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| The Toronto Star, May 2, 1995. |
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Thursday, May 1, 2025
The Houdini Magical Hall of Fame fire 30 years ago today
Our friend Tom Interval at Interval Magic reminds me that today marks a grim anniversary. It was 30 years ago tonight that the Houdini Magical Hall of Fame in Niagara Falls, Canada, burned in a late fire. Among the Houdini rarities destroyed was the original Water Torture Cell. Below is the news as it appeared in The Toronto Star the following day.
Do you remember when and where you learned the news that the Houdini Magical Hall of Fame was no more?
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Why why why???
ReplyDeleteI believe a restaurant was next door to the museum. Could have been the reason behind the fire, but Tom mentioned arson. The museum had already fallen into neglect. If Harry had seen what it had become, he probably would have torched it. And all this just a few years before Houdini would become a hot commodity.
ReplyDeleteJohn btw any updates on Genos fire? How bad it really was?
ReplyDeleteThey're not telling me nutin'. I think we can assume it's a total loss.
DeleteThat's the 2nd Houdini collection that took a hit in a fire. Gotta wonder if Harry is trying to tell us something. After all, his last will about burning everything after Hardeen died was disobeyed.
ReplyDeleteI’ve told this story prior but one of my unforgettable moments was my visit to that museum during the late 80’s. The museum was empty, just opened, and the security cameras off. I took this opportunity to crawl under the barrier, and step onto the table that held the water torture cell. I spent ten minutes examining this apparatus. It really was a dream come true. Sweat poured down my face in excitement as I discovered that the gaff was unlocked. So here I was opening and closing the gaff as Houdini did 60 years prior! I have numerous photos of the cell taken from behind the barrier but none of my examination of it. I was too nervous to take any extra time to do so.
ReplyDeletePerry from NJ.