Fox, Imro (Isidore Fuchs). Imro Fox and his Own Co. The

Fox, Imro (Isidore Fuchs). Imro Fox and his Own Co. The Alchemist’s Power. New York: The Miner Litho Co., ca. 1900. Striking poster shows a wizard in a conical hat levitating a woman in front of him, with lightning rays radiating from his fingertips. 27 1/2 x 40 1/2". Borders trimmed, minor retouching and wear in image; B+. The only known example of this poster. Fox, German by birth, was working as a chef in a Washington, D.C. hotel when he stumbled – literally – into a career before the footlights. According to various biographies, when asked to fill in for a magician who, thanks to his penchant for “flowing bowl” could not meet his engagement, Fox stepped in though only an amateur magician at the time. He was so nervous that he fumbled through many of his tricks. The lesson learned, however, was that clowning got laughs, and the tricks got gasps. And so he set out on a successful career as a vaudeville magician and – as advertised in this poster – as a solo artist with his own company of performers. This poster does not depict Fox – who was bald, and wore a thick mustache – but likely shows a scene from his show which was probably some sort of magical playlet, presented as part of a longer show. Perhaps Fox played the role of the wizard depicted here. The trend toward mini-dramas filled with magic tricks and stage illusions like the levitation was established by the Maskelyne family of London, who made a career out of short plays featuring miraculous stage illusions.