The Harry Kellar Deck
Harry Kellar (born Heinrich Keller; July 11, 1849 – March 10, 1922) was an American magician who presented large stage shows during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Kellar was a predecessor of Harry Houdini and a successor of Robert Heller and Isaiah Hughes, under whom he apprenticed. He was often referred to as the “Dean of American Magicians” and performed extensively on five continents. One of his most memorable stage illusions was the levitation of a girl advertised as the “Levitation of Princess Karnac”, copied from an illusion invented by John Nevil Maskelyne, which was later bought by Harry Blackstone Sr.
He was a longtime customer of the Martinka Magic Company, which built many of his illusions and sets, including the “Blue Room”.
This deck was printed September, 1921. US6g Ace, (2) Version 2 Capitol Joker on one side and Treasury (USPCC brand) on the other. All cards are double-faced and it appears no two cards are the same. When I put the little information I had at the time on the website, there were two “known” decks. The one I now possess, and the one that sold on Haversat/Ewing in 2020. Another was found a year later on Potter and Potter. So there were at least 3 known decks in collections.
…Or so we thought.
Enter a magic historian and expert, Rory Feldman:
“These were decks that Harry Kellar made for a trick he was working on. So, people often attribute the deck to Kellar as though he owned it, as opposed to any magician that had a deck created for themselves.
They are double sided and the reasons for that would be for the purpose of the trick he was working on. There are a bunch. (David) Copperfield always has one in his traveling exhibit. Not sure if he has one or more in his collection, but what is putting into his exhibits are usually duplicates. Martinka.com sold one years ago, that I then sold to a fellow magic collector. That’s now in a museum in Chicago. I know the guy that bought the Potter one (2021). I believe I bought that deck from Haversat/Ewing (2020). Other magic collectors have them. I have a bunch. Probably more than most collectors”. (End of expert’s information)
Sometimes decks aren’t as rare as we think. Still, playing card collectors who don’t collect magic decks and ephemera don’t know about others that might be out there. Thanks to Lee Asher for pointing me to someone who knew. Still, acquiring one of these decks can be very difficult.
Fortunately, I got some better information before rushing to post this yesterday when I received it. It’s still considered a Congress deck, as it has the ace and joker, and was apparently the card of choice for magicians before Bicycle playing cards became practically synonymous with card magic.
From Lee Asher:
“This was a gaffed deck for Kellar made by USPCC on the Congress brand. That’s UNHEARD of.”