tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post2918026634324383239..comments2024-03-28T03:39:00.025-07:00Comments on WILD ABOUT HARRY: Ehrich Weiss book pulls a HoudiniJohn Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-43321191299980769582014-11-17T19:34:54.500-08:002014-11-17T19:34:54.500-08:00Houdini's handwriting in this book looks nice,...Houdini's handwriting in this book looks nice, but other examples, from notes and letters looks like chicken scratch to me. Perhaps deep down he knew this and preferred to use a portable typewriter? <br /><br />In a handwritten letter to Houdini, William Robinson a.k.a. Chung Ling Soo noted that typewritten letters to friends were cold and impersonal.Leo Hevianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-71873286679676575022014-11-17T11:54:59.488-08:002014-11-17T11:54:59.488-08:00Handwriting was greatly emphasized back in those d...Handwriting was greatly emphasized back in those days. My dad did not have a long formal education but his handwriting was unreal. He always said back in his day kids were taught to have perfect handwriting skills as a very high priority. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-72067438841878094242014-11-17T09:22:15.605-08:002014-11-17T09:22:15.605-08:00His spelling and grammar problems certainly show h...His spelling and grammar problems certainly show his stunted formal eduction (or maybe, like a lot of creative people, he had some level of dyslexia?). But he does appear to have continued to educate himself through reading. I expect his father encouraged this. I always think of the dedication to his father in Unmasking: "Who instilled in me a love of study…"John Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-74607049421697255402014-11-16T13:11:29.027-08:002014-11-16T13:11:29.027-08:00Ah! The photo in my story that I linked to is actu...Ah! The photo in my story that I linked to is actually E 69th, not E 75th St. Fixed.John Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-70259419732967061162014-11-16T12:54:48.018-08:002014-11-16T12:54:48.018-08:00There we go. Thanks, Meredith.There we go. Thanks, Meredith.John Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-86377787586948105502014-11-16T12:50:55.777-08:002014-11-16T12:50:55.777-08:00According to Milbourne Christopher in "Houdin...According to Milbourne Christopher in "Houdini: The Untold Story", as a young boy Houdini found them the 75th St. address, where in Houdini's own words "We lived there, I mean starved there, several years," after-which they moved to E 69th St., which Christopher says was "home for many years to come."<br /><br />-MeredithAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-54026038216598298192014-11-16T12:39:12.956-08:002014-11-16T12:39:12.956-08:00Is this a new address? Silverman has the family at...Is this a new address? Silverman has the family at 227 East 75th St., which I visited <a href="http://www.wildabouthoudini.com/2005/09/houdinis-nyc-boyhood-home-today.html" rel="nofollow">HERE</a>. This was probably a later residence.John Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-45267384039299744252014-11-16T12:30:24.968-08:002014-11-16T12:30:24.968-08:00Very cool. I always thought from reading Houdini&#...Very cool. I always thought from reading Houdini's actual writings that he couldn't have been as spottily educated as most biographies claimed, and this proves it. How many nineteen-year-olds then or now go around reading Rousseau unless they have to? And I agree with you, Mr. Culliton, that he did have beautiful handwriting.<br /><br />On a related note, does anyone know what happened toAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-65458411550814370402014-11-16T10:46:58.508-08:002014-11-16T10:46:58.508-08:00As Patrick asked, what does this book tell us? Wel...As Patrick asked, what does this book tell us? Well, it tells me that Houdini's approach to his life and his magic went deeper than Robert-Houdin.Leo Hevianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-27020238521320312422014-11-16T10:44:39.348-08:002014-11-16T10:44:39.348-08:00I have always been impressed by Houdini's beau...I have always been impressed by Houdini's beautiful handwriting.Patrick Cullitonhttp://www.houdinisghost.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-3452005792727137542014-11-16T09:58:01.046-08:002014-11-16T09:58:01.046-08:00I think that 24K copy was signed.I think that 24K copy was signed.John Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-24632349530714254022014-11-16T09:54:13.148-08:002014-11-16T09:54:13.148-08:00Very true.Very true.John Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-66089424290278980572014-11-16T09:53:55.485-08:002014-11-16T09:53:55.485-08:00Oh, my, that is awesome. You might have just disco...Oh, my, that is awesome. You might have just discovered the key Houdini there, Leo. :)John Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-16849131756684595552014-11-15T16:34:34.455-08:002014-11-15T16:34:34.455-08:00And get this, here is the opening line of Rousseau...And get this, here is the opening line of Rousseau's autobiography: "I have resolved on an enterprise which has no precedent, and which, once complete, will have no imitator."<br /><br />Does that sound familiar?Leo Hevianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-6656197973975159312014-11-15T16:29:25.324-08:002014-11-15T16:29:25.324-08:00Ehrich reading Rousseau at 19 and signing his name...Ehrich reading Rousseau at 19 and signing his name in elegant Palmer script tells me his education was a lot better than we've been led to believe - a voracious reader from early on, despite the lack of formal schooling.DAVID SALTMANhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06270760638995836991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-89798460920687258912014-11-15T16:22:25.047-08:002014-11-15T16:22:25.047-08:00The price of the Houdini Bible dropped considerabl...The price of the Houdini Bible dropped considerably from the last time it went to auction by $17,762. That's a lot. My guess is there was a heated battle for that $24,000 copy, and the winner didn't need a second copy.Leo Hevianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-40424854271167984062014-11-15T15:19:01.718-08:002014-11-15T15:19:01.718-08:00That program belonged to Joe Hayman??? Man, had I ...That program belonged to Joe Hayman??? Man, had I know that, I would have keep bidding. Drat.John Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-6452265767047472872014-11-15T14:52:57.083-08:002014-11-15T14:52:57.083-08:00I used to have that final season souvenir program....I used to have that final season souvenir program. It had belonged to Joe Hayman. What does Houdini having this book as an 19 year, old the Confessions by Rousseau, tell us about him? When did he legally change his name? Patrick Cullitonhttp://www.houdinisghost.comnoreply@blogger.com