Snapshots of the Past

[Harry Houdini, King of Cards] – Vintage Print

[Harry Houdini, King of Cards], [ca. 1895] — vintage poster
[Harry Houdini, King of Cards], [ca. 1895]. Vintage poster from the Astrology & Magic collection.

(Originally scanned by the Library of Congress. Each image is professionally and digitally cleaned of artifacts such as color bars and extra borders prior to printing.)

Description

Step back in time with [Harry Houdini, King of Cards], a vintage poster rich in period detail. Sourced directly from the Library of Congress, it represents an authentic piece of documented history.

Framed, it is ready for the wall; unframed, it is ready for the frame you choose. It brings character to any room and makes a memorable gift. Free shipping in the lower 48 states. Snapshots of the Past has been bringing history to the wall since 2001, for tens of thousands of customers worldwide.

[Harry Houdini, King of Cards]

Order a print

Secure checkout · SSL encryptedPowered by Stripe and PayPal

Free shipping in the lower 48 states. The checkout page shows the picture, size and price before you pay.

Sign up for our newsletter

Sent securely. No purchase needed. Unsubscribe anytime.

Ask about licensing or this print

Before he became famous for escaping from handcuffs and jail cells, Harry Houdini was billed on this color lithograph as the "King of Cards." In the 1890s, when he was still in his early twenties, he built his stage act around card manipulation and other sleight-of-hand, performing on the variety and vaudeville circuits. Posters like this were printed in quantity and pasted on walls and billboards to draw crowds, so the piece now shows how a young magician marketed himself before his later reputation was made.

Created / published[ca. 1895]
Medium1 print (poster) : lithograph, color.
GenrePortrait prints 1890-1900.Theatrical posters Color 1890-1900.Lithographs Color 1890-1900.
NotesAs reflected in this poster, before he became the celebrated King of Handcuffs and Master Prison Breaker, Harry Houdini was King of Cards.
SubjectsHoudini, Harry,--1874-1926--Performances. Magicians--1890-1900. Magic--1890-1900. Card tricks--1890-1900.
SourceLibrary of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
Original scan1,160 × 1,462 px · prints to 4 × 5 in at 300 dpi
ReferenceAMZ-SOTP-HPA-217295

More from the Astrology & Magic collection

Snapshots of the Past helps heritage brands, museums, historians and storytellers tell stories with history: historic prints, image licensing and historical storytelling drawn from more than 25 years of research and curation.

Related pictures

[Harry Houdini, the expert handcuff manipulator][Harry Houdini, the expert handcuff manipulator][Harry Houdini, full-length portrait, standing, facing front, in chains][Harry Houdini, full-length portrait, standing, facing front, in chains][Harry Houdini, full-length portrait, standing, facing front, in chains][Harry Houdini, full-length portrait, standing, facing front, in chains]Bookplateof Harry HoudiniBookplateof Harry Houdini[Houdini versus products of the Weed Chain Tire Grip Company][Houdini versus products of the Weed Chain Tire Grip Company][Houdini at the Wintergarten, Berlin][Houdini at the Wintergarten, Berlin]