand into his waistcoat. He is dressed in a black bicorn hat, blue coat, and white breeches. Toby Jugs were designed in the 1760s in Staffordshire, England, depicting standing or seated figures. Bidders can also consider a salt-glazed stoneware Toby Jug from Brampton and a set of rare illustrated jugs. Visit Potter & Potter Auctions for more information on the upcoming 19th Century Historical and Military Rarities sale and to register to bid.
Auction PreviewDestroy this Mad Brute: Enlist by Harry R. Hopps Leads Potter & Potter Auctions’ Upcoming Vintage Posters Sale
The upcoming Vintage Posters sale from Potter & Potter Auctions will offer a Destroy this Mad Brute: Enlist poster by Harry R. Hopps (1869 - 1937). This poster from 1917 predates King Kong by more than a decade. In this propaganda poster, Hopps uses powerful imagery to depict a bloodied gorilla representing the German army. The brute gorilla, wearing a pickelhaube helmet labeled "militarism," steps foot onto an American shore as Europe lies in ruin in the distance. The enraged gorilla grips a half-naked Lady Liberty captive in one arm while his other carries a bloody club marked "Kultur." The image was intended to rouse its audience to join the cause against the "German militarism" threatening American liberty. An upward view of the massive ocean liner Normandie with a flock of seagulls is depicted in another available poster by A. M. Cassandre (1901 - 1968). When the SS Normandie first set sail from Saint-Nazaire, France, in 1932, it was the largest and fastest steamship ever created. Completing its first voyage to New York in record time, Normandie became a national symbol of France’s leading position in the shipping industry. The poster of the Transatlantique French Line Normandie was printed in 1935 by Alliance Graphique. This poster for the SS Normandie by Cassandre is considered a masterpiece of Art Deco by many art historians. The glamour and excitement of ocean liner travel were marketed with such images. Adolphe Jean-Marie Mouron (also known as A. M. Cassandre) was a modernist poster artist, painter, graphic designer, and stage designer who began his career in Paris in 1923. One of his most recognized works remains the Yves Saint Laurent (YSL) monogram. Visit Potter & Potter Auctions’ website to view the complete catalog and register to bid in this Vintage Posters sale.
Auction PreviewRare Autographed Book by Houdini Leads the Houdiniana and Magic Memorabilia Auction by Potter & Potter Auctions
The upcoming Houdiniana and Magic Memorabilia sale from Potter & Potter Auctions will particularly highlight The Unmasking of Robert-Houdin. The book is the first example offered for sale, a rare autographed edition in Houdini’s handwriting using the Americanized (and widely accepted) spelling of his birth name, Ehrich Weiss. Born Erik Weisz (1874 – 1926) in Austria-Hungary, Weisz began calling himself "Harry Houdini" after the French magician Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin and American magician Harry Kellar, both of whom Houdini admired. The available book by Houdini was published in 1908. It is a first-edition copy from The Publisher’s Printing Co. in brown cloth, decorated in white and black. The portrait frontispiece is guarded by tissue. The book also includes a profusion of plates picturing rarities from Houdini’s collection. The book was possibly a gift for his brother Leo Weiss, M.D. The inscription reads, in full: “To my real Pal / Doc, with best wishes and compliments of the author. May you enjoy reading my book with as much pleasure as the gathering of the contents gave me. / Harry Houdini / (Ehrich Weiss).” The Fantastic Orange Tree Automaton created by John Gaughan and Associates around 1989 is another top lot in the sale. Based on the famous 19th-century effect by Robert Houdin, this magical automaton was featured on the Paul Daniels Magic Show. The machine is accompanied by a manufacturer’s booklet tracing the history of the effect. It is one of only a handful of these props manufactured by Gaughan. The audience watches as a borrowed ring vanishes beneath a handkerchief on the magician’s table. On the command of the performer, orange blossoms begin to grow developing into real oranges. At the apex of the tree, it splits open to release a pair of mechanical butterflies carrying the missing borrowed ring. To view the complete catalog and register to bid, visit the Houdiniana and Magic Memorabilia sale.
Auction PreviewMichael Jordan Autographed Limited-Edition “Wings” Panoramic Print & Disneyana Available at Potter & Potter Auctions
A limited-edition Michael Jordan-autographed “Wings” upper deck, panoramic print is coming to auction this spring with Potter & Potter Auctions. The Entertainment, Toys, & Collectibles sale will offer more than 600 lots of photographs, prints, advertisements, comic books, Disneyana, and more. In this limited-edition panoramic poster, Jordan extends his muscular “wings” in his Chicago Bulls jersey. The poster, printed in 1996, is numbered 282/500, with a large and bold autograph in black at the lower right. The upper margin has a quotation from William Blake that says “No bird soars too high/if he soars with his own wings.” Another notable lot is a Walt Disney (1901 - 1966) signed copy of “Walt Disney’s Sketch Book of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” The creation of the animation Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was a game-changer in the industry, winning Disney several awards. The front page depicts the Seven Dwarfs marching toward their cottage. This copy illustrates Disney Studios’ sketches of Snow White characters with a dozen mounted color plates. It also contains the publisher’s original linen and dust jacket. This was a first edition copy printed in 1938, boldly signed by Disney in blue ink in the year of publication. Among collectibles offered in the sale are The Blues Brothers’ life-size statues. This pair of fiberglass figures depict Dan Aykroyd (Elwood Blues) and John Belushi (Jake Blues), from the 1980 film. Visit Potter & Potter Auctions to find the listed items and register to place a bid in the Entertainment, Toys & Collectibles sale.
Auction PreviewSilver Trophy Baseball Bat Awarded to Regino “Marmelo” García Leads Ephemera, Americana & Historical Memorabilia Sale
Cuban baseball legend Regino "Marmelo" García played from 1901 to 1914 with several ballclubs, including San Francisco, Almendares, Cuban X-Giants, and more. He was elected to the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame in 1941. An original bat awarded to García in 1907 with an engraved presentation leads the Ephemera, Americana & Historical Memorabilia sale, presented by Potter & Potter Auctions. García was a catcher for 12 seasons in the Cuban Winter Leagues and holds the record in Cuba for winning the batting crown for four consecutive years (1904 - 1907). In celebration of his prowess, he was given this ‘silver’ trophy baseball bat, made of white metal and plated in silver. The inscription reads “Al Champion / BAT / de 1907 / Regino García.” Also available in the sale is a rare photo showing several legendary players of the Cuban league, including Regino Marmelo García, Alfredo Cabrera, Armando Marsans, and director Juan Sanchez. It is an albumen print showing 21 players and coaches of the Cuban Almendares Baseball Club (1908 - 1909). A complete set of all 50 1911 (T-201) Mecca cigarettes baseball cards are also available in the auction. Mecca, one of the earliest successful Turkish cigarettes, was introduced by Kinney Bros. in 1878. To attract buyers, the cigarette brand was named Mecca to evoke exotic destinations. Many Mecca ads featured elegant turbaned men. The ads used vibrant, luxurious colors and imagery and soon started issuing covers with famous sports players, like the ones available in the sale. The auction also offers over 600 rare photographs, ephemera, postcards, pinups and more. View the full catalog of the Ephemera, Americana & Historical Memorabilia auction and register to place a bid by visiting Potter & Potter Auctions.
Auction PreviewLithograph Showing Magician Adelaide Herrmann and Third Edition of “The Discoverie of Witchcraft” Offered With Potter & Potter Auctions
This first part of the Edwin A. Dawes Collection will be presented by Potter & Potter Auctions in late February. Nearly 450 lots of posters and vintage collectibles are offered. Particularly featured is a one-sheet stone lithograph published by The Metropolitan Printing Co. in 1905. The artwork shows English magician Adelaide Herrmann performing a magic show. Titled The Flight of the Favorite, the poster shows a Geisha character in one cabinet vanishing, only to reappear in a similar box some distance away. Called "the Queen of Magic,” Herrmann was born in 1853 in London. Collectors will also find a third edition and first issue copy of The Discoverie of Witchcraft. Written by Reginald Scot (1538 - 1599), the book includes famous wood-engraved illustrations of conjuring apparatus and the decapitation illusion. The book, with a gilt-lettered spine label, briefs on conjuring tricks and their secrets in English. Other notable lots on the block are Chung Ling Soo’s Smoke Vase dating back to 1910, Jay Marshall’s “Lefty” glove puppet, and a 1905 lithograph advertising the 'Comedians de Mephisto Co.' Visit Potter & Potter Auctions to view the complete catalog and register to bid in the upcoming The Collection of Edwin A Dawes, Part I sale.
Auction PreviewArthur Conan Doyle’s Autographed Manuscript of Uncle Bernac and Rare Edition of The Lost World Come to Sale With Potter & Potter Auctions
British writer and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle created the iconic fictional detective Sherlock Holmes in 1887. The character became a sensation in crime stories. The author wrote the novel Uncle Bernac to replace Holmes, who he killed off in 1894. Set in Napoleon’s era, the novel is based on a Frenchman returning to his homeland to join the Emperor’s ranks. The upcoming sale, offered by Potter & Potter Auctions, will feature an autographed manuscript of this novel. As published in the original serialization, it comprises 125 leaves and includes pagination throughout and several holograph corrections, cancellations, and alterations. It is presented in a folding wooden box with a brass plaque and latches. The first English trade edition of The Lost World, another noteworthy masterpiece by Doyle, also highlights the auction. Published by Hodder and Stoughton, London, it features the authentic blue cloth cover and a rare dust jacket. The science fiction novel is about an expedition to the Amazon basin of South America, where prehistoric animals still survive. It was published serially in TheStrand Magazine. Visit Potter & Potter Auctions to view the complete catalog and register to bid in the upcoming A Study in Sherlock, Part II: Including the Collections of Robert Hess and Roy Pilot sale.
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Auction PreviewArt Books Featuring Work by Kurt Vonnegut, Ralph Steadman to Sell at Potter & Potter Auctions
Potter & Potter Auctions’ upcoming online only Printed Books & Manuscripts sale will feature a selection of art books, 20th-century literature, antiquities, and illustration art. Leading the catalog is a 2000 art book illustrated by Ralph Steadman and Kurt Vonnegut. This book was published to accompany the Fall 1999 exhibition Modern Fiction and Art at the University of Kentucky Art Museum. Intended to “illustrate the innovative ideas of these authors translated into visual forms,” the work also features original essays by Vonnegut and Steadman. The available book has been signed by both Vonnegut and Steadman, as well as the publisher, Joe Petro III Graphics, and the exhibition’s curator. It is numbered 33 of 50. Another key art book in the catalog is a collection of Edward Coley Burne-Jones’ watercolor paintings, reproduced by Henry Piazza & Co. for the Fine Art Society. This 1905 collection of color reproductions features captions alongside each image and an accompanying text booklet. A nearly complete collection of Philip K. Dick’s pulp magazine appearances will also be available in this upcoming auction. The American science fiction writer was known for his speculative, thought-provoking stories that inspired such films as Blade Runner (1992) and Minority Report (2002). This extensive collection of magazines includes works published between 1952 and 1967, when Dick was still a marginal figure in the literary world. Bidders can also consider a collection of bound issues of Dartmouth College’s Jack-o-Lantern humor magazine from 1919 to 1922. These volumes include numerous illustrations by a young Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss). To view the complete Printed Books & Manuscripts (Online Only) catalog and register to bid, visit Potter & Potter Auctions.
Auction PreviewRare Issues of Captain America, Amazing Spider-Man Comic Books Comes to Sale With Potter & Potter Auctions
The upcoming auction, presented by Potter & Potter Auctions, offers a wide selection of prized valuables from the world of comics, including Captain America and Amazing Spider-Man comics. The complete copy of Captain America that leads the sale was issued by Timely Comics in 1941. The cover art, by Simon and Jack Kirby, shows Captain America punching Adolf Hitler. The lot currently ranks at 7th place in Overstreet’s Top 100 Golden Age Comics list. The first issue of Amazing Spider-Man by Marvel Comics is also available. The book, consisting of off-white to white pages, retells Spider-Man’s origin. Besides Spider-Man, the superhero team from Fantastic Four— Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, and the Thing— feature on the cover. A portion of the catalog also includes autographs, posters, and trading cards. Among the listed trading cards is a fleer basketball case of three 24-count boxes dating to 1990. Several pulps, serial magazines, fanzines, and periodicals are on offer as well. The issues have been authored by Murray Leinster, Edward E. Smith, James Blish, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Willy Ley, and more. View the complete catalog of the Golden Age and Pre-Code Horror: The Comic Book Collection of Stephen J. Farber auction by visiting Potter & Potter Auctions.
Auction PreviewHoudini’s Milk Can Lithograph Takes Center Stage in Select Secrets Auction by Potter & Potter Auctions
Harry Houdini’s death-defying mystery was advertised with a vibrantly colored lithograph depicting Houdini in his famous Milk Can escape in 1908. This one-sheet color stone lithograph by Houdini (also known as Erik Weisz) (1874 - 1926), printed in Cincinnati & New York by Russell-Morgan Litho., is a leading lot in Potter & Potter Auctions’ Select Secrets sale. This is a rare copy, just one of perhaps five examples extant. Houdini is portrayed crouched down inside the galvanized metal container with water pouring down over his body. A vignette at the lower left shows the can in its locked state before Houdini’s death-defying escape. Houdini debuted the Milk Can in St. Louis in 1908 in a bathing suit after the galvanized container had been filled with water by his assistants. Sealed in by an inspection committee from the audience, Houdini, chest heaving and breathless but still very much alive, would step out triumphant every time. A rare half-sheet stone lithograph depicting Howard Thurston and Harry Kellar side-by-side is another notable lot in the sale. Thurston was presented Kellar’s “Mantle of Magic,” a sort of royal honor that could be bestowed from one magician to the next with Mephistopheles looking on at Ford’s Theatre in Baltimore in 1908. Although a fantasy, this gesture captured the American public’s imagination in the early 20th century. A fairy tale ceremony disguised Kellar’s hard-fought business transactions with his successor Thurston, shown as an Asian prince. This image of the “new” magician became an important part of magical history. View the complete catalog of the Select Secrets auction and register to bid by visiting Potter & Potter Auctions.
Auction PreviewHoward Finster’s Paradise Garden Enamel Painting and Elizabeth Catlett’s Stylized Linocut Print Lead Potter & Potter Auctions’ Upcoming Sale
American artist Howard Finster was a Baptist minister from Georgia. He claimed he had visions since the age of three and that God inspired him to spread the gospel. He designed his marshy land into a folk art sculpture space called Paradise Garden with over 46,000 works. His paintings mostly illustrate verses from Bible and are colorful, flat planes without perspective. Early Paradise Garden, one such Biblical depiction by Finster, is a key highlight of the upcoming sale from Potter & Potter Auctions. The unframed enamel on Masonite painting is an early significant piece from his sculpture garden, before he began numbering them. Some of his works are displayed at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Milwaukee Museum of Art. Another notable work in the catalog is Elizabeth Catlett’s linocut titled I Am the Black Woman. First created in 1946, this linocut was printed in 1989. It is signed and captioned by the artist on the lower margin. The sculptor and graphic artist is celebrated for her portrayal of the Black American community, especially emphasizing women’s experiences in the 20th century. Visit Potter & Potter Auctions to view the complete catalog and register to bid in the upcoming Contemporary, Outsider, Folk, and Fine Art auction.
