Harry Leat’s ‘Magic in a Name’ Cards – Louis Nikola

This item is based on the Jacob’s Ladder novelty. Louis Nikola was a successful professional magician, an expert in shadowgraphy and also a magic book author. His performing career spanned the 1910s to 1930s period. The purpose of this Jacob’s Ladder would have been to introduce Nikola. The ladder first shows LOUIS. It is then allowed to fall open to display NIKOLA. This would have been manufactured by Harry Leat who was a friend of Nikola. Leat advertised these ‘Magic in a Name’ cards in his Leat’s Leaflets, No. 16 in 1928. It was also included in his catalogue, as illustrated here. The Davenport collection contains material from Louis Nikola and this particular example almost certainly came into the collection via Nikola. See also N2927.