France, Centenary of the Birth of Jean Robert-Houdin, 1905, a uniface bronze medal by J. Dhotel, bust three-quarters left, 50mm. Very fine, rare (£40-50)

Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin (1805-71), the French conjurer from Blois widely considered the father of modern magic. In his time, he was celebrated for his optical illusions and mechanical devices, some of which used electromagnetism. The aspiring teenage magician Ehrich Weiss (1874-1926) changed his name to Harry Houdini in 1891, in an attempt to use Robert-Houdin’s name as a boost for his act. Sold with further biographical detail