After performing in Depression-era Czechoslovakia, Dante was informed he could not take his cash earnings out of the country. That setback had a most fortunate result for Dante fans and magic historians: His 35th Year Book. Edited and compiled by Dante’s wife and partner, Edna Herr Jansen, its large-format pages are jam-packed with photos, press reviews and marketing materials designed to help win over skeptical theatre owners and booking agents.
Nearly 100 years after its initial publication, the 35th Year Book — also dubbed the Trunk Book for its trunk-themed covers — takes its proper place as a historical story board for Dante’s globe-trotting career. The reviews are in, and they are universally favorable as one expects in a promotional book. Much more stunning is the large gallery of pictures and creative scenes, each one worth a thousand words. Dante the Magician played big in the world’s biggest cities.
The photo gallery shows every page of the book and its full-color covers. The high-resolution scans were taken from a damaged copy disassembled for scanning. Pause the slide show by clicking on a photo. Right-click on a photo to open in a separate tab or download. This 1930-era book now belongs to the public domain under U.S. copyright law. If you use any image(s) from this publication, please credit “Dante the Magician 35th Year Book, edited by Edna Herr Jansen.”
