In June, Rolling Stone ran a feature titled “A Young Magician Wanted to Build an Epic Magic Collection. Did He Go Too Far?” In it, reporters Nina Strochlic and Michael Greshko chronicle the story of Rory Feldman, a man passionate about Howard Thurston who first became known in magic-collecting circles in September 2000 at the age of 19, when he spent nearly $89,000 on Thurston-related memorabilia at the Egyptian Hall Museum auction. (How a 19-year-old had almost $89,000 to spend on anything isn’t confirmed in the feature, though as the article continues, it becomes apparent that that sum was only a small portion of his coffer.)
The article interviewed several people, including Feldman, for the piece. Other people quoted include Jim Steinmeyer, Potter & Potter’s Gabe Fajuri, and family members of deceased magic collectors where there were differing tales over what was legally purchased and/or taken by Feldman.
The Egyptian Hall Museum auction
I won’t get into the details of the complex story the Rolling Stone piece lays out, but here are the broad sweeps: Feldman has been accused of fraud (including selling fakes and passing off copies of artifacts as originals) and theft, with some disputes making their way to the courts. The end result, as Rolling Stone describes it, has Feldman hoarding the world’s largest Thurston collection in his New Jersey house, where no other collectors or those who appreciate the 19th-century magician can see it.
Images courtesy of Mike Caveney’s Egyptian Hall Museum