THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF SIGNOR BLITZ; BEING AN ACCOUNT OF THE AUTHOR'S PROFESSIONAL LIFE; HIS WONDERFUL TRICKS AND FEATS; WITH LAUGHABLE INCIDENTS, AND ADVENTURES AS A MAGICIAN, NECROMANCER, AND VENTRILOQUIST
Book Details + Condition: T. Belknap (Hartford, CT). Scarce First Edition, 1872. 432 pages, with engraved frontis portrait and numerous black-and-white engravings. Author Signor Blitz (1810-1877), born Antonio van Zandt in Deal Kent County, England, was an accomplished magician, ventriloquist (with his dummy Bobby), juggler and bird handler. He arrived in the United States in 1834. Blitz would advertise himself as a Moravian, as he found he could get more work in England as a foreigner. He further perpetuated the myth in his autobiography (here for sale). As a well known magician and showman, Blitz used magic in his acts, which were usually accompanied by humor; laughter and mystification were his goals. At the height of his career, a dozen other magicians were performing under the name "Blitz" in an effort to capitalize on his popularity. His favorite effect was the Bullet Catching act (but eventually dropped it as being too dangerous) and Plate Spinning. Book appears to have been rebound in plain black boards, and has firm binding; light discoloration to endpapers; tissue paper guarding frontis has chipping and is slightly glued to inner edge; tear to title page (seems as though it's a blade cut during rebinding, perhaps); interior is clean and free of markings.
