York World’s Fair Corp. 1964 - 65 Poster General Cigar, Hall Of Magic
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:2807256 | Year: 1964 |
| Country/Region of Manufacture: United States | Modified Item: No |
VERY RARE - ORIGINAL "New York Worlds Fair 1964 1965 Corporation" Copyright 1963 Poster for The General Cigar, Hall of Magic, the venue that hosted the 7th Most Popular Live Attraction at the Fair, 2 years running. The show was created by Mark Wilson, star of "The Magic Land of Allakazam." This is a large, 30"x40" Poster, Condition is NEAR MINT - NEW/OLD STOCK. It's been stored rolled since printed in 1963, with only sleight wearing on the edges that ...were on the end of the protective tube. This is a recent warehouse find. This poster comes from Magician, Mark Wilson's personal collection. Mark produced the live show that was performed in the Hall of Magic and picked up this poster from the General Cigar offices in 1963. Many famous magicians were influenced by this show, including David Copperfield. Mr. Copperfield saw the show many times as a young man. The reason this poster is so rare, is because they were printed for the NY Metropolitan Transit Authority as Subway and Bus stop posters. Once used, the NY-MTA posters were destroyed. This poster was never sold at the Fair. That's why Mark Wilson has the only known surviving originals. This is an Extremely Rare Poster. It has been authenticated by the Curator at the Queens Museum at the Flushing Meadows grounds of the original NYWF. The background is based on the work of Bob Peak, although the rest of the layout is done by an unknown artist. The "Copyright" notice at the bottom shows it was printed by Robert Moses' NYWF Corp. in 1963, prior to the opening of the fair. The same art was used in other ways for post cards and magazine ads. But this large printed poster was never distributed to the public, making it quite a special and unique discovery! The retro style of the family attending the fair, the Unisphere, and the "Smoke Rings" (part of the General Cigar planned attraction) all represent a bygone era, and a real treasure for any collector or fan of World's Fairs. Please write us with any questions. We will maintain it in it's pristine "Rolled" condition and Ship it to you by USPS in a sturdy tube. Mark Wilson is currently 90 years old, and quite healthy. If you would like it autographed, please specify that when you win this auction. Don't miss this opportunity to own an incredible piece of NYWF and Magic history! Proceeds from the sale of this poster go to the preservation and maintenance of the Allakazam Archives, dedicated to the digitization of the pioneering work of Mark Wilson and Nani Darnell in the world of Magic.
