PERCY, S. Swindling Unmasked. Authentic Anecdotes, of Henri...

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The Ricky Jay Collection

By Potter & Potter Auctions

Feb 25, 2023

Set Reminder 2023-02-25 12:00:00 2023-02-25 12:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : The Ricky Jay Collection https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/potter-potter/the-ricky-jay-collection-21935
This was Potter & Potter's first sale from the singular, eclectic collection of Ricky Jay, the lauded actor, celebrated sleight-of-hand magician, and noted author, who curated his own extensive collection of magic, circus, and showbiz ephemera. Prices Realized Potter & Potter Auctions info@potterauctions.com

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  PERCY, S. Swindling Unmasked. Authentic Anecdotes, of Henrietta Keneritz, alias Baroness de Menckwitz?. [London]: Printed by and for the Author, [1805]. Marbled boards with printed title label to spine. Engraved portrait frontispiece of Ms. Keneritz. [i ? iii], iv, [1], 2 ? 87. Small 4to. Marginal soiling, a few inked notations not affecting text, else very good. OCLC locates only two institutional copies. Rare. See Exemplars, p. 221. The author leaves little to the imagination when describing Ms. Keneritz?s craven nature or total lack of scruples, writing in his introduction, ?She has the tongue of a Syren, the bite of an asp, and the fangs of a harpy. Like the Egyptian sphinx, though she has the front of a woman, she has the rear of a beast: she is as polluted in mind, as she is prostituted in body; and when some jail has disgorged her, she is full freighted with the cadaverous refinements, and the dregs of every crime.? The work outlines a wide range of crimes and cons she committed, both on her own and in the company of her supposed husband, the ?Baron de Menckwitz.?
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