This caused some confusion as the man bears little resemblance to the Ira Davenport in the famous photo of Houdini and the spiritulist taken in 1910, and, as far as I know, they never had a second face-to-face meeting.
But by sheer chance, I stumbled on the answer. The mystery man in the photo is actually Edmond Patrick Talon, the son of the magician Philippe. It was taken in Paris, likely in 1909. Below is the photo and an excerpt from the article, "Unknown Facts About Philippe," written by Houdini for the December 1921 M-U-M.
"Mystery and Wonder: A Legacy of Golden Age Magicians in New York City" opens February 12, 2026, and will run until July 11, 2026.
Very little was known of Philippe, though I tried to trace him for a long time. By the merest accident, I made the acquaintance of his son, E. Patrick Talon. One day I walked into the establishment of Caroly, in Paris, who informed me that a son of the celebrated Philippe was alive and wished to dispose of some of his father's letters. An appointment was immediately arranged for at the Alhambra Theatre where I was then performing, which proved to be the inception of a friendship that lasted till the death of Philippe's son. Strange as it may seem, E. Patrick Talon, though he knew not one word of English, was born in Ireland and named Patrick in memory of Philippe's successful stay in Dublin. So great was the joy of Philippe when tiny baby Patrick enriched the musical history of old Erin by giving forth his initial wail, that he produced the inexhaustible wine barrel trick at the performance that evening and bade the audience drink, in good cheer, to the health of his son.
Want more? You can read and download Houdini's entire Philippe M-U-M article as a "Scholar" member of my Patreon below.
Thanks to Leo Hevia and Abby Martin for putting me on the scent.
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