A client in Canada wanted us to find Ephemera (paper collectibles) to do with "the great" Victorian magicians.

Alongside The Great Lafayette who was buried with his dog, and The Great Hermann who developed card throwing into a martial art, Chung Ling Soo was a very interesting magician indeed. 

He was born in 1861 an American called William Robinson. At the age of 39, William shaved his head, grew a beard and changed his name in order to advance his career prospects. Chung Ling Soo died on stage under mysterious circumstances in 1918 when his most famous trick - catching a bullet between his teeth - went horribly wrong.

We were able to find a postcard signed and dated just one week before that fateful night.