tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post6938504961842144630..comments2024-03-28T21:34:40.656-07:00Comments on WILD ABOUT HARRY: Houdini in his workshopJohn Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-67982315734600495012018-07-20T18:47:07.222-07:002018-07-20T18:47:07.222-07:00Hey gang. Having now been in the building, I can s...Hey gang. Having now been in the building, I can say with almost complete certainty that the workshop was on the ground floor. I was in the room and all the windows, wall features, and even the views match. I've posted a photo above.John Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-68153189495115831532016-09-12T20:16:59.911-07:002016-09-12T20:16:59.911-07:00It was left to Hardeen in Houdinis will.
Hardeen k...It was left to Hardeen in Houdinis will.<br />Hardeen keep the big props there till sometime in<br />thirties, then started selling stuff off.<br />It was to become some type of manufacturing company, and Victery, Houdinis long time assistant, left Hardeen and worked there either till retirement or death.<br />Jon Oliver.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-83701926744383096882016-09-12T07:41:45.263-07:002016-09-12T07:41:45.263-07:00Don;'t know for sure, but I believe the FDC wa...Don;'t know for sure, but I believe the FDC was liquidated. I did a post a while about about Hardeen receiving a final check from HH for some reason. I believed it could have been the last gasp of the FDC. <br /><br />If the pics above are in the FDC building, then it's likely HH still owned or at least occupied it at the time of his death. Bernard Ernst would have been the one who had toJohn Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-45078473143819626662016-09-11T20:49:36.992-07:002016-09-11T20:49:36.992-07:00What was the end story for HH and the building? Di...What was the end story for HH and the building? Did he sell it before his death? Was the FDC liquidated before his untimely end? Was this left for Hardeen to tie the loose ends?Leo Heviahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12990057178465581105noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-28949992317743818452016-09-11T18:30:08.375-07:002016-09-11T18:30:08.375-07:00Well, let's make it appear!Well, let's make it appear!John Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-78551662669116521712016-09-11T17:41:53.598-07:002016-09-11T17:41:53.598-07:00EXTRA! EXTRA! EXTRA!!!
I not only know where the...EXTRA! EXTRA! EXTRA!!! <br />I not only know where the cage is, but<br />who has it in their collections.<br />Hint , it is not me.<br /><br />Jon OliverAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-32174485266314515212016-09-11T12:58:03.119-07:002016-09-11T12:58:03.119-07:00Understood, when I read your last post I thought y...Understood, when I read your last post I thought you were referring to a third picture of the workshop. I can definitely see tree leaves out that rear window behind HH. That could also be ground right above his right shoulder.Leo Heviahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12990057178465581105noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-66604677215596949932016-09-11T12:12:42.468-07:002016-09-11T12:12:42.468-07:00There is no OTHER photo of Houdini holding the bir...There is no OTHER photo of Houdini holding the birdcage. My point is that if you look at a super clear version of that photo you can make out better what is visible outside that window. Looks like a large tree and the ground around that tree is visible. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-37124085949951109732016-09-10T12:19:02.774-07:002016-09-10T12:19:02.774-07:00I've posed the pic from the Gresham book to he...I've posed the pic from the Gresham book to help the discussion.John Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-42412203080859924592016-09-10T11:57:18.773-07:002016-09-10T11:57:18.773-07:00I only recall two photos; the birdcage shot here a...I only recall two photos; the birdcage shot here and the drill press pic in Gresham.John Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-5731846255073252422016-09-10T11:18:48.844-07:002016-09-10T11:18:48.844-07:00Perry, is there a link to that other photo of HH h...Perry, is there a link to that other photo of HH holding that Vanishing Birdcage?<br /><br />I'm fairly certain HH wasn't going to put this effect in his 3 in 1 show. He would yank off his removable sleeves after making his grand entrance. The jacket sleeves are an integral part of this effect.Leo Heviahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12990057178465581105noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-16080630271637261732016-09-10T08:56:46.912-07:002016-09-10T08:56:46.912-07:00I have to now conclude that photo is on a ground f...I have to now conclude that photo is on a ground floor. The reason? If you look at a very clear example of the other photo of Houdini holding a birdcage in his workshop there is ANOTHER window where you seem to be able to see trees and what looks like the grass/ground beneath them. So as convinced as I was this was a second story workshop it must be on the ground level. I will suggest that Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-51271587502231794962016-09-09T12:11:09.861-07:002016-09-09T12:11:09.861-07:00Thank you Perry.Thank you Perry.John Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-1017745114114741272016-09-09T10:05:55.642-07:002016-09-09T10:05:55.642-07:00I live about 40 minutes from this building and I v...I live about 40 minutes from this building and I visited several years ago. I had examined the more well known photo of Houdini in his workshop and noticed the buildings that can be seen through the windows in that photo. Walking around the building I found that the row of buildings directly behind Houdinis building matched quite well with those in that photo. My conclusion was that Houdinis Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-36126505012483193252016-09-09T08:09:53.872-07:002016-09-09T08:09:53.872-07:00I think it's safe to assume all the photos wer...I think it's safe to assume all the photos were staged for this same photographer. And as far a HH never doing the birdcage... Who knows? Maybe he did! Or maybe he just had a few of these hanging around.John Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-67956898366534808282016-09-08T15:34:43.152-07:002016-09-08T15:34:43.152-07:00I wonder if that birdcage photo was also staged. W...I wonder if that birdcage photo was also staged. We know that Harry never did the Vanishing Birdcage. Why would he work on it unless he was planning to add it at some point? It's a difficult effect to pull off well.Leo Heviahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12990057178465581105noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-59948791366543824042016-09-08T15:19:45.641-07:002016-09-08T15:19:45.641-07:00Makes me wonder who took these shots and what they...Makes me wonder who took these shots and what they might have been used for. Maybe an article about how Houdini was preparing for his full evening show? <br /><br />Which reminds me of one of my favorite Houdini quotes:<br /><br />"Some of the magicians thought I was going to use a lot of women in my forthcoming show and they are trying to beat me to it. They have been misinformed. I am John Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-42909973032067687072016-09-08T12:19:42.859-07:002016-09-08T12:19:42.859-07:00As a machinist I always laughed at the photo of Ho...As a machinist I always laughed at the photo of Houdini at the drill press. It's either Houdini is a fool or It's 100% staged photo. You can't actually drill into a piece of steel the way he is holding it, there's no support underneath. It's also a wood drill. They should have destroyed the photo and used the others. It's like Houdini taking a photo of brushing his teeth Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-79362569835890512392016-09-06T15:53:52.695-07:002016-09-06T15:53:52.695-07:00Ah, very interesting. Thanks, Jon.Ah, very interesting. Thanks, Jon.John Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-62489129542180626522016-09-06T15:13:09.530-07:002016-09-06T15:13:09.530-07:00in the old days, they would have stages and work
s...in the old days, they would have stages and work<br />shops up stairs.<br />First during the day the heat would rise and collect<br />making it cheaper to heat the venue in the winter<br />Second, it would help keep secrets, without closing the windows prior to air-conditioning<br /><br />Jon Oliver<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-67346580967286140672016-09-05T17:42:14.420-07:002016-09-05T17:42:14.420-07:00In the drill press photo you can see the top floor...In the drill press photo you can see the top floor of the neighboring building through the window. It does seem to be on the second floor. Hauling all that heavy machinery to the second floor doesn't make really make sense.<br /><br />Could the workshop have been on a sloping hill a bit elevated above the next door building?Leo Heviahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12990057178465581105noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-90548174567620050862016-09-05T14:31:48.938-07:002016-09-05T14:31:48.938-07:00In the drill press photo you can also look through...In the drill press photo you can also look through the window. The view you see led me to think this on the second floor. But Kevin made the good point that the floor here looks concrete.John Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-67566762677977420622016-09-05T14:12:31.517-07:002016-09-05T14:12:31.517-07:00Agreed about the clarity. You get a feeling of alm...Agreed about the clarity. You get a feeling of almost being able to step into the workshop. The drill press photo is usually cropped where I've seen it, but it gives a view of the right side of the shop we don't see in this photo.Leo Heviahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12990057178465581105noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-67541685749433917562016-09-05T11:57:17.878-07:002016-09-05T11:57:17.878-07:00True, there are a few different shots from that da...True, there are a few different shots from that day, but this one gives the best look at the workshop and isn't one you commonly see (I think it has only appeared in Pat's book cropped). And I've never see it with this clarity.John Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-88559866727025571562016-09-05T11:52:32.041-07:002016-09-05T11:52:32.041-07:00The photographer took a number of pictures that da...The photographer took a number of pictures that day, including the well known photo of HH working at a drill press machine in Gresham's book. I always wondered what that skull and skeleton sitting on that chair were for.Leo Heviahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12990057178465581105noreply@blogger.com