423: Don Lawton's Autograph Book.

Lawton, Don. Don Lawton's Autograph Book. This octavo leather bound autograph album with gilded pages and a ribbon bookmark was kept by the well known and loved magician, magic dealer, publisher, television performer and Magic Castle host, Don Lawton beginning in 1946, when he was only 24 years old. It contains 128 autographs of some celebrities, but mostly well-known magicians. The names read like a "who's who" of the magic world from the middle of the 20th century. Among the autographees are: Harry Blackstone, Sr. (with a full-page caricature of himself accompanying his autograph), Henny Youngman, George Segal, Carl Ballantine, Shirley Jones, Isabel Sanford ("Weezy" from The Jeffersons), Percy Abbott, Howard Melson (his autograph also accompanied by a self-portrait), P.C. Sorcar, Okito, John Mulholland, Jay Marshall ("Your appeal is fruitless"), Silent Mora, Stewart Judah, McDonald Birch, Joe Berg (twice), Sid Lorraine (twice), Jean Hugard, Charles H. Larson, George & Betty Johnstone, Eddie Joseph and family, Clarke "The Senator" Crandall ("Magic, Music & Mustache"), Milbourne Christopher, Dr. Jaks (with a self-portrait accompanying his inscription), Harlan Tarbell, Dell O'Dell, Bert Allerton, Johnny Paul, Paul LePaul, Jack Gwynne, and dozens more. Many of the autographs are accompanied by witty inscriptions and sentiments; several were written to Lawton during his tenure as the owner of a retail magic outlet in St. Louis by fellow dealers, when meeting fellow Read more…