Description:

Howard Thurston
New York, NY, July 31, 1923
H. Thurston to Smith & Wesson to Purchase "three or four" Guns
TLS
Howard Thurston (1869-1936). Typed Letter Signed, "Howard Thurston", 1p, on Dante The Magician, Inc. letterhead, 8.25" x 10.75", New York City, New York, July 31, 1923. Features a large 6.5" x 3.5" tonal advertisement printed at top. Smith & Wesson blue ink handstamp shows receipt on August 1, 1923. Bold signature with paper loss at "H" of "Howard" and smudging at "ton" of "Thurston". Expected mailing folds and creases with a small tear at bottom right corner. Light toning and discoloration. A few pinholes at top left. Else, in near very good condition.

Thurston writes to Smith & Wesson with his need to purchase guns for his shows. In full: "For many years we have used two twenty-two caliber guns of your make, the ones you recently repaired for us, for our performances. We have two shows and we find it difficult to get any gun, but the one refered [sic] to, that will answer our purpose. We would like to buy three or four of these guns and would be greatly obliged if you could let us know where they may be purchased. You may have some in your factory that you would be willing to dispose of."

Thurston, also known as "The Great Magician" and the "King of Cards", enthralled audiences with his illusions for over three decades. He excelled in levitation illusions, disappearing acts, and card tricks. He incorporated magic, comedy, and beautiful women into his crowd-pleasing traveling show which was so large that it needed eight train cars to transport! Like his contemporary Harry Houdini, Thurston became interested in the motion picture industry as a means to expand his access to audiences. Most of these cinematic efforts failed, including Thurston's.

Dante the Magician refers to Danish-born American entertainer Harry A. Jansen (1883-1955). In 1922, Thurston, realizing Jansen's talent as a magician and possible competition to him, engaged Jansen to star in the second Thurston show.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

  • Dimensions: 8.25" x 10.75"
  • Medium: TLS

Accepted Forms of Payment:

ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

October 30, 2024 10:00 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000