This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/26/2022
[Houdini] Houdini-Owned Spirit Trumpet. Chicago: H.S. Paine, 1920s. Telescoping spirit trumpet said to have been owned and used by Harry Houdini in his lectures debunking the tricks of fraudulent mediums. Hallmarked by the maker. Extended length 29”. With a typed card from the Circus Museum of Sarasota collection identifying the horn (and “ectoplasm,” no longer present) as having been owned by Houdini. The maker of this trumpet, H.S. Paine, went on to found and operate the “old reliable” Chicago Magic Co., a retailer of magic tricks and wholesale manufacturer for the wider trade. In a darkened séance room, these trumpets were used by mediums to apparently amplify the voices of the departed who were said to visit sitters at their seances.