In Escaping Obscurity: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini 1897-1899, we did our best to decipher Houdini's frequently indecipherable handwriting. But we couldn't get it all. For instance, on page 43, you'll find this:
In the book, I speculated that Houdini could be referring to a trapeze accident, and the illegible word was likely the name of the act. Now, magician and all-around good guy Richard Hatch has puzzled out that the illegible word here is "Nudos."
The 3 Nudos were trapeze artists Marie, Richard, and Beth. Happily, this was not a fatal accident, as The 3 Nudos continued to perform into the 1900s.
You know, my initial temptation with this entry was to interpret "traps" as a reference to a magic trick. Thank goodness I didn't write that! I just wish I had discovered "The 3 Nudos" myself before publication, as that [illegible] is going to drive me nuts now.
I have launched a page where I will track Escaping Obscurity Discoveries & Corrections. If you believe you've cracked some of these illegible words, feel free to send them my way.
Purchase Escaping Obscurity: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini, 1897-1899 exclusively at Mike Caveney's Magic Words.
Thank you Richard!
Sure it wasn’t lobsters?
ReplyDeleteHaha. Those Weisses did love their lobster!
DeleteLobster? - Abby Martin
DeleteLobster traps.
DeleteLobster traps? 🤣 - Abby Martin
DeleteYou know who actually first suggested "nudos"? Jim Steinmeyer. But he added that it made no sense to him. Of course, I hadn't told him I suspected it was a trapeze act and accident. Why didn't I do a search of nudos? My failing.
ReplyDeleteJim was also the one who got "Hose Team" (page 202) and told me about Hose Team competitions. I originally had a far more bonkers take. Thank you again, Jim!
Were they nude?
ReplyDeleteThe book is fantastic, cannot believe the anticipation for every page.
ReplyDeleteJohn I thought or heard you were going to sell signed copies
on the book tour?
So glad you liked it!
DeleteNo book tour planned. We will have a signing event at the Magic Castle in September. And if Mike can smuggle me into the dealer's room at MAGIC Live, I will be happy to sign books. But I'm not registered, so I don't know if this will be possible.
I do have some copies, but I'm not sure what I'm going to do with them yet. I'm toying with the idea of starting an online store, so I might hold them back for that.
I'm selling one signed copy on eBay at the moment.