This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/30/2021
Lantern of Diogenes (after Hofzinser). Circa 1860. Etched glass lantern on a nickel-plated base in which a burning candle sits; in the blink of an eye, the candle changes into a previously chosen card. Two spring loaded mechanisms in good working condition. Height 15 ¾". Exceedingly fine workmanship. Rare. Part of the fabled McManus collection, the lantern is accompanied by drawings and photographs dating to the 1950s. While no definitive provenance exists, the prop’s history strongly links it to the great Viennese parlor magician, Johann Nepomuk Hofzinser.