This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/16/2018
Del Ray (Raymond Petrosky). Del Ray’s Card Finding Bird and Fifty Dollar Bill. Both integral parts of Del Ray’s close-up act. Del interacted with various mechanical and automaton birds in his close-up magic act, including this small toucan, perhaps the last model he used. In effect, the bird chirped and bobbed on its perch, eventually finding a card chosen by a spectator. Accompanied by a framed photograph of Del Ray with the bird, matted together with the fifty-dollar bill Del offered to his spectators should the bird (or any of his other “trained” animals – really just toys that seemed to take on lives of their own) fail to perform as expected. Bird 9” high, frame 28 x 17 ½”. Bird not tested with batteries. “Fifty dollars could be yours!” That was one oft-heard line drawled by Del Ray, who used the fifty-dollar bill offered here for years as an integral part of his close-up act. Though the bill was offered to spectators in a playful yet challenging interaction, Del never gave it away – hence the well-worn appearance of the money.