Baldwin / The Mahatma. ca. 1890.

Artist: ANONYMOUS
Size: 82 x 108 3/4 in./208 x 276.3 cm
Condition: B+/ Slight tears at folds and edges.
Printer: Calhoun Print, Hartford
Reference:
Key Words: Art Nouveau; American

Baldwin / The Mahatma. ca. 1890.
Better known as "The White Mahatma" and for his costumes inspired by the far East (turbans, robes, pointed shoes, etc.), the magician and mentalist Samri Baldwin is here portrayed in a more traditional suit and billed simply as "The Mahatma." But everything else about this poster is utter and wonderful grandeur, from the sheer size of it to the detailed skeletons that dance around the border. Baldwin was one of the first magicians to perform a handcuff escape on stage (even before Houdini's more famous performance), and he developed "question and answer" mentalism—in which he divined answers to questions written by the audience—an act that would be copied for generations. His wife, Kitty, was also a stage mentalist and assisted him with performances. In many of their posters, skulls and skeletons crowd the scene as evidence of the performers' abilities to harness the underworld and summon spirits. "Although most theatrical posters at this time were produced with lithography, these Baldwin posters were meticulously printed from woodblock carvings, creating distinctive, sharp images" (Magic, p. 314). Similarly, this design is an eight-sheet woodblock engraved poster—and rare!