Richard Potter Broadside Trunk

Updated September 21, 2026

Richard Potter: Born 1783 was an American magician, hypnotist and ventriloquist. He was the first American-born magician to gain fame in his own country and is widely considered the first African-American celebrity. In 1814, Potter purchased 175 acres in the village of Andover, New Hampshire. Potter performed up and down the East Coast, going as far south as Alabama. One of Potter's notable run-ins with prejudice occurred in Mobile, Alabama, where he was turned away from a hotel because of his race. He died in 1835. From the late 1960s until his death in late 2025, Robert Olson, based at Old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts, adopted Potter's persona and performed "an authentic rendition of Potter's repertoire" at various venues. It was during this time that Olson was approached to purchase this truly historic relic. It's possible the trunk was the property of Potter himself or his son Richard Potter Jr. However, the broadside decoupaged in the lid is clearly that of Richard Potter himself, circa 1819. In 2017 Olson wrote: " An early Richard Potter broadside that was cut into two pieces, and pasted down on the inside of a small round top wooden trunk. The gray areas are voids caused by mud wasps who built nests in the trunk. It is printed on thin paper. No attempt has been made to remove it, so I have left it as found." We know of no other exact Potter broadside as this one. While an example resides in an institution and another example was pictured in Milbourne Christopher's Panorama of Magic, the font of Potter's name and other attributes to this one is unique. The trunk measures 25" x 13"x 10". The lid is detached from the bottom of the trunk for display and viewing purposes, but can be easily placed back on if desired. Metal hardware, approximately 210 years old. Rare and a once in a lifetime opportunity to own a piece of history from the first African-American celebrity. $4,500+

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