Tuesday, August 22, 2023

Looking for this magic ticket

I'm wrapping up my search for photos to illustrate the diary book. I'm happy to report that many generous collectors have provided fantastic images. This book should be the most complete collection of Houdini artifacts from the 1890s yet published.

However, I've failed to locate the owner of the below. This ticket was sold on eBay back in 2018. It's a remarkable survivor from the 1890s that I would love to include in the book. What a shame for it to have survived all these years only to vanish now.


If you are the lucky owner of this magic ticket, please get in touch

Thank you. 🙏

UPDATE: Some trusted collectors have expressed their concerns that this might be a fake. Apparently, this sold at a time when there were similar fakes on eBay. I admit the $1000 Challenge gives me pause. That should be $100. But apart from this, it comports well with Houdini history. But if there's doubt, it's probably best to leave this out of the book. Thanks all!

8 comments:

  1. As you can see by the update, the authenticity of this is in question, so I'm letting it go!

    I'm now trying to chase down the Welsh Bros. contract that appears on pages 96-97 in The Original Houdini Scrapbook by Gibson.

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  2. BTW--Was HH at Smith's Opera House on March 25th? If he really was there on that date, the forgers did their homework.

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    1. Yes, and that's what throws me. It gets the history right and some obscure history at that.

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  3. Curiously, I discovered I have a second pic of one these except it's on pinkish paper and it's undamaged. Printing is much sharper too. Really don't know what to make of these now.

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    1. It sounds to me like there's an original of this ticket and forgers have printed reproductions.

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