Sketch of a bearded gentleman inscribed: 'Sketched in the presence of the audience by Mr. Maskelyne's Automaton, ZOE, at the Egyptian Hall, England's Home of Mystery.'

The Egyptian Hall was a museum completed in 1812 and owned by William Bullock. It was situated at No. 22 Piccadilly in London and was referred to interchangably as the London Museum, Egyptian Hall or Museum or Bullock's Museum. It was demolished in 1905 and office blocks were built on the site. Those offices have the address 170-173 Piccadilly.

John Nevil Maskelyne (1839-1917) a relation of the Astronomer Royal, was a performer. Teaming up with George Alfred Cooke they presented a magic show, 'Maskelyne & Cooke' at the Egyptian Hall between 1873 and 1904 earning the place the title of 'England's Home of Mystery'. Among Maskelyne's inovations in conjuring were his automatons, basically puppets whose operators and means of operation were hidden. These included one of his most celebrated, his automaton Zoe, constructed in 1877 who would write and draw pictures as suggested by the audience.