Bank of Charity, a note advertising the shows of Mr Irving Bishops (pictured in place of Britannia), 12 June 1883, serial number 12/J 07710, promising to pay the bearer £1000, ‘if I am detected in any fraud or collusion’, signed by an illegible signature marked as Editor of Truth, fine and rare
Outing unlisted £80-£120

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Sir David Kirch Collection of Skit Notes.

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Washington Irving Bishop (1855-89) was an American theatre and stage performer. His shows consisted of ‘thought reading’ and other such mental tricks. He died of a fit or seizure during one of his shows, but his mother and wife both claimed that he was simply in a trance, and the autopsy was the true cause of death! This note was a flier for his London shows of 1883, where he swapped the name Washington for Wellington, for obvious reasons.