Original 1940 Dante The Magician Window Card

This is a very rare, original stone lithograph window card for Dante The Magician from my private collection of Magic posters. This window card was used to advertise Dante's Magic show at the Shubert Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut beginning on Nov. 11, 1940. The theatre still stands today.

Dante (1883-1955) was born Harry August Jansen in Denmark. He emigrated to the U.S. as a small boy. He started out in magic as an illusion builder, later building for famous Magician Howard Thurston.

Dante toured the world with his show "Sim-Sala-Bim", including on Broadway. "Sim Sala Bim" was Dante's trademark which he used as his magic words. He was often billed as "King of Magicians".

Dante made his last public appearance a week before his death at the combined convention of the Society of American Magicians and the Pacific Coast Association of Magicians in Santa Barbara where he gave a lecture about his tours. He died at his Northridge ranch in San Fernando Valley (near Los Angeles) of a heart attack on June 16, 1955.