By my current count, Houdini did 78 suspended straitjacket escapes. It makes sense to me that at some point he would devise some kind of ankle protection, and I can see these coming from his inventive mind. (Can we now say Houdini invented gravity boots?)
The auction description states that Joseph Yadah acquired the braces from Hardeen. Yadah eventually sold them to The Salon de Magie. A letter of provenance was part of the lot, but not pictured. Coming from Hardeen is good. We know he inherited his brother's escape apparatus, and Hardeen himself never did a suspended straitjacket escape (as far as I can find).
Unfortunately, there are no known photos showing Houdini using these braces. But there are some photos that might. Below is a shot of Houdini doing a suspended straitjacket escape in Times Square in 1917. Note the unnatural sharp protrusions at the knees. This really looks like it could be the top edge of the braces. Also, bending at the waist as we see Houdini doing here would be far easier (and safer) if he were wearing braces like these.
Here's another shot from Houdini's famous 1918 Ladies Home Journal spread (How I Get Out Of A Strait-Jacket). Houdini's left pant leg is sliding down, giving a glimpse of his leg. That could just be his sock. But it looks a little thicker and sturdier to me. Could it be a brace?
Then Houdini's ankles were fastened to the rope by a special appliance that prevented injury, but insured safety.
Why wouldn't Houdini wear these on the outside of his pants? That I don't know. But I suspect he felt it was visually more appealing to conceal them. And why show this clever device to his competitors? Let them break their ankles! So, in their own way, these braces were a well-kept Houdini secret.
None of this is conclusive, but I will continue the search for evidence. In the meantime, congratulations to the winner. I think you might have landed a very special and unique piece of Houdini history.
Related:
Yes! Houdini in Portal confirmed! (Kinda a joke. Now I want a steampunk version of Portal with Houdini in replace of the character Chell with those leg braces) - Abby Martin
ReplyDeleteThere are photos of him doing the Suspended Straitjacket wearing some kind of elastic material around his ankles. Must have been extra padding to protect his ankle joints. Not buying the leg braces theory. You can see in films of him before and after the Suspended and he doesn't appear to be wearing anything under his pants. Hardeen can't be entirely trusted, as much as we love him.
ReplyDeleteHardeen for the rest of his life after Harry’s death: *in his thick Brooklyn accent* I ain’t telling nobody nothing.
DeleteEveryone: Come onnnnnn man!
Hardeen: *smug face*
- Abby Martin
This is fascinating. I think you make a plausible argument, and it makes so much sense that he would want something on the sly to brace his ankles under so much physical stress. The only thing that gives me pause with these particular leg braces is the metal buckles. Those are hefty and if any of the rope were tied over them, they would be pressed into him and it would likely cause extreme discomfort once he was suspended....but perhaps all the rope ties are lower than the braces themselves.
ReplyDeletealso, this is Colleen :) (still having computers issues with commenting as me)
DeleteHi Colleen! 😊❤️ - Abby Martin
DeleteHi, Abby :)
DeleteI'm also thinking he may have had these braces custom made and then dropped the idea after a few trial runs.
ReplyDeleteI saw these in person in Ken's collection about 14 years ago. My head about exploded when I saw them. It all made perfect sense. I dont' think it was something Houdini used his entire career, as can be seen my earlier photos. But I have no doubt he used them as he got older. Ken had a lot of Houdini stuff. He had a box of handcuffs and asked me to identify them. so I went through and told hime what each cuff was. I'm sure he was just testing me. Ken knew everything in his enormous collection.
ReplyDeleteHad I seen these 14 years ago my head would have exploded as well! Why the heck didn't HH stamp his name inside his props, etc.? Sure would make our lives easier today. Haha.
DeleteJohn, You & I talked about this before the auction. In spite of the photos you sent, I was still suspicious of these being Houdini’s. Yes they were Hardeen’s & came via Yadah but that they were used regularly by Houdini is still suspect. Not sure where we will ever find convincing proof except maybe in his diaries that still exist…….I did not bid on these. AverbookMuseum.com
ReplyDeleteI think there's a universe of information I could extract from his (other) diaries if I ever got a look at them. :)
DeleteI believe these are leather shin guards from WW1 but no doubt Harry would have made an adaptation for the precise purpose of protecting his shins from the rope slipping down. You can see a somewhat similar pair on Ebay...(link not allowed) The braces in the auction would have no benefit for anyone with an actual leg injury as there is no metal bar support to aid in ambulation ( remember the braces worn with long metal bars on the side with a hinge so the knee area could flex). So shin guards make the most sense.
ReplyDeleteOh, that's a fresh insight! Thank you. And I have no problem with sharing links to eBay etc.
DeleteI looked at the ebay listing. Yes, these are totally WWI shin protectors. https://www.ebay.com/itm/292677942783
DeleteI now more skeptical. I was looking at these as something custom. But now we know they are not.
Good hunting and research, John. It's always refreshing to read your posts which seek to know and express the truth and not slant it in some way. Thank you for keeping Houdini World on the straight and narrow. That's "straight path" not "straight jacket." :-)
ReplyDelete