One of the Houdini highlights in Haversat & Ewing's upcoming
Magic Auction #40 (February 24-26) is a "Houdini family scrapbook." The
auction lot shows several preview pages, and on one of those pages is a flyer (right) that has me very intrigued.
This is a German flyer for the "Hamburg-Amerikalinie" showing the schedules for three Zeppelin airships. Houdini has typed on the flyer "September 23, 1913 - Regards from Houdini" and also put a checkmark beside the airship Hansa.
Does this mean Houdini flew aboard the Hansa? He was in Germany at this time and had just traveled aboard the Hamburg-Amerika liner SS Imperator. Could the Hansa have been his connection to Berlin? Unfortunately, I don't have listing for where Houdini was performing on this exact date, but he was in Nuremberg the previous week.
I've always had a bit of a thing for airships. I recall the movie
The Hindenburg was released right at the same time I was becoming interested in Houdini, and I became mildly obsessed with all things Hindenburg as well. So Houdini aboard a Zeppelin is an irresistible idea. Guess this is yet another untold story of
Houdini in Germany.
The Zeppelin LZ 13 Hansa first flew on July 30, 1912. It had an enclosed passenger cabin with room for 24. From early 1915 used as a training airship, making over 500 flights over Berlin. It was dismantled in 1916.
Houdini wasn't the only Weiss to board a Zeppelin. Check out the top related link below and take flight was Dark Sady!
Thanks to David Haversat and Tom Ewing for providing me with a closer look at this flyer. Check out thier Magic Auction #40 HERE.