PLEASE NOTE: ACTUAL SHIPPING CHARGES WILL APPLY.YOU WILL NEED TO PAY THE ACTUAL UPS SHIPPING COST TO YOUR LOCATION.EXPECT SHIPPING CHARGES TO BE AT LEAST $600 OR MORE.This item will be carefully and professionally packed in a box within a box, with plenty of stabilizing packing material. The packing process itself takes several hours!You may also pick it up in person at the MagicTricks.com warehouse.
Every magician who knows his magic history is familiar with the "Traveling Magician" statue, and knows how rare it is to see one, much less own one. Less than 90 have been located over the years, and when one comes on the market, it is quickly snatched up by an eager collector of important magical memorabilia.
This is one of the rare opportunities to own a John Rogers Traveling Magician.
The statue was made in 1877, and is signed and dated by the John Rogers Studio.
The statue is in very good shape for a Rogers statue, and is in original paint.
The statue is finished in "John Rogers tan", one of the official colors used by Rogers in the original manufacture of these groups. This shade really shows the details of the statue to their best advantage.
The statue is 23" tall, 16" wide, 15" deep, and weighs 48 lbs.
This particular statue shows incredible detail because it has not been refinished.The two places where detail is most important- in the spectators' faces and in the banner on the front of the podium- are nice and crisp for a Magician statue.In fact, the words on the banner can actually be read, which is unusual for a Traveling Magician statue.The character that this statue possesses is outstanding!
There is damage to the top of the umbrella in the spectator's hand, which is a very common thing with this statue.We have never had one where the umbrella was not damaged . There is some paint flaking on various parts of the statue, as you can see in the video. The statue has a decades-long buildup of dust.Please keep in mind that this statue was made in 1877, and of course shows age wear that would be expected in a plaster statue that is nearly 150 years old! Some collectors prefer to leave the statue "as is", some prefer "like new" restoration. It's up to you! We can put you in touch with several restorers if you wish. Cost of any restoration work would be at your expense, and would be a separate transaction between you and the restorer.
John Rogers (1829-1904) was a machinist from Manchester, N.H., who turned his hobby of sculpting into a very financially successful company. At the time, tabletop sculptures were only made in bronze, and were extremely expensive, much too expensive for the average family to own. In the mid-1800s, well before the age of television, people would gather in the parlors of friends and family and amuse themselves by telling stories or discussing interesting facts and information. Rogers' idea was to create tabletop statues that would encourage such lively conversation, statues that depicted a story. The statues would be viewable on all sides and would be very detailed and true to life. Best of all, the statues would be mass produced in plaster to make them affordable.
The Traveling Magician statue depicts a magician entertaining a man and his son while a young girl (the magician's assistant) has fallen asleep, obviously bored at having seen the rabbit pulled from the hat many times before. The spectators appear totally baffled by the magician's skill- but if the statue is viewed from the back, part of his magical secret is revealed. The magician's apprentice is apparently hiding under the table, and is secretly handing the magician a dove!
It is interesting to see which magic tricks Rogers sculpted for the magician. The traditional "rabbit from a hat" is the central theme, and the secret assistant is an amusing touch. The Watch From Bread trick (in which the magician borrows a watch, makes it disappear and then reappear inside a baked loaf of bread) is also depicted. The pistol on the table could represent an exhibition of trick shooting. But the wig is a mystery! Unfortunately, there is no record of why John Rogers chose the particular props for this statue.
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