Salon de Magie: The Klosterman Collection Part I

Houdini, Harry (Ehrich Weisz). Houdini Card Star. Circa 1915. Chosen cards appear on the long arms of the star hanging above the magician’s stage, around the circumference of a bright, nickel-plated central hub, at the command of the performer. Electromagnetic release system concealed in the center of the device used to activate the release and produce the cards. Width (arm to arm) 26 ½". With a lengthy letter of provenance tracing the history of the star, and handwritten instructions for its use written by Stanley Palm. Owned and used by Harry Houdini. See Salon de Magie, page 187. Owned and used by Houdini on his final tour in 1925 and 1926, the master magician allotted six minutes of time on his program for its performance. After Houdini’s passing, the device passed to his brother Hardeen, and then to Hardeen’s successor, Douglas Geoffrey. From Geoffrey it passed to Stanley Palm, and then to Ken Klosterman.