WANDAS, Suzy (Jeanne Van Dyk, 1896 – 1986). Suzy Wandas Own Photo Scrapbooks. A singular collection of nine thick scrapbooks and photo albums, compiled over decades of performing on the variety and music hall stages of Europe and after her informal retirement by Wandas, the albums provide a visual chronicle of a life in showbusiness as one of the few female magicians of the era. Approximately 1000 photographs in all, most pasted neatly in place with Wandas’ own inked captions in the space below many pictures. The images primarily focus on Suzy Wandas herself, but other subjects include her family (her sister and brother, her nieces and nephews, and her brother), marquees or theater fronts advertising variety shows on which Suzy appeared, various candid images depicting the many stops on her European tours as a variety artist or as a tourist. A quantity of RPPCs of Wandas are included, some images being hand-colored, and others featuring fellow entertainers or individuals who have inscribed and signed the images.
Two albums, compiled by Wandas’ husband, includes 8 x 10” images of many fellow magicians, a number of them SIGNED, and these personalities include Harry Blackstone Sr., Bennett himself, Tom Harris, Fred Elliott, Dave Coleman, W.S. Berger of Vent Haven, Johnny Platt, Ade Duval, Dai Vernon, John Ramsay, Okito, and Joe Ovette. Other images show Wandas on stage at Abbott’s Get-Together, and at Percy Abbott’s home in the company of other magicians (including Bill Neff), at her home together with Dr. Bennett in the 1950s and 60s (and including photographs of their personal magic museum in the home), at Shriner’s events, and on vacations across the USA and Europe, as well as at various magic conventions. A significant visual archive and likely the most expansive we have ever offered for sale at auction for any magician.