Anna Thurlow speaking at Lily Dale, July 27

Our friend, Anna Thurlow, the great-granddaughter of Mina Crandon, aka "Margery," will be speaking at Lily Dale's 10th Annual Symposium tomorrow, July 27. What a perfect way to mark the 100th anniversary of the Margery seances!

You can get more information at the Lily Dale website.

Can make it to Lily Dale? Know that Anna will also be a special guest at this year's NEMCA Yankee Gathering, Nov. 7-9, 2024. 

Related:

• Interview with Anna Thurlow, great granddaughter of Margery
• 100 years ago on Lime Street
• Mystifier, Summer 2003

Is the Margery Box still out there?

We are fast approaching the centenary of Houdini's famous seances with Mina Crandon, aka Margery, in Boston. During this high-stakes battle, Houdini built a special box to control the wily medium. He called it the "Margie Box."

Whatever happened to the Margery box? When I asked this question in 2012, Anna Thurlow, Mina Crandon's great-granddaughter, provided this intriguing answer:

"When I went to a Houdini Seance in Las Vegas (I think 1998?) I was told that someone living in Vegas had the box in a storage unit there. I tried the telephone number later but it was disconnected. Presumably, it still exists, and hopefully someone will bring it to light."

Well, it has now been over ten years, and there is still no sign of the Margery Box or any hint of this mysterious Las Vegas owner.  Possibly, whoever talked to Anna was thinking of the overboard box owned by Dixie Dooley. Or if it was an oblique reference to David Copperfield, we know he doesn't have the Margery Box.

I do have my doubts. This was not a working prop, and its significance as a piece of magic history would not have been appreciated at the time of Houdini's death. So I think it would have likely been discarded. If the box ever did reappear, I think we might all be surprised at just how small it is.

But we can still hope! If, by any chance, the mystery owner is reading this, please get in touch. During this centennial year it would be amazing to bring the Margery box back into the light.

Related:

• The Margery Box reappears (sort of)
• Interview with Anna Thurlow
• The Margery Files

Anna Thurlow to speak at 'Study of Psychic Phenomena' symposium, Sept. 22-23

Our good friend Anna Thurlow, great-granddaughter of Mina "Margery" Crandon, will be speaking at the "Study of Psychic Phenomena" symposium sponsored by the University of Manitoba Archives & Special Collections (UMASC) and the Survival Research Institute of Canada.

The two-day event coincides with the launch of Serena Keshavjee’s The Undead Archive exhibition and will feature speakers from across Canada and the United States. Anna will speak on Friday (Sept. 22) and Sat (Sept 23). Below are details:

Anna Thurlow – Margery Crandon’s Canadian Connections 

Boston medium Mina (Stinson) Crandon and her older brother Walter Stuart Stinson were born in Prince Edward County, Ontario. Focused on the Stinson-Crandon family’s Canadian connections and illustrated with family photos and historic documents, this presentation will discuss the Crandons’ friendship with T.G. and Lillian Hamilton and their shared interest in psychical research.

Anna Thurlow – Remembering the Medium

How does the perspective of the medium as a mother, sister, daughter, or wife change our understanding of her mediumship? A look at the mediumship of Mina (Stinson) Crandon, known internationally as “Margery,” through the intimate lens of her great-granddaughter, with insights from the private Crandon family archive and recent academic partnerships. A new perspective on the famous July-August 1924 séances with the magician Harry Houdini will be shared.  

The "Study of Psychic Phenomena" takes place Friday, 22 Sept., 7 to 9 pm, and Saturday, 23 Sept., 10 am to 5 pm, at the UMASC Reading Room, 330 Elizabeth Dafoe Library, 25 Chancellors Circle, Fort Garry Campus. Admission is free, but donations to the T.G. Hamilton Family Memorial Research Fund are welcome.

For more information and to register visit the official website.

Related:

• Interview with Anna Thurlow
• Walter's story
• The Margery Files

Dark Doyle

Over the weekend our good friend Anna Thurlow, great-granddaughter of Mina "Margery" Crandon, shared with me some letters written to Dr. Le Roi Crandon during the famous Margery-Houdini seances. One letter written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle on August 27, 1924, contains this surprisingly dark sentiment:

"Something will happen to that man H. You mark my words. Better to get between the metals when an express is due, than block the way of the spirit."

We tend to think of Doyle as the creator of the virtuous Sherlock Holmes, but he was also the creator of all the dastardly murderers from those stories. He could go there! It's hard not to see this as a veiled wish that harm come to Houdini, if for no other reason than to prove this existence of avenging spirits. Although the idea of Houdini being pushed in front of an express train seems more like a tactic a person would employ than a spirit.

Dark Doyle indeed.

Want more? You can read the full letter as a member of my Patreon.

Thank you, Anna!

Related:

• Conan Doyle did not believe a punch killed Houdini
• When Houdini threatened to sue Doyle
• Sir Arthur say what?

Walter's story

The current issue of The Magazine of the Society for Psychical Research (Issue 7, 2022) contains two groundbreaking articles about the life, death, and afterlife of Walter Stinson, brother of Mina "Margery" Crandon and her seance room spirit guide.

"More Famous Dead Than Alive: The Story of Walter Stuart Stinson" and "Phenomena of the Walter Personality" are co-authored by Walter Meyer zu Erpen and Anna Thurlow, the great-granddaughter of Margery. They contain a wealth of new information and feature many unique images from the Libbet Crandon de Malamud Collection, one of which graces the cover (right).

The Magazine of the Society for Psychical Research is sent to all SPR members. Non-members can buy individual issues via SPR website.

Related:

• Interview with Anna Thurlow
• Before she was "Margery"
• The Margery Files

Mystifier, Winter 2001-2

Continuing my issue by issue look back at the Mystifier, the newsletter of the Houdini Historical Center that ran from 1991-2003.

The last issue of Mystifier for 2001 eliminates the "Quarterly" denotation and announces itself as the "Winter 2001-2" issue. It begins with a review by HHC curator Kimberly Louagie of the new book Houdini, Tarzan, and the Perfect Man. The White Male Body and The Challenge of Modernity in America by John F. Kasson. It's a book she recommends as "a great example of how authors can peel away specific aspects of Houdini's life and interpret the magician in a larger historical context." Louagie nicely summarizes the chapter on Houdini as:

Its 78 pages explains how how Houdini helped alleviate some of the tensions felt by men living in new urban communities. Kasson argues that men felt they were losing their independence to industrialization. Their environment has changed from an idealized frontier society to one dominated by corporate capitalism. Kasson sees Houdini's appeal and subsequent fame as an expression of men's need to reclaim and redefine their manhood in a modern world.

The newsletter, which only runs 4 pages this time, continues with an alert for visitors to Appleton about construction along College Ave. It notes the Travel Channel documentary featuring the HHC is set to air April 15, 2002. It also reveals the artwork for the upcoming Houdini stamp as the famous 1911 lithograph, a copy of which the museum has on display from the Tom Boldt collection.

A sign of the times, Sid Radner begins his "Backstage" column discussing the impact of 9/11 on friends of the HHC, including Anna Crankshaw, the great granddaughter of Margery, who lives near Ground Zero and actually witnessed both planes fly into the towers. Sid notes that many regulars could not travel to the Official Houdini Seance that year at the Henry Ford Museum in Detroit. But one welcome new attendee was George Hardeen, the grandson of Theo.

Sid also amusingly points out that he contacted John Edwards, who was finding popularity with his Crossing Over program at this time, and invited him to attend. To no one's surprise Edwards never responded.

Sid continues with a rundown of publicity the seance received, including various radio interviews he gave and coverage in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram featuring Arthur Moses. Sid closes with news of the official announcement of the Houdini stamp ceremony to be held on July 3, 2002.

Mystifier

Volume 11, Number 4

Winter 2001-2

4 pages

Contents:

Houdini, Tarzan, and the Perfect Man: A Review
Travel Channel Documentary to Air
Stamp Artwork Announced

Backstage with Sid Radner

PREVIOUS ISSUE | INDEX | NEXT ISSUE

Related:

• Houdini, Tarzan, and the Perfect Man
• Interview with Anna Thurlow
• Houdini honored with U.S. postage stamp

Mystifier, Fourth Quarter 1997

Continuing my issue by issue look back at the Mystifier, the newsletter of the Houdini Historical Center that ran from 1991-2003.

The Fourth Quarter 1997 Mystifier begins with the first article by new curator Margaret A. Ehr. In it, she addresses the controversial Fox television special Breaking the Magician's Code: Magic's Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed, which was running at this time. Ehr condemns it--along with the rest of the magic community--but she notes Houdini himself exposed his own secrets from time to time. She then explores two articles Houdini wrote for The Ladies Home Journal in 1918: "How I Get Out of a Strait-Jacket" and "How I Get Out of My Rope Ties". Near the end she states:

Perhaps Houdini had no fear that others, even knowing his exact techniques, could ever hope to truly challenge him. Houdini himself realized that he was physically exceptional. He understood that his short stature worked to his advantage, as did his impressive strength and flexibility. Few could match Houdini's claims of a double-dislocation at will, or six-inch chest expansion, either. Even knowing precisely what Houdini did to achieve his escapes, few if any magicians would ever be capable of Houdini's success. 

An article by Houdini scholar and regular Mystifier contributor Morris N. Young called "Defending Rabbi Weiss" follows. Young begins:

Too many attempts have been made to malign the reputation of Houdini's father, Mayer Samuel Weiss, especially regarding whether or not he was ordained as a rabbi. It is my purpose to show how unjust those accusations are.

Young goes on to explain how one went about becoming a rabbi in the days of Houdini's father, and how no official paperwork did not mean he was not a rabbi. Young doesn't name names, but this doubt was first cast by Manny Weltman in his 1993 book, Houdini: Escape into Legend, The Early Years: 1862–1900. (Rabbi Weiss's Certificate of Ordination was discovered by David Saltman in 2016.)

The museum shop announces pre-orders for four upcoming videos: Mystic Circle Murder, Houdini The Life of the Worlds Greatest Escapolgist, The Truth About Houdini, and a 2-set VHS of The Master Mystery. The announcement of The Master Mystery was a bombshell as it marked the first release of this movie. A familiar name listed in the "New Members" column is David Byron.

In his "Backstage" column, Sid Radner again sings the praises of the Goodspeed Opera House's Houdini musical. He also gives a detailed report on the Official Houdini Seance, which that year was held on the stage of the Goodspeed. A very special attendee was Anna Crankshaw (Thurlow), great-granddaughter of Margery. Also around the table were: Patrick Culliton, Tom Boldt, Gene Gamache, Larry Weeks, Geno Munari, and Susan Postal, the actress who played Margery in Goodspeed play. The medium was Elaine Kuzmeskus assisted by Barbara Dryden-Masse. Harry, as always, was a no show.

Sid concludes with a mention of a new series by Canada's Discovery TV on the history of magic set to premiere in Fall 1998. Sid says the crew spent 5 1/2 at his home shooting material for the Houdini episode.

[It's surprising this newsletter fails to mention the movie FairyTale: A True Story which was released in October '97.]

Mystifier

Volume 7, Number 4

Fourth Quarter, 1997

6 pages

Contents:

Revealing Houdini's Secrets–Again
Society of Young Magicians Program Update
Defending Rabbi Weiss
New Videos in Museum Shop
Member News

Backstage with Sid Radner

PREVIOUS ISSUE | INDEX | NEXT ISSUE

Related:

• Exposing The Wizard Exposed
• David Saltman discovers Mayer Samuel's rabbinical ordination
• Interview with Anna Thurlow, great granddaughter of Margery

Houdini and Margery rarities at the Wellcome Collection

Today sees the opening of Smoke and Mirrors: The Psychology of Magic at the Wellcome Collection in London. The exhibition includes some spectacular Houdini and Margery rarities, such as the famous bell box, Margery's seance chairs, and a loving cup given to Margery by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (seen right).

What can magic and conjuring tell us about the human mind? Our new exhibition brings together the worlds of psychology and entertainment in search of the truth about deception. 

Explore how our biases affect our perception and whether our senses can be hacked. Discover spirit photography, magic props and psychology experiments to see how magic works on – and in – the mind of the spectator.

Artefacts on display from the world of magic include the head of the gorilla costume worn by Derren Brown, Harry Houdini’s ‘Bell Box’, Tommy Cooper’s fez, and Paul Daniels’s sawing-in-half box. 

An accompanying live performance programme explores what magic reveals about the nature of perception and how psychologists have used conjuring to understand the appeal of the ‘supernatural’.

The Margery items come from the private Libbet Crandon de Malamud Collection and Margery's great granddaughter Anna Thurlow, who's in London for the opening. She tells us:

"The Wellcome Trust show was fantastic. Really beautifully curated - it celebrated the artistry of magic, the joy of allowing oneself to be willingly deceived but also encouraged critical thinking. Somehow they avoided all the pastiche and common conventions in achieving that goal, so very fresh and engaging."

Smoke and Mirrors: The Psychology of Magic runs through September 15, 2019. Galleries are open Tuesday–Sunday. Admission is free. Visit the Wellcome Collection website for more details.

Related:

• The Spectacle of Illusion by Matthew Tompkins
• Interview with Anna Thurlow
• Have a seat

Houdini met Margery 94 years ago today

It was 94 years ago today that Houdini had his first seance with Mina Crandon a.k.a. "Margery" on July 23, 1924. This seance was unique in that it was the only one to take place inside the Crandons home at 10 Lime Street in Boston.

In 2013, Anna Thurlow, the great granddaughter of Mina, shared with us many remarkable family artifacts, including the detailed notes of that first seance. So on this anniversary, I'll direct you back to that post and you can relive -- or re-litigate? -- Houdini's most controversial encounter:

The Margery Files revisited - the first seance

Below are links to a few more family gems from Anna.

Related:

• The Margery Files: Photo play
• The Margery Files: Subtle betrayals
• Before she was "Margery"

New Italian Margery book by Massimo Polidoro

Massimo Polidoro has a released a new book in Italian devoted to Houdini and Margery called Il mago e la strega: Indagine sulla più celebrate medium di tutti i tempi (The Magician and the Witch - An investigation on the most celebrated medium of all time).

The book includes Houdini's Margery pamphlet translated into Italian for the first time, an introduction by Massimo, my own "Margery File" posts from 2013, including my interview with Margery's great granddaughter, Anna Thurlow, and a second interview with Anna by Massimo.

A Kindle version of the book is available at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. You can buy a printed edition from CICAP.

Related:

• The Margery Files
• Interview with Anna Thurlow
• MAGIA 18 celebrates Houdini's 90th

The Margery Box reappears (sort of)

One of the highlights of the new play Nothing On Earth (Can Hold Houdini), now playing at the Axis Theater in New York, is a recreation of the famous Margery Box. The box was constructed by Chad Yarborough, and it looks pretty darn good!

The original Margery Box (or "Margie Box", as Houdini called it) was constructed by Houdini and Jim Collins to control Mina Crandon a.k.a. "Margery the Medium" during their seances in August 1924 when Margery was attempting to collect the Scientific American prize for genuine spirit phenomena. She didn't collect, thanks to Houdini and his box.

Controversy over the box erupted twice. First was when Margery -- or her "spirit guide" Walter -- broke open the top of the box. (Houdini reinforced it with additional padlocks). Later, a folding ruler was discovered inside which could have aided Margery in ringing her bell box. All parties denied placing the ruler in the box. (And before someone brings it up, know that I don't put much stock in the "confession" by Jim Collins that he put the ruler in the box, because the source of that curious quotation is magician Fred Keating, a Margery partisan.)

But the real mystery is what ever happened to the Margery Box? According to Ken Silverman, Houdini once again used the box during a demonstration of Margery's techniques at Boston's Symphony Hall in January 1925. Said Houdini, "This is the first time it has been seen outside of the seance room because I was bound to secrecy by the Scientific American." He later reportedly used it in his Full Evening Show. But after the magician's death, the Margery Box seems to vanish without a trace.

Back in 2012, I posed the question what happened to the Margery Box, and Anna Thurlow, the great granddaughter of Mina Crandon, volunteered the following:

"When I went to a Houdini Seance in Las Vegas (I think 1998?) I was told that someone living in Vegas had the box in a storage unit there. I tried the telephone number later but it was disconnected. Presumably it still exists and hopefully someone will bring it to light."

Here's a renewed plea to the person who may own the Margery Box. How about letting me come out to Las Vegas and photograph it for WILD ABOUT HARRY? In return, I'll promote whatever you'd like here on my blog, or you could remain completely anonymous. If this is doable, please shoot me an email. This is a hugely significant piece of magic apparatus and we could make magic history by bringing this box back into the light!

Houdini in the original Margery Box.

Nothing On Earth (Can Hold Houdini) photos by Dixie Sheridan. The play features George Demas as Houdini, Lynn Mancinelli as Margery, Spencer Aste as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and David Crabb as Jim Collins.

Houdini Unlocking the Mystery on H2, February 4

This Tuesday, February 4, HISTORY's spin-off channel H2 (formerly History International) will air the documentary Houdini: Unlocking the Mystery twice during the day. Is this HISTORY looking to generate interest in their Houdini miniseries? Could be.

Houdini: Unlocking the Mystery first aired on Halloween in 2005. Hosted by Lance Burton, the documentary highlights footage from the 2004 Great Houdini Auction in Las Vegas, and includes rare interviews with George Hardeen and Anna Thurlow.

Houdini: Unlocking the Mystery is available on DVD. But if you haven't seen it, be sure to check out one of the showings on the 4th. In my opinion it's one of the very best Houdini documentaries.

Best of 2013: Inside Margery's cabinet

As we count down to the New Year, I'm directing readers back to a few of the more interesting posts from 2013. The week of January 13 was a special occasion here on WILD ABOUT HARRY. Anna Thurlow, the great granddaughter of Mina Crandon, allowed me to share several unique Houdini-Margery items from her family archive.

Below is a link that will will bring up all seven installments of what I called The Margery Files. These will come up in descending order with the newest post on top, so I recommend scrolling to bottom of the page and reading them bottom to top as originally published:

THE MARGERY FILES

Meanwhile in New York...

While all our attention was focused on The Official Houdini Seance in Halifax, there was another Houdini seance happening in New York City on Halloween. The great William Kalush, co-author of The Secret Life of Houdini and founder of the Conjuring Arts Research Center, hosted a private gathering which included such notables as: Anna Thurlow, the great granddaughter of Margery; director Darren Aronofsky; Roger Dreyer of the Houdini Museum of New York; Secret Life co-author Larry "Ratso" Sloman; Axis Company Artistic Director, Randy Sharp; and Academy Award winning actress Susan Sarandon.

Did Houdini snub Halifax to attended this chic gathering instead? Bill didn't say, but he did post this photo on Instagram. Believe.

UPDATE: The Wall Street Journal has a report on this seance.

Before she was "Margery"

Here is a wonderful never-before-published family photograph of Mina Stinson (Rand) in 1914. This was several years before her marriage to Dr. Le Roi Crandon and before she became "Margery the Medium." This comes from the private collection of Anna Thurlow, the great granddaughter of Margery. The baby is Anna's grandfather. It's a beautiful photo taken during what was certainly less complicated times for Mina.

By the way, in talking with Anna about the recent Mysteries at the Museum Margery segment, I was surprised to learn that Mina pronounced her name as "My-na," not "Mee-na." I admit I've been pronouncing it wrong all these years, as have most others. "You are among the 5 people left living who know the correct pronunciation," joked Anna.

Now we all know.

Thanks as always to Anna Thurlow for sharing her family treasures. For more artifacts from the Libbet Crandon de Malmud Collection revisit The Margery Files.

Margery "liar" book makes an honest $3,900

A copy of the 1925 book "Margery" The Medium twice signed by Houdini sold for $3,900 in a Martinka auction on Sunday. What makes this copy especially attractive is that Houdini has written across the title page, "The author of this book is a liar."

The author, J. Malcolm Bird, was the chairman of the Scientific American committee that investigated Margery. He was very close to the Crandons -- staying in their home during the investigation -- and acted as Margery informant during the seances. Committee member Dr. Walter Franklin Prince famously said of Bird, "If he wishes to achieve the authority in psychical research which I invoke for him, must hereafter avoid falling in love with the medium."

The auction noted the condition of the book as "very good with a split to the front endpaper which occurred at the annual Houdini Seance." Included was a letter explaining the chain of ownership and photos of the book being examined Anna Thurlow, the great granddaughter of Margery (who graciously gave us an interview here).

Among the other Houdini items sold in the auction were an original portrait shot of Houdini and Bess ($598), a signed photo of Houdini in hat ($1,609), and a signed portrait of Houdini smiling ($1,647).

A magic wand said to have belonged to Hardeen received 11 bids and reached $971, but did not meet the auction's reserve.

Thanks to Joseph Holland and Norman Bigelow for the tips.

The Margery Files revisited - the first seance

Today we have a very special encore presentation of "The Margery Files." Once again Anna Thurlow, the great granddaughter of Mina Crandon a.k.a. Margery the Medium, is giving us an exclusive look at rare artifacts from the private Libbet Crandon de Malamud Collection. Says Anna: "You have drawn such a lovely narrative with these artifacts it just feels wrong to not include this."

These are Dr. Crandon's actual notes on the first Houdini-Margery seance held on July 23, 1924. What makes this seance of particular interest is it was the only one held at the Crandons home at 10 Lime Street in Boston. Later sittings were moved to the Charlesgate Hotel where Scientific American committee member Dr. Daniel Comstock (who founded Technicolor) kept an apartment. Perhaps this is why this one sitting had the most detailed notes by Dr. Crandon. It's also maybe why this sitting produced the most spiritualistic phenomena.

This fascinating two-page document provides a moment by moment account of what occurred in the darkened room. I love how it describes when Houdini had control of Margery's hands he "explored each arm to the shoulder to insure that it was her two hands." (A lot of touching went on during these things.) The notes are signed by Houdini and the other attendees; J. Malcolm Bird, O.D. Munn, and R.W. Conant, the assistant to Dr. Comstock who couldn't attend. "Psyche" is Margery.

Click to enlarge.

Click to enlarge

Houdini explained much of this phenomena in his booklet, Houdini Exposes the tricks used by the Boston Medium "Margery." Margery's ringing of the Bell Box -- here called a "contact board" -- was done by her foot (I covered some of that here). The floating megaphone that landed at Houdini's feet on his command was actually sitting on top of Margery's head, like a dunce cap, and flung with a snap of her neck. Of this particular method Houdini would later write, "This is the slickest ruse I have ever detected."

However, the third paragraph describes phenomena involving an "illuminated plaque" – a piece of cardboard that was placed atop the Bell Box -- which moves and actually levitates. This is downplayed in most accounts of the seance. And while Houdini included an illustration of the plaque in his Margery booklet (near the back), he doesn't mention the phenomena in his actual account of the seance, nor does he make any attempt to explain it. Maybe the "ruse" was so simple he didn't feel a need to expose it? Or maybe he couldn't? Hmmm...

Also, some accounts of the sitting say Margery's Victrola (which played Drdla's Souvenir) mysteriously "started and stopped" during the seance. However, I don't see this reflected in the notes. To me it appears that the Victrola winds down naturally during the length of the sitting, and when it stops (once) Dr. Crandon gets up to restart it. I don't believe this is a record of any Victrola-related phenomena. I just think Dr. Crandon is chronicling everything that happened during the seance so it's clear who had "control" of Margery at all times. Houdini also makes no mention of the Victrola in his accounts.

This is the pleasure of being able to do research from primary sources that one can make fresh discoveries and refine past interpretations. Once again, thanks to Anna Thurlow for sharing these amazing artifacts and allowing all of us to play the role of research detective among...The Margery Files!

Click here for a page with links to all seven installments of The Margery Files.

Interview with Anna Thurlow, great granddaughter of Margery

Today we have a special bonus to wrap-up our week-long journey through the private Libbet Crandon de Malamud Collection, or what I've been calling, "The Margery Files". Here's an exclusive interview with our generous patron, Anna Thurlow, the great granddaughter of Mina Crandon aka "Margery the Medium."

WAH: First, thank you for allowing me to share these amazing items from your family archive on my blog. Can you tell me how you came to have these treasures, especially Margery's seance kimono? That's an incredible piece of Spiritualist history!

ANNA: Thank you; it has been a pleasure collaborating with you on this week’s project. It is wonderful to be able to share some of these items with an audience that can truly appreciate them and can help put them in their larger historical context.

Libbet Crandon de Malamud

I inherited the collection from my mother, Libbet Crandon de Malamud. She was an anthropologist. When she was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 42 she realized that she would no longer be able to conduct field work, and she thought that she would finally have the opportunity to write about her grandmother, Margery. My mother was always fascinated with Margery and raised me on stories about her. My mother asked her father for his permission to write the book (he was intensely shy and reticent to talk about his mother). To her surprise, he not only supported the idea but gave my mother the papers he had stored up in the attic for 50 years, and this is the core of the collection. Other items, such as the kimono, were also left to me by mom. I think she might have worn it a few times (I have as well, to a several of Sid Radner’s séances).

My mother did not live to write her book. Just before she died, she asked me to write it for her. I named the collection after her, since by all rights it should have been my mother talking with you right now and sharing these documents. She would have loved every minute of this discussion!

WAH: Do you have any idea what happened to other famous Margery-Houdini artifacts like the Bell Box and the "Margie Box". Also, it's said that Dr. Comstock constructed a second control apparatus for the final seance. Any idea what happened to that, or have you ever see a photo of it?

ANNA: Unfortunately, I do not. I don’t think the Margery Box would have ever been in her possession, since Houdini built it, and although I am not familiar with the Comstock apparatus my guess would be that Comstock kept it. I suspect that these items remained in the hands of the researchers and sitters since these were items used on her, not for her.

The basic items in her séance room – a table, cabinet, bell box, and chairs – probably existed at 10 Lime Street until the family sold the home in the 1940’s. Since Margery’s mediumship began as intimate, domestic affairs and many of her “props’ were essentially household items, these things probably just faded back into the house and disappeared with time. The chairs that I have, for example, were sitting in a back bedroom at my grandparents house for years and no one particularly wanted them, except me. For me these are very personal items and all that is left of that side of my family, so I have made an effort to preserve, document and understand them.

WAH: There are rumors that Margery and Houdini had an affair or were otherwise somehow in collusion. Willard Green tells a story of how he saw Houdini and Margery riding together in Houdini's car the day after the seance. Have you ever gotten any sense that there was anything fishy going on between Houdini and Margery?

ANNA: I think the reason why the idea of them having an affair is so compelling is that it seems like there was an undeniable connection between them. What form or depth that connection had, I do not know. But they shared a lot in common and that still somehow comes across today.

A big difference between them however was that whereas Houdini identified early on magic as his career of choice, and spent a lifetime perfecting his craft and developing a concrete philosophy around it, Margery’s mediumship began as an intimate affair for her family and close friends, and it evolved into something over which she did not have full control. There were very few intellectual outlets for women at that time, and spiritualism was a way for women to become “explorers into the unknown” without having to leave the intimacy of their own homes. It was not uncommon for middle class women to hold séance circles (although it was uncommon for them to actually be the medium). Margery did not seek out publicity or fame. Margery is not even her real name, but her nome de séance, which she requested from the Scientific American to protect her identity when the Committee asked to investigate her. Dr Crandon, however, loved the attention and he created a second career for himself based on her mediumship. I find it remarkable and inspiring how she continually transformed the mediumship into something uniquely her own, despite the fact that she was not always the agent of it. I have come to think of her as a performance artist whose art grew organically as a reaction to her surroundings.

I imagine that when she met Houdini there must have been a strong sense of kinship. But she probably did not understand Houdini’s professional approach to his work – that would have been so far outside of her own based of reference. She probably had no idea that he would incorporate her exposure into his own performances. Naïve of her, but perhaps that is why her sense of betrayal was so great.

WAH: Okay, the big one: Who put the ruler in the Margie Box?

ANNA: I was always told that Houdini placed the ruler in the Margery Box. Margery was devastated. When Houdini exposed her methods, my grandfather (he would have been about 12 at the time) went out at night and bought all the newspapers in Boston so that his mother would not read about it.

WAH: In doing this series and re-reading the sections on Margery in the major Houdini bios (and talking to you), I can't help but get a sense of the extreme control Dr. Crandon had over her. Do you know how she felt about this? Was she comfortable being "Margery the Medium"? Do you think maybe she saw Houdini and his ability to expose her as a possible liberation from this life?

ANNA: This is an excellent question.

Dr. Crandon and Mina

There is no doubt that the Crandons had a complicated relationship: there was a great disparity in age, education and background, and she was his third wife. I think Margery struggled at first to earn Dr Crandon’s respect and that of his well educated, society friends. He also had a habit of divorcing his wives after a few years. It was a few years into their marriage when Margery began the séances, and as Ken Silverman says in his book about Houdini, Margery probably began them in part to keep Dr Crandon’s attention as well as to alleviate his morbid fear of death. One of the things that made Margery’s séances remarkable was that they were an occasion for joy and playfulness: table raps sounding out the musical refrain of Taps, victrolas turning on in the dark to play European waltzes, floral scents floating through the air, a dancing table that led the entire séance group down the stairs, and all with the friendly, rough and tumble voice of Walter, Margery’s dead brother.

The stakes changed, however, when Margery’s mediumship caught the attention of famous people such as Arthur Conan Doyle and the committee members of the Scientific American. Suddenly she was subject to the scrutiny of scientists and investigators, and had to devise means to incorporate and satisfy scientific controls around the séance. This became a defining characteristic of her mediumship as her séances were subject to a dizzying array of tests, committees, and contraptions. Funnily enough, the séances that Houdini attended were the least interesting, in my opinion. In period of 1926-1929 she produced wax fingerprints of spirits, psychic paraffin hand molds, footprints of unborn babies (a bit creepy), automatic writing in foreign languages such as ancient Chinese and Japanese, and the Cross Correspondences (whereby seances were held at the same time in different cities and fragments words were received, which, when combined, formed a full sentence). It has been suggested that Dr Crandon was coercive in forcing her to conduct séances even when she didn’t want to, and I think that is true. She certainly seems to have become quite bitter in her later years, and tried to commit suicide during one séance by attempting to jump off the roof of 10 Lime Street. She did ultimately kill herself through alcoholism and died on November 1, 1941 at the age of 51 (only one day after the anniversary of Houdini’s death, coincidentally – and I’ve heard that she predicted the day of her own death). So I think one can definitely say that she had conflicted feelings about the path her life took.

I certainly do not see her as a victim, however. I think one thing that has gotten lost in the written history is that what she produced in the séances was often quite beautiful, and fun. She took on an intellectual challenge and certainly gave the investigators a great show. I would like to think that she derived some sense of satisfaction from that.

Mina Crandon's own copy of "Margery" the Medium.

Thanks again to Anna Thurlow for providing us with such a memorable and fascinating week. The good news is it isn't over just yet. We still have one last unique item to share, so watch out for The Margery Files Revisited coming soon.

The Margery Files:

Photo play

Subtle betrayals

Inside man

Have a seat

Keepsakes

Interview photograph of Anna Thurlow from The History Channel documentary Houdini: Unlocking The Mystery.

The Margery Files: Keepsakes

This week WILD ABOUT HARRY is showcasing rarities from the private Libbet Crandon de Malamud Collection, courtesy of Anna Thurlow, the great granddaughter of "Margery" the Medium.

Today we conclude our week-long look inside the private Crandon family archives with what I think is a poetic postscript. Below is Margery's own copy of Houdini pamphlet exposing her methods. You would think she would not have kept one of these -- that she would not want to preserve this for the record -- that it should not be part of "The Margery Files". Yet here it is; Houdini's last word on Margery, brought to us by Margery herself. Is she trying to tell us something? A complicated, curious, and in the end, I can't help but feel it's a somewhat sad relationship.

"It is sad," says Anna Thurlow, the great granddaughter of Margery and our guide this week. "I have always felt that they could have had such a different relationship had they circumstances been other than what they were. They shared a lot of traits and background."

One final thing about the above image. Anna originally sent me a scan of this cover. That was great, but I asked if she could just photograph it for me "sitting on a table or something." I thought that would make it more personal. Anna did one better and sent the above photo with the booklet laying on the fabric from one of Margery's skirts. "One of two items of clothing of hers I still have," says Anna.

And what might that other item of clothing be? Well, that's our grand finale...

Margery's seance kimono!

I hope you've enjoyed our special week being Wild About Margery. Please join me in extending my thanks to Anna Thurlow for allowing me to share these amazing and revealing items here on WILD ABOUT HARRY.

Click to read an exclusive interview with Anna Thurlow.

The Margery Files: Have a seat

This week WILD ABOUT HARRY is showcasing rarities from the private Libbet Crandon de Malamud Collection, courtesy of Anna Thurlow, the great granddaughter of "Margery" the Medium.

Continuing our privileged look inside the Crandon family archives, let's move now from the past to the present, from paper artifacts to the physical. What you're looking at below are two of the actual chairs from Margery's seance chamber on the top floor of her home at No. 10 Lime Street in Boston. It's not a stretch to think that Houdini himself could have used one of these chairs during his first sitting with Margery on July 23, 1924 (the only sitting conducted at Lime Street). What a thrill to see they still exist in 2013!

Below are two photos from psychictruth.info of Margery conducting seances (and producing ectoplasm) while sitting in what are easily identifiable as the chairs above.

Click to enlarge.

The underside of the chairs show they were manufactured by the Paine Furniture Co. of Boston, MA. If only these chairs could talk!

Click to enlarge.

Speaking of the seance room, Anna Thurlow, or generous guide through The Margery Files, confirmed for me that the famous Houdini/Margery sittings were recorded! It's mentioned in Ken Silverman's Houdini!!! The Career of Ehrich Weiss that Dr. Crandon dictated everything that was happening at the moment into what was called a Ediphone. Says Anna:

"Ah, the ediphone. What I would give to know what happened to those recordings. Yes, the seances were recorded in three forms of media: sitting notes, photographs obtained under red light, and the ediphone. I have a smattering of sitting notes and photos, but sadly no recordings."

Tomorrow we will conclude our amazing week-long journey with a few precious and revealing Keepsakes. Trust me, you won't want to miss the grand finale!