Did Blackstone kill Houdini?

How's that for a clickbait headline? See, I can play that game! Really, this should be headlined, "Houdini was headed back to Buffalo in 1926." But that's not nearly as provocative. But now that you're here, here's the story.

During his 1925-26 season of "3 Shows in One," Houdini played the Shubert-Teck Theatre in Buffalo, New York.  I recently discovered that Houdini planned to return to the Teck for his 1926-27 season. Check out the below from the Sept. 2, 1926 Buffalo News.

The Buffalo News, Sept. 2, 1926.

Going by the "tentative" schedule, this would have put Houdini at the Shubert-Teck during the week of October 18, following the close of Gay Paree. But that didn't happen. Instead, Houdini went to Montreal, and we all know what happened there! (If you don't, punch this link.)

But guess who did open in Buffalo on October 18? Harry Blackstone.

Buffalo Courier Express, Oct. 17, 1926.

Blackstone played the Lafayette Theater this week in conjunction with the movie The Four Horsemen starring Rudolph Valentino. He even accepted a challenge packing box escape from the Nash-Buffalo Motor Corp. 

The Buffalo Times, Oct. 21, 1926.

Did Houdini change his route to avoid a head-to-head with Blackstone in Buffalo? The Vagabond King, which had opened at the Teck on the 18th, was held over for a second week, suggesting the theater did have an open week on their schedule.

So did Blackstone kill Houdini?

It's also possible we have these backwards. It could be Houdini canceled his Buffalo appearance for reasons unknown, and Blackstone decided to swoop in and give Buffalonians the magic and escapes they had been anticipating.

Another one to investigate.

Want more? You can read the various newspaper clippings I gathered for this post as a "Scholar" member of my Patreon below.

Related:

• Blackstone can't escape virtual Houdini
• Blackstone gives Bessie a lift
• When Blackstone, Houdini, and Thurston shared a stage

Escape obscurity at the Harry Ransom Center

The Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin, which holds the largest public archive of Houdini material in the world, has added Escaping Obscurity: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini 1897-1899 to its collection. I like to think the Harry Ransom Center is pretty discerning about what it brings into its world-class collection, so this is an honor. Also, if you live in the Austin area and can't afford the book, here's a great way to still use it in your studies. Just click below.

Of course, you can purchase Escaping Obscurity: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini, 1897-1899 for your own library at Mike Caveney's Magic Words.

For more Harry Ransom Center action, check out the links below.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Related:

• Treasures of the Harry Ransom Center
• More treasures of the Harry Ransom Center
• Harry Ransom Center reopens Houdini and magic collections

Dr. Timothy Moore sells his entire magic collection

Here's some big news. Noted collector Dr. Timothy Moore has sold his entire magic collection, which includes many Houdini treasures, to The Hand & The Eye, a new Magic Castle-like magic venue set to open in Chicago in 2026. Below is a video from WOSU showcasing items in the collection.

Nice video, but what's with that nasty AI-generated Houdini poster in the thumbnail image? Certainly, that is not part of the collection.

According to a report at Galerie, The Hand & The Eye is the creation of Chicago native and magic enthusiast David Rockwell, and will be housed in the famed McCormick Mansion, a 36,000-square-foot estate located at 100 E Ontario Street. You can sign up for updates at the official website.

Thanks to Richard Hatch.

Related:

• The talk of Chicago
• Chicago straitjacket escape for everyone

Hardeen at the Golden Gate

Here's something interesting. In June 1927, Hardeen played the Golden Gate Theater in San Francisco. This was his first tour as "Houdini's Successor." Houdini had played the Golden Gate in 1923. The theater still stands today, and it occurred to me this might be the only surviving theater where both Houdini and Hardeen appeared?

Hardeen also played the Hillstreet theater in Los Angeles, where Houdini appeared in 1923. However, the Hillstreet is long gone.

It would be fun to find all the shared theatres that the two brothers played and see if any of those, besides the Golden Gate, still stand. But that's fun I'll leave for someone else. 

Related:

• A San Francisco treat
• Houdini no Junior
• Hardeen's last bow

NEMCA announces 2026 Gathering in Nashua

Here's another reason to get excited about 2026. The New England Magic Collectors Association (NEMCA) has announced the dates and location for its next "Yankee Gathering" convention. Word is there will be a fair amount of Houdini action. Save the date!

For more information, watch the NEMCA website and Facebook.

Related:

• October surprise
• Houdini's Flower Table blooms at Yankee Gathering
• Houdini at Yankee Gathering XV

Wand breaking ceremony at Houdini's grave 2025

The SAM Parent Assembly #1 held its annual wand-breaking ceremony at Houdini's gravesite on November 14. This long-standing tradition dates back to Houdini's funeral in 1926. Rabbi Noah Valley conducted the Hebrew portion of the ceremony for many decades. It is now conducted by magician Benjilini, who kindly provided these images.

The SAM used to do the wand-breaking ceremony on Halloween. But it was feared that the ceremony was drawing too much attention to the gravesite and was leading to vandalism. It was decided to hold the ceremony on the date of Houdini's death on the Jewish calendar. But I am hoping the ceremony moves back to Halloween for the 100th next year.

Related:

• S.A.M. will honor Houdini in Appleton next year
• S.A.M. wand breaking ceremony in 1976
• The Houdini-Weiss exedra turns 100

Houdini in new Ryman Auditorium exhibit

The Ryman Auditorium in Nashville has a new exhibit, "Unexpected Company," showcasing famous names who have appeared at the historic venue. Houdini appeared at the Ryman with his spiritualism lecture on March 11, 1924, and a pair of handcuffs he is said to have used are part of the display.

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ryman Auditorium (@theryman)

“Unexpected Company” is now open as part of the Ryman’s daytime tour experience. Tickets and tour information are available at Ryman.com/Tours.

Related:

• Houdini (Himself) in Nashville
• Nashville remembers Houdini
• Houdini's Spiritualism Lectures

Houdini vs. The Spiritualists: A Battle on Capitol Hill

Here's a late-in-the-year treat. Our friend Chuck Romano from My Magic Uncle has published a new book, Houdini vs. The Spiritualists: A Battle on Capitol Hill. Below is a description:

A gripping account of the world's greatest magician, Harry Houdini, as he waged war against the spiritualists on Capitol Hill. Here magic met politics and illusion collided with truth.

In 1926, a dramatic conflict arose in the chambers of the United States Congress concerning not tariffs or taxes, but the regulation of fortune telling and the supernatural. What began as a seemingly obscure piece of legislation soon drew national attention as the famed magician and escape artist Harry Houdini stepped into the spotlight to lead a crusade against fraudulent spiritualists.

This book provides the complete transcript of the four days of hearings and offers a detailed examination of the proceedings and individuals involved. Its contents shed light on these extraordinary hearings, where belief and skepticism clashed, and Congress became an unexpected venue for one of the most unusual confrontations in American history.

Houdini vs. The Spiritualists: A Battle on Capitol Hill can be purchased at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.

Related:

• Chuck Romano wins April Fools Day
• Guest blog: Mr. Houdini Goes to Washington
• Lincoln's Ghost by Brad Ricca released today

ANNOUNCEMENT: I'M DONE WITH HOUDINI!

Today is an important anniversary for me. It was 50 years ago, on November 16, 1975, that I saw the Tony Curtis Houdini biopic on television. Two hours later, I was a changed person. The story of Houdini had captivated me. But even at the age of 10, I knew movies were just entertainment. They didn't offer the truth. So I set out to learn as much as I could about this amazing man.

Fifty years later, I'm here to tell you that I'm DONE. Yes, I learned everything about Houdini! Now it's time to get it out of my head and into your hands.

I'm therefore thrilled to announce THE ULTIMATE HOUDINI CHRONOLOGY, a three-volume set of books in which I will follow Houdini through every engagement he ever played, every escape he ever performed, and every significant moment of his life. If you enjoyed Escaping Obscurity: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini 1897-1899, know that was just an appetizer for the multi-course meal I'm cooking up now!

But wait, it gets better.

These books will be official presentations of David Copperfield's International Museum and Library of the Conjuring Arts. As such, David has given me carte blanche to use anything in his collection to realize my dream of creating the most complete and accurate account of Houdini's life and career ever published. This, combined with material from several other major collections, has enabled me to gather a truly mind-bending amount of unseen Houdini images to bring the text to life.

The good news is that this is not some far-off future project. The first volume, HANDCUFF KING: THE RISE OF HARRY HOUDINI, which chronicles the years 1900-1909, is largely complete and will be released in 2026. It runs 600 pages and is packed with new information and more photos than I can count. I'm designing the book myself and working hard to make it the Houdini book of my dreams. I think it will be the Houdini book of your dreams as well.

My plan is to publish these books as limited edition hardcovers under my own imprint, Wild About Harry Press. I will soon be launching a new retail website where you can buy the books directly from me. I'm talking to Mike Caveney about offering a Deluxe Edition, because no one does Deluxe Editions like Mike!

Watch this blog and my Patreon in the coming months for more details. I'm excited about launching this new era and completing what I set out to accomplish fifty years ago today. Because I'm still wild about Harry! And so are you.

Related:

• November 16, 1975
• Into The Copperfield Zone, Part I | Part II
• Book Work (Patreon)

LINK: Decades after the 'final' seance, hundreds still hope to contact Harry Houdini

Here's a nice article by Brianna Morris-Grant at ABC Australia, which ran on October 30. It quotes me, so I'm returning the favor! Click the headline or the image below to read.

Related:

• Halloween 1936: The Final Houdini Seance
• Inside The Official Houdini Séance 2025
• The secret origins of the annual Houdini Seance

MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT INCOMING

This Sunday, November 16, at 5PM PT, I will be making a major announcement here on WILD ABOUT HARRY. This one has been 50 years in the making!

Unpublished Houdini book by William Rauscher will appear in 2026

One of the exciting pieces of news to come out of the 99th anniversary celebrations was Thomas Ewing's announcement that next year he and David Haversat's 1878 Press will publish a hitherto unknown Houdini manuscript by the late William V. Rauscher. The book is called Houdini Revealed and was written by Rev. Rauscher in the 1990s. Here's a preview:

How did Houdini become the magical folk hero, the symbol of escape from the chains of oppression, poverty and rejection? What circumstances brought him into the final spotlight of world prominence? What was the force behind his aggressive personality? Can we really understand the mind of the driven master mystifier? In exhausting efforts to sculpture his own image, did he leave us the mystery of himself?

You are invited to journey back in time, to a different way of life to grow up living as he did, searching for opportunity in an era we may have forgotten. His countless escapes and magic tricks on and off stage were but the surface of a whole world of happenings. We may never know all the hidden side of Houdini’s mind but in this book, I will attempt to reveal some workings of his inner self.

Houdini Revealed joins a growing list of new Houdini books scheduled or released for 2026 (12 by my current count). It's going to be a big year!

Related:

• William V. Rauscher (1932-2024)
• William Rauscher's Hardeen book released
• Guest blog: William V. Rauscher on Houdini and the Hippodrome

The end begins

We are now officially inside the 100th anniversary of the final year of Houdini's life. Where did Houdini (unknowingly) begin his final year? Ironically, he spent Halloween sick in bed with a cold. But the next day, he opened his 3 Shows in One at the Hanna Theater in Cleveland, Ohio.

It was a typically eventful week. Houdini faced off with a challenge packing a case from the Bailey Company. He also battled Cleveland's mediums and performed for children at the Sunbeam School for Crippled Children.

This was Houdini's first and last appearance at the Hanna (which still stands today). But this was to be the theater Houdini would have played after his Detroit engagement in 1926.

 

Related:

• The next stop
• A tour of Houdini's Cleveland
• Appleton launches "Year of Houdini" celebration