Recently I bought this trunk at an estate sale from a magician here in Denver. It is a classic with evidence posted all over it from places like the 1933 World's Fair, Thayer Magic, various talent agencies, the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans, the Lincoln in New York along with various steam liner logos and airlines like Braniff and Western. Also has stickers from Catalina Island in California, Brussles, Belgium and Bombay, India. This trunk has seen a lot of magic shows around the world it would seem before it finally settled back down here in Denver. I know the magician that owned it previously and I would suspect that given the 1933 World's Fair sticker that it was handed down to him from another magician prior to him performing his magic show out of it. Pretty neat piece of magic history to have in my house though so I thought I would share it with fellow Café members.

Keir

http://www.LifeIsMagical.com

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What a cool find ! That trunk's been all over the place.
Thanks for sharing the photo.
Bob.

No sweat, here is a close up of a business card from a talent agent that is glued to the trunk. Not sure what year that was added however notice the mention of vaudeville on the card and that there is not even a phone number or zip code listed... I'm thinking it's circa "Harry Houdini" at the very youngest, wouldn't you agree?

http://www.LifeIsMagical.com

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If that trunk could only talk, wow!!
Rennie

Here's a clue. Take a look at the phone number. It's an exchange and four numbers. That means that it is before about 1948. I remember when our phone number changed from KEystone 9808 to KEystone 3 9808.

There is no postal zone, so that puts it before 1943.

Bill,
Great observations.
With the 30 year notation on the business card, It could have been in use at least from 1913 - 1918.

Keir,
Did the trunk intially belong to a magician OR the Len and Lou Booking Agents?

Garry Hayes

The magician that owned it prior to me was a local guy here in Denver. I don't know what the history was prior to that because I bought it at his estate sale after his passing.

Thanks for the insight Bill, those were things I did not know or think to look at for clues to it's age.

It is a pretty neat piece of history though, I took one look at it along with the magic and other stickers on it and figured it was easily worth the $75 they wanted for it.

BTW Bill if you are old enough to remember all that, how many posts would you have beat Jonathan Townsend by if you had been able to start back then??? : )

http://www.LifeIsMagical.com