Howard Thurston holds a skull, his gaze turned downward, entirely calm, while a spirit plays the violin and a skeleton raises a trumpet around him.
The Strobridge Lithographing Company of Cincinnati and New York printed the poster in 1915 for Thurston's touring show, which he billed as "The Wonder Show of the Universe". Thurston had taken over from Harry Kellar and built a production that travelled in eight dedicated railway cars.
The McCord Stewart Museum holds an impression of this design (accession M2014.128.422).
On the poster
Thurston stands centre-left in a black evening coat and white waistcoat, holding a human skull and a wand. The deep navy ground swirls with green vapour. A female spirit plays a violin, a skeleton raises a trumpet, a mandolin and a tambourine hang in mid-air, and three grimacing green faces emerge from the mist. Three red-skinned imps with tails cavort at the lower margin. On the right, three Victorian gentlemen look on uncertainly, one in spectacles and one gripping a book.
Down the right side, in cream-yellow capitals: "DO THE SPIRITS COME BACK?"
About this print
A digitally restored reproduction, printed on 200gsm Enhanced Matte Fine Art paper with pigment inks.
