Billet de la "banque des soirées fantastiques"

Banknote from the
«Banque des soirées fantastiques»
[«Bank of fantastic evenings»]
Paris [1845-1852]
| 23.8 x 14.6 cm | one leaf
Extremely rare invitation to the «fantastic evenings,» of the famous illusionist and magician Robert-Houdin, which were held in his theatre on Rue de Valois between 1845 and 1852. The document entitled «Bank of fantastic evenings: come and see us five hundred times» is lithographed on silk paper and has adhesive remains on the back of the four corners.
The invitation is magnificently framed by a decorative frieze of dancing playing cards and imps; two humorous notes are written on the drums: «the law punishes forced labor, any individual will be sentenced to the galleys,» «any counterfeit of this note will only be accepted as long as it is not the same thing.»