One of my favorite YouTube channels is The1920sChannel. Founded in 2013, there are a wealth of videos related to the 1920s, and several related to Houdini. Below is a recent upload. This collects several "weird and crazy tales of the 1920s "and is pretty terrific. Houdini appears at 34:58, but I would recommend watching them all. The straw hat riot is especially wild, and maybe relevant as Houdini was known to wear a boater in the 1920s.
Showing posts with label Clothing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Clothing. Show all posts
Saturday, June 14, 2025
Wednesday, May 28, 2025
Houdini window display at the Culver Hotel
Last night I enjoyed seeing The Living Daylights in Culver City as part of a series of classic James Bond film screenings co-organized by our friend Neil McNally of The Doug Henning Project. But I can never escape Houdini, and after the screening, I went and took a look at this curious window display at the historic Culver Hotel.
Sorry, Knickerbocker, our A.I. overlords have spoken. The Final Houdini Seance took place on the roof of the Culver Hotel. And that's Houdini's top hat.
The display was a hodgepodge of "vintage" items, so I'm unsure what to make of it. Are we to believe this is Houdini's top hat? I do know that two authenticated Houdini top hats exist in the collections of John Hinson and Roger Dreyer.
The Culver Hotel was built in 1924. Houdini briefly visited Los Angeles that year to give his spiritualism lecture, but he stayed at the Biltmore Hotel. It's unlikely he ventured outside of the downtown area as this was a quick whistle stop on his lecture tour. So I'm not aware of any Houdini connection to the Culver Hotel.
Of course, if we ask Google's A.I., we get a very different answer:
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| WRONG |
If you're interested in catching a Bond movie and viewing the display for yourself (the hotel sits directly across from the Culver Theater), here's the current film lineup with more to come.
Thanks to Dr. Larrian Gillespie for the tip about the display and Bob Mitsch for the above photo.
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Tuesday, June 4, 2024
Houdini's belt buckle secures $37,820
A silver belt buckle that Houdini was wearing when he went into Grace Hospital sold over the weekend in a Goldin auction for $37,820 (with buyer's premium). You may recall this same belt buckle sold for $90,000 in Potter & Potter's 2021 auction of the Salon de Magie collection. It appears the winner of that auction removed it from the frame, which gives us a nice look at the back.
The precipitous drop in price marks, in my opinion, a return to sanity. As precious as this is, I thought $90,000 was far beyond its value. This price feels right. Could this be an indication that Houdini auction prices are coming back down to earth? I guess we'll find out when the next big ticket item shows up.
By the way, is Houdini wearing the buckle on the below pic? Hard to tell, but maybe.
Congratulations to the winner.
Want more? I've archived more photos of the buckle and its excellent letter of provenance on my Patreon.
Wednesday, September 28, 2022
Houdini's Omaha break
Where did Houdini have his first breakout success? The Orpheum in San Fransisco? The Alhambra in London? Well, if you asked Houdini himself, the answer would be the Creighton-Orpheum in Omaha, Nebraska.
Recently newspapers.com uploaded the archive of the Omaha World Herald and I was able to find some nice information about Houdini's appearances in that city in 1899, 1900, 1915 and 1923. Chief among these is this article from September 12, 1915 in which Houdini remembers his big Omaha break.
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| Morning World Herald, Sept. 12, 1915. |
This isn't really new information. We know from Martin Beck's famous telegram that he tried Houdini out in Omaha before sending him on to San Fransisco in 1899. But it's nice to hear Houdini talk about it himself and that he remembers it so fondly. I've also not heard the story of the borrowed suit before.
Here's something else interesting from this 1915 appearance. This is from his last day in town:
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| Morning World Herald, Sept. 17, 1915. |
I wonder what this "special program" was? Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find any newspaper account of this Saturday show, so there's an Omaha story yet to be told.
The Creighton-Orpheum was located at 15th and Harney Street. The theater was demolished in 1926 and a new Orpheum was built on the site which still stands today.
Want more? You can view and download all my Omaha World Herald clippings, which includes nice coverage of Houdini's 1923 suspended straitjacket escape, as a Scholar member of my Patreon.
Sunday, July 10, 2022
Houdini kicks off his heels for the Ladies
This original press photo sold in Haversat & Ewing's latest magic auction for $560.50. There's a lot to love about this image. But what I especially like is it gives us a good look at Houdini's boots. Look at the size of those heels!
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This photo was part of series taken at the White Studios in New York to illustrate Houdini's article, "How I Get Out of My Rope Ties," in the June 1918 The Ladies' Home Journal. I've always thought this was an unusual choice of magazine for this and his companion article, "How I Get Out of a Strait-Jacket." But I love the photos they gave us!
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Tuesday, June 7, 2022
This may be last call for a 278 wood-made collectible
For those who might be wondering how this can be, it all started back in 2019 when I put up this post alerting Houdini buffs that the new owners of 278 were about to throw out a large quality of wood stripped from the house during renovations. Several artists and entrepreneurs stepped forward and the result has been some remarkable collectibles made from that precious wood, such as: magic wands, pens, pendants, Ouija boards, and, yes, these awesome cufflinks!
But the house renovations are finished, the wood is long gone, and many of these rarities were limited and now sold out. Even artist Barry Spector tells me his stock of quality wood is low and he has retired his magic wand series. So as far as I know, the last best place to get a new 278 wood collectible is Houdini's 278 Project. And now seeing their cufflinks in the flesh, I can attest to the excellent quality of their work.
But I would strike soon. There will come a time when all this will be part of Houdini 278 history.
Wednesday, April 13, 2022
R.I.P. Gilbert Gottfried, Shoedini spokesman
Yesterday came the sad news that comedian Gilbert Gottfried passed away at age 67. While Gilbert will be remembered for his ground-breaking standup and iconic film roles, I think he wins a seat at Houdini's table in heaven with this.
Gilbert was also close friends with Penn Jillette. Check out this video posted yesterday by
Harrison Greenbaum in which Penn and Gilbert share a story.
You can read Gilbert Gottfried's obituary here.
Monday, December 13, 2021
Houdini's lost top hat is found
Our friend Roger Dreyer from Houdini Revealed (formally the Houdini Museum of New York) shares with us a remarkable new acquisition with a great story behind it. Gaze below at Houdini's top hat!
Roger purchased this hat from James F. Green (aka Mr. G The Magician) who bought it from magician and author Burling Hull in the late 1960s or early 1970s. Hull told Green a curious story of how he acquired it. He was at an S.A.M. banquet in New York with Houdini also in attendance (he did not provide the year). Hull asked Bess Houdini to dance with him, which she did. Hull was a handsome man...too much so for Houdini. The jealous Houdini marched out and retrieved Bess and left the event in a huff. In doing so, he left his top hat behind. Hull chased after them to return the hat, but he failed to catch up to them so he kept the hat for himself.
The dancing with Bess episode was written up by Bev Bergeron in the March 2007 Linking Ring ("A Dance with Bess: The Tricks, Tales, and Trials of Burling Hull"). According to Bergeron, Houdini later apologized when he leaned who Hull was and offered up Bess as a dancing partner at their next S.A.M. gathering. But it appears Hull did not offer up the hat!
Hearing this story I was immediately reminded of the below item from Motion Picture News about, yes, Houdini losing his hat at an S.A.M. banquet in 1922.
This is Boston, not New York, so this could be another S.A.M. event and another hat. But this is all great stuff and another terrific addition to Roger Dreyer's amazing collection.
Saturday, October 30, 2021
Houdini's belt buckle sells for $90,000
The engraved belt buckle Houdini was wearing when he went into Grace Hospital 95 years ago sold today for a whopping $90,000 (including premium) in Potter & Potter's auction of the Salon de Magie: The Klosterman Collection Part I. The auction estimate of $5,000 - $10,000. The buckle comes framed with a letter of provenance from Douglas Geoffrey aka Hardeen Jr.
Other notable Houdini items were Houdini's Card Star ($40,800), his Flight of Time ($21,600), and a 1912 Dangerfield Water Torture Cell poster ($112,500). This was the second Dangerfield USD poster to sell in just a few days. Wild times!
Sunday, September 5, 2021
Houdini in a tight(s) spot
Here's another unpublished (reproduction) photo that I recently acquired. Here we see Houdini bound in a nice web of shackles. But what makes this image so unusual is that he's dressed in what appear to be tights. I've never seen any other image of Houdini in any sort of tights, nor have I ever heard of him wearing tights during any escape. Yet here's a pic of him doing just that!
My only speculation is perhaps this photo is from one of his tours with the Corty-Althoff Circus in Germany where tights may have been the fashion? If so, this just illustrates once again how little we know about his performances in this part of the world.
Thursday, January 28, 2021
Harry Houdini's top hat
Inspired by Andrew Basso's recent acquisition of Houdini's tuxedo collar (my most visited new post of the year so far), here's another cherished piece of Houdini apparel; his top hat! This comes from the collection of John Hinson, the great nephew of Harry and Bess Houdini. The label shows it was made in London.
Despite the classic image of a magician in a top hat, as far as I know Houdini never wore or used a top hat on stage. Looks like his was for use in regular life. Below are two photos of Houdini in a top hat, the first being Paris in 1901 and the second from his movie Haldane of the Secret Service (made in 1921). Could one or both of these be this hat?
So as far as surviving Houdini clothing goes (and not counting straitjackets), I'm currently aware of the tuxedo collar, this top hat, his pajama pocket, and his baby shoes. If you know of anything else, please let us know in the comments below.
Thanks to John Hinson for sharing this family treasure.
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Tuesday, January 12, 2021
Houdini's tuxedo collar on display in 1998
I hope you had the chance to watch today's Facebook Live chat between Andrew Basso and myself about Houdini's tuxedo collar. During the chat I mentioned a photo that I had taken of the collar on display at the Houdini Historical Center in 1998. Below is that photo. As we discussed, it appears the folds in the collar may have been ironed out at some point.
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Andrew and I never got around to talking about his plans to have the collar tested for Houdini's DNA, so I believe we are going to do another chat next week!
And if you don't know what the heck I'm talking about, check out the top link below.
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Saturday, January 9, 2021
Andrew Basso now owns Houdini's tuxedo collar
The shirt collar belonged to Sidney Radner who presumably aquired it from Hardeen. Recall that Hardeen preserved the pocket from the pajamas his brother wore during his final illness. That leads me to think this might have been the collar Houdini wore during his final show as it explains why Hardeen would have kept it among his mementos. But that's just speculation. Final show or no, it's still Houdini's collar, and that makes it magical!
For several years the collar was displayed at the Houdini Historical Center in Appleton, Wisconsin. Then in 2004, Sidney Radner put the collar up for auction along with the rest of his collection. The buyer was Geno Munari, owner of the Houdini's Magic Shop chain. Geno in turn sold it to magician Troy Milligan. At one point Troy had his close friend, Dorothy Young, Houdini's former assistant, sign the collar. Last year Troy felt it was time to pass the collar to a new owner, and Andrew answered the call!
Andrew broke the news in an interview with Estrada ("The sexiest magician has the DNA of Houdini"). He says he currently has the collar hanging in his bedroom, but he has plans to send it to Washington D.C. to see if they can extract Houdini's DNA. (I've talked to Andrew and he's serious about this!) He will then have a special case made for it, and is also open to having it displayed in a public museum.
I first became aware of this collar when I saw it on display in Appleton. But once it sold at auction, it seemed to vanish. It's exciting to see it reemerge, and I'm very happy to see it land in the hands of Andrew Basso.
Friday, November 20, 2020
"Houdini cares not for showy clothes"
For more on Houdini's fashion sense, check out the links below.
Saturday, June 27, 2020
Houdini's Fort Worth street feats
Here are some great photos of Houdini's suspended straitjacket escape from the Star-Telegram Building in Fort Worth on January 13, 1916. This was the first stop of his first tour of Texas. The initial images show Houdni testing the scaffolding in front of the newspaper's headquarters at 815 Throckmorton along with his police challengers. The paper asked, "Will Texas prove his Waterloo?"
I'm always excited to find images of Houdini's suspended straitjacket escapes from this era. Most photos and film footage are from 1923-24 when big cities looked more like...big cities. But in 1915-16 many cities still looked like towns with older buildings that give it all a different flavor. (Houdini repeated the stunt in Fort Worth in 1923.)
Today the site of the original Star-Telegram Building is a parking lot. But the paper survives with offices just one block over on 8th Street.
This wasn't the only outdoor stunt Houdini is said to have performed in Fort Worth during this 1916 engagement. An account of a somewhat bizarre second feat appears in the 1973 book, Locklear: The Man Who Walked On Wings by Art Ronnie. This is a biography of Ormer Locklear, a Texas daredevil who would later become a famous wing-walker in Hollywood. Below is an edited excerpt:
It's a great story. I think my favorite part is learning Houdini wore white Spaulding track shorts as underwear. However, I've never been able to corroborate it. I cannot find any photos or a single newspaper account. It does appear in a several Houdini books (Cartlidge, Silverman, Kalush), but their source is the Locklear book, which, as far as I can tell, is the only source for this second Fort Worth street feat.
So did it really happen? Or is it a Texas-sized Houdini myth? Ormer looks like he knows, but he's not talking!
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The successful escape was witnessed by some 4000 Texans who packed the intersection of Throckmorton and 8th Street as seen below.
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| Click to enlarge. |
I'm always excited to find images of Houdini's suspended straitjacket escapes from this era. Most photos and film footage are from 1923-24 when big cities looked more like...big cities. But in 1915-16 many cities still looked like towns with older buildings that give it all a different flavor. (Houdini repeated the stunt in Fort Worth in 1923.)
Today the site of the original Star-Telegram Building is a parking lot. But the paper survives with offices just one block over on 8th Street.
This wasn't the only outdoor stunt Houdini is said to have performed in Fort Worth during this 1916 engagement. An account of a somewhat bizarre second feat appears in the 1973 book, Locklear: The Man Who Walked On Wings by Art Ronnie. This is a biography of Ormer Locklear, a Texas daredevil who would later become a famous wing-walker in Hollywood. Below is an edited excerpt:
One block from the Majestic was the Trav Daniel Sporting Goods store, where James, Ormer's younger brother, was working as a clerk. One day, to the delight of the clerks and customers, the magician came in to buy a pair of white Spaulding track shorts. "They're pretty good for underwear," he explained to James, standing behind the counter in awe of the illusionist. Finally able to talk, James blurted out that he enjoyed Houdini's act at the theater. He had also seen Houdini free himself from a strait-jacket while hanging upside down from the scaffold swung from the top of the Star-Telegram Building. Susceptible to flattery, Houdini talked about his act to his young admirer. During their conversation, James mentioned his brother's trick motorcycle riding. Houdini was amazed. A plan to use Ormer's daring to his advantage was already forming in his inventive mind and he asked to meet the "crazy fellow who would ride a trick motorcycle." Houdini liked the man he met. Satisfied, Houdini made the unusual suggestion that Ormer drag him, fettered, behind his motorcycle down Fort Worth's Main Street. "The publicity will be good for me and my act," Houdini said in his rough way. Only after Houdini's assurance that he would take certain precautions against injury did Ormer agree to go through with the stunt.
Houdini chose Main Street for his demonstration because it was the first "paved" street in Fort Worth. A series of wooden blocks, or round stumps, has been recessed into the street to protect the hooves of horses from injury. To protect himself, he wore a thick quilted overall. A hood to shield his head gave him the appearance of an Eskimo. Eager volunteers, attracted to the scene by the gathering crowd, tied his hands behind his back. A length of rope from Ormer's motorcycle was then attached to Houdini. The starting signal was given and with one last apprehensive glance behind him, Ormer reluctantly gave the gas to his cycle. Moving ever so slowly at first and then assured that his "passenger" wasn't being hurt by the jouncing about, Ormer gradually increased speed. But before he could attain real momentum, and much to his relief, it was all over. Houdini was free from his bonds and then from the rope attached to the motorcycle. The publicity paid off. The rest of his stand in Fort Worth, Houdini played to a packed house.
It's a great story. I think my favorite part is learning Houdini wore white Spaulding track shorts as underwear. However, I've never been able to corroborate it. I cannot find any photos or a single newspaper account. It does appear in a several Houdini books (Cartlidge, Silverman, Kalush), but their source is the Locklear book, which, as far as I can tell, is the only source for this second Fort Worth street feat.
So did it really happen? Or is it a Texas-sized Houdini myth? Ormer looks like he knows, but he's not talking!
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| Ormer Locklear - the man who dragged Houdini? |
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Friday, May 29, 2020
The hidden meaning of Houdini's iconic suit
Last night I had the pleasure of joining Mike Caveney and Jonathan Levit "Behind the Bookcase" at the Academy of Magical Arts, where I shared some things I haven't yet posted to the blog. First and foremost was "the secret of Houdini's suit." So today I wanted to share with all and lay out my theory in full. Enjoy!
This is a famous photo of Houdini likely taken in early 1918. Here we see him in a black suit of clothes that appears in many other photos. And I mean many. In fact, I have not seen a photo or film clip of Houdini in everyday life taken between 1914 and 1918 in which he isn't wearing this same black suit. There's even a photo of him wearing it on a golf course!
So what's the story? Was this just a favorite suit? Or is there something else going on? I believe there's something else going on, and I have a theory of what that something might be.
Whenever Houdini does something inexplicable in his personal life, I always consider the possibility that it has something to do with his mother. Because it always does! At first I thought this was maybe a suit she bought for him. Or maybe it was one she simply thought he looked good in. That would probably be enough for Houdini to wear it everyday for four years. But as far as I can find, this suit first appears a few months after his mother's death. And that's the key.
This was a time when Houdini was displaying his grief in any number of ways. He even had new stationary and greeting cards made rimmed in a black boarder. I believe this suit was another part of his formalized grieving. I believe what we've been looking at all these years is Houdini in a mourning suit.
Mourning clothes are typically associated with women, but it was not unheard of for men at this time. Women's fashion dictated veils, etc., but the only real requirement for men was that it should be black. Also, in Jewish tradition, someone in mourning is not allowed to wear new clothes for a year. And that's another aspect of this suit that has always struck me as peculiar even before I landed on this idea. Houdini was fairly modern, even dashing, in his dress leading up this time. (Just look at him here.) But this is a very Victorian suit.
Houdini also had a specific hat that went with this suit with a thick hatband that can be seen in several photos. Turns out hatbands, typically made of crepe, were a feature of Victorian male mourning clothes. And according to The Vintage News, "widows were expected to wear special clothes to indicate that they were in mourning for up to four years after the death." Houdini appears to have worn this suit for, yes, a little over four years.
But I think the most convincing evidence is that he wore this suit to the 1916 dedication ceremony for the exedra he created for his parents at Machpelah cemetery. In a photo from the event we see others dressed formally in tail coats and top hats. But not Houdini. Obviously Houdini would have thought very carefully about how he dressed for such a sacred occasion, and it's unthinkable that he'd wear his old "everyday suit" if it didn't broadcast special meaning. Wearing this suit was making a statement which now seems abundantly clear. He was a man in mourning.
Below are a few choice images of Houdini in the black suit.
Related:
This is a famous photo of Houdini likely taken in early 1918. Here we see him in a black suit of clothes that appears in many other photos. And I mean many. In fact, I have not seen a photo or film clip of Houdini in everyday life taken between 1914 and 1918 in which he isn't wearing this same black suit. There's even a photo of him wearing it on a golf course!
So what's the story? Was this just a favorite suit? Or is there something else going on? I believe there's something else going on, and I have a theory of what that something might be.
Whenever Houdini does something inexplicable in his personal life, I always consider the possibility that it has something to do with his mother. Because it always does! At first I thought this was maybe a suit she bought for him. Or maybe it was one she simply thought he looked good in. That would probably be enough for Houdini to wear it everyday for four years. But as far as I can find, this suit first appears a few months after his mother's death. And that's the key.
This was a time when Houdini was displaying his grief in any number of ways. He even had new stationary and greeting cards made rimmed in a black boarder. I believe this suit was another part of his formalized grieving. I believe what we've been looking at all these years is Houdini in a mourning suit.
Mourning clothes are typically associated with women, but it was not unheard of for men at this time. Women's fashion dictated veils, etc., but the only real requirement for men was that it should be black. Also, in Jewish tradition, someone in mourning is not allowed to wear new clothes for a year. And that's another aspect of this suit that has always struck me as peculiar even before I landed on this idea. Houdini was fairly modern, even dashing, in his dress leading up this time. (Just look at him here.) But this is a very Victorian suit.
Houdini also had a specific hat that went with this suit with a thick hatband that can be seen in several photos. Turns out hatbands, typically made of crepe, were a feature of Victorian male mourning clothes. And according to The Vintage News, "widows were expected to wear special clothes to indicate that they were in mourning for up to four years after the death." Houdini appears to have worn this suit for, yes, a little over four years.
But I think the most convincing evidence is that he wore this suit to the 1916 dedication ceremony for the exedra he created for his parents at Machpelah cemetery. In a photo from the event we see others dressed formally in tail coats and top hats. But not Houdini. Obviously Houdini would have thought very carefully about how he dressed for such a sacred occasion, and it's unthinkable that he'd wear his old "everyday suit" if it didn't broadcast special meaning. Wearing this suit was making a statement which now seems abundantly clear. He was a man in mourning.
Below are a few choice images of Houdini in the black suit.
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| In the graveyard (1914). |
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| In California with Jack London (1915). |
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| At the exedra dedication (1916). |
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| On the golf course (undated). |
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| With Harry Kellar (1917). |
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| Traveling to Hollywood (1919). |
The last images I've found of Houdini in the suit are from his early days in Los Angeles in April 1919 when he came to work on The Grim Game. It may be telling that a young starlet commented in a fan magazine on the strange suit Houdini was seen wearing around Hollywood. So maybe he decided to it was time to give up the ghost. By May 1919 he is sporting a new suit and a youthful straw hat. This old suit appears to vanish.
But Houdini wore this suit for so long and in so many photos that it has become part of his iconography. It inspired Harvey Keitel's wardrobe in 1998's FairyTale: A True Story. It also appears in the 1976 biopic The Great Houdinis in the scenes following his mother's death. It's telling that the costume designer instinctively associated this look with mourning. The suit is not described in the screenplay, but in the novelization it says: "That coat he's wearing, she thought, that had to be thrown out. And that terrible hat. He looks like an immigrant. One more week without shaving, he'll look just like his father, the Rabbi."
So what do we think? Was this Houdini's mourning suit? Sound off in the comments below.
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