William V. Rauscher (1932-2024)

David Haversat reports that William V. Rauscher has died. Below is the email David sent out moments ago.

William V. Rauscher (1932-2024)  

The Reverend Canon William V. Rauscher was a magician, a psychic researcher, a biographer, and an Episcopal priest who served as rector of Christ Church in Woodbury, New Jersey, for 36 years. For four years Bill served as president of Spiritual Frontiers Fellowship (SFF), an organization focused on the implications of psychic phenomena for religion. At its peak SFF had 6000 members.

Bill was a member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians, Order of Merlin Excelsior. He was also a collector of magic and owned and performed the Flight of Time, the last illusion invented by Harry Houdini. He wrote 17 biographies of magicians. Bill maintained friendships with psychics, debunkers, fraudulent mediums, and the sixth man who walked on the moon, Edgar Mitchell, of whom he wrote a biography. He had psychic experiences himself but also exposed fraud in Spiritualism. He played a key role in publication of The Psychic Mafia, a most amazing exposé in the history of Spiritualism.

Rauscher received five writing awards from The Linking Ring, the magazine of the International Brotherhood of Magicians (I.B.M.) and had been a member of the organization for 75 years. He was elected to the Society of American Magicians (S.A.M.) Hall of Fame. In 1996 the New England Magic Collectors Association honored him for his many contributions to the art of magic. In 1991 he received the Milbourne Christopher Foundation award for his contributions to magic, noting his performing and writing, and in 2007 he was honored with the Christopher Literary Award. In 2023 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Magic Castle’s Academy of Magical Arts in Hollywood. That same year he was honored with the prestigious John Neville Maskelyne Prize for noteworthy contributions to the art or literature of magic from London’s Magic Circle.

Today we remember our friend Bill, an amazing person who touched the lives of so many.

Rauscher the Magician performing Houdini's Flight of Time.

Houdini buffs will know Bill Rauscher as the author of The Houdini Code Mystery, Hardeen: Monarch of Manacles, and co-author of Arthur Ford: The Man Who Talked With The Dead. Bill knew Arthur Ford well. He also lectured on the Houdini Code and controversy.

I'm honored to have known Bill. He was always generous with his time and information. He was one of the rare Houdini truth seekers. He will be missed.

UPDATE: You can now read his full obituary in The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Related:

• Guest blog: William V. Rauscher on Houdini and the Hippodrome
• Bill Rauscher on Arthur Ford and the Houdini Code
• William Rauscher's Hardeen book released

More magnificent Houdini images materialize

New images of Houdini just keep on appearing! Today David Haversat of David Haversat Magic shares news of a recently acquired unpublished photo that's pretty wild. I really don't know what the heck is going on here, but David does a nice job explaining his own thoughts below.

Recently I discovered and purchased this unique image of Harry Houdini climbing a ladder of swords.

This effect was common in the side-show and with Fakirs. However, Houdini never performed this feat for the public.

Based on Houdini’s appearance and clothing, we could place this image around 1908, the time he was performing the Milk Can Escape. 

Perhaps this was a prop housed in the workshop of a magic builder, or backstage and Harry just needed to try it to rekindle the “old days” when he worked the sideshows.

Another item in my collection makes reference the very same effect. On October 5, 1927, Howard Thurston wrote to magic builder Rudolph Schlosser asking him to build the very same sword effect!

"Please let me know if you can make a sword ladder for me. An apparatus containing four swords that my Hindu can walk on. It is an old museum trick and let me know if you can understand "the" best construction and give me an idea how you can make and when you will have it finished and how much it will cost.... Howard Thurston" 

 

I can't find a reference of Schlosser every constructing the illusion for Thurston. However, Schlosser did build a number of effects for Houdini, including two Blooming Flower Growth effects and two sizes of Houdini's last illusion known as The Flight of Time. It's also though that Schlosser constructed Houdini's Whirlwind of Colors. 

-David Haversat 

When I first saw this photo I instantly thought of this famous shot of Houdini standing beside his Milk Can, taken in Atlantic City in 1908. He's in the same bathing suit (which is red, btw), and looks very much the same age. Could this be a playful behind-the-scenes pic from that same shoot?

But there's more! These two photos credited to the Brown Brothers in New York City sold on eBay over the weekend for $515.00 (front facing) and $433.89 (profile). They show Houdini in the backyard of 278, likely in 1925-26, demonstrating a rope tie and paper tear. I believe these images were taken for a magazine article (but I can't seem to find it at the moment). I'm especially wild about that profile shot, which I think is a beautiful study of the older Houdini.

Congratulations to the new owners of these amazing images. Keep 'em coming!

Related:

• Houdini and Kellar photo flies away with $341
• Breedlove vs. Houdini trial photo fetches $400
• Ultra rare Houdini poster found at yard sale

Hardeen's Flight

Here's a July 1935 issue of The Sphinx featuring a nice cover photo of Hardeen performing The Flight of Time. This was a signature trick in Houdini's 1925-26 full evening roadshow and is said to be the last illusion he invented. To my knowledge, there is no photo of Houdini performing the effect, but I suspect this shot of Hardeen gives us an excellent idea of how Houdini staged it. Like much of Houdini's magic, we can see the apparatus was very minimal, emphasizing that there was nothing (or nowhere) to hide.

Hardeen inherited the Flight of Time from his brother and continued to perform it in his act, including during his engagement with the Olsen and Johnson hit, Hellz-a-Poppin. A review of Hardeen's show at the Belasco Theater in New York on January 21, 1945 said of the illusion: "To the audience at large, this effect was perhaps the most startling of the entire evening."

Hardeen passed the Flight of Time onto his successor, Douglas Geoffrey a.k.a. Hardeen Jr., who performed it for many years. William Rauscher received the original apparatus from Geoffrey in 1977 and also performed it for a time (there's a nice photo of him performing the effect in the November 1993 Genii). Rauscher penned an article about the effect in Perennial Mystics (Vol. 11) in which he stated:

"Geoffrey personally taught me the method of performing the effect. It was a temperamental pieces of apparatus and needed a great deal of work. There were times when it failed. According to stories by Geoffrey, it also failed upon occasion even for Houdini. Houdini would simply say "Take it away!" Even though there were incidents of failure, Houdini considered the trick a winner."

In 2011 one of the original Houdini-Hardeen Flight of Time alarm clocks sold for $1600 as part of Potter and Potter's auction of magic memorabilia from the collection of Ken Klosterman.

From The Original Houdini Scrapbook.

Genii & Houdini: November 1993

Having vanished from the cover of Genii for an amazing 18 years, Houdini returned in November 1993 with a true "Houdini Special Issue". Sharing the cover with Harry was the man responsible for reuniting Genii and Houdini, the mighty Patrick Culliton.

Patrick had suggested the idea of doing a Houdini special in November instead of October, noting that the very first Houdini Memorial Issue by The Sphinx came out in November 1926. While Genii was now being co-edited by Dante and Erika Larsen (Bill Larsen, Jr. passed away in February 1993), the 12-page Houdini section was complied and edited by Patrick and T.L. Williams.

The Houdini section includes: "Houdini A Magician for the Ages" by Patrick Culliton; a handwritten "Outline for a Society Sketch" by Houdini; Houdini's short story Bahl Yahn the Strong Man; Houdini's own account of his aviation exploits, "Flight and Magic"; "Buried Alive", an article about Houdini's Shelton Pool Test by Patrick Culliton; and a terrific article by Patrick called "Where the Magic Went" tracing where many of Houdini's most famous props went after his death.

Manny Weltman

The Houdini section also includes a wonderful tribute to Manny Weltman by Patrick called "My Pal Manny". Manny was a major collector and the reigning Houdini expert at The Magic Castle. He had been the driving force behind the last Genii Houdini Special Issue in 1972. Patrick recalls today, "Manny was still alive. He was his usual grumpy self as he had told me not to write about him. He was actually very touched."

Manny Weltman passed away in May 1994.

Of non-Houdini interest in this issue are two full page advertisements touting the winner of the Dessert Magic Seminar's Teenage Magician Competition: Lance Burton.

While it was good to see Houdini back on the cover and in the pages of Genii, the 1990s would be a turbulent time for the family owned magazine. By 1998, when only three issues were published, there was a serious question as to whether Genii would even survive...

Coming next: December 1999

Click here for a complete list of all the Genii-Houdini cover issues.

Houdini's Flight of Time alarm clock sells for $1,600

One of the faux alarm clocks used by Houdini in his Flight of Time illusion sold today for $1,600 at the Potter and Potter auction of magic memorabilia from the collection of Ken Klosterman. The clock was Lot 84 and it beat it's auction estimate of $800/1,200.

A selection of photos of Houdini and Margery sold for $1,800 (Lot 274); a photo of Houdini and Howard Thurston grabbed $325 (Lot 272); a signed Houdini photo went for $1,300 (Lot 270); and a thrice signed book from Houdini's library sold for $1,900 (Lot 275).

Houdini performed the Flight of Time during his 1925-26 full evening roadshow. The effect has been called "the last illusion invented by Houdini." It was later performed by Hardeen, Hardeen Jr, and William Rauscher.

Houdini Flight of Time alarm clock in Potter and Potter auction, Oct 29

One of the faux alarm clocks used by Houdini in his Flight of Time illusion will be auctioned on Saturday, October 29, as part of Potter and Potter's "Salon de Magie" auction of magic memorabilia from the collection of Ken Klosterman.

Houdini performed the Flight of Time during his 1925-26 full evening roadshow. The effect has been called "the last illusion invented by Houdini." The Flight of Time was inherited by Hardeen who continued to perform it for many years, including during his engagement with the Olsen and Johnson show, Hellz-a-Poppin. Hardeen Jr. also performed the illusion as he carried the legacy of the Houdini-Hardeen show into the 1980s (click here for my look back at the career of Hardeen, Jr.).

The clock in the auction has a roman numeral IV on the underside in black lettering, possibly indicating that it was the fourth clock to appear. Unfortunately, it does not match any of the clocks we see in Houdini's hands in the one publicity shot of him "performing" the Flight of Time (from Houdini His Legend and His Magic). But maybe this is because this clock is a reappearing clock, or maybe Houdini is holding real clocks in the photo for a better effect.

The Houdini Flight of Time Alarm Clock is Lot 84. Auction estimate is $800/1,200.

The auction also includes several other Houdini related items, including some nice photos of Houdini and Margery the Medium (Lot 274), a photo of Houdini and Howard Thurston (Lot 272), and a book from Houdini's library that is inscribed three times (Lot 275).

One other item that caught my eye is a scrapbook that belonged to Murray the Australian escape artist (Lot 282). As I've noted here before, I dig Murray!

Click here for more information about the auction and to download or purchase the auction catalog.

The untold story of Hardeen Jr.

Recently I had the pleasure of speaking with the nephew of Douglas Geoffrey aka "Hardeen Jr." Despite the fact that Geoffrey was the official successor to the Houdini-Hardeen show, precious little is known about him. Most think he only performed for a couple of years, but this is incorrect. Douglas Geoffrey performed as Hardeen Jr. well into the 1950s, and then under his own name until 1988! But let's start his story at the beginning.

Born on May 19, 1907, Douglas Geoffrey Mackintosh fell in love with magic at the age of 8 when he received a Gilbert's Mysto Magic set from his Aunt Lucie. At the age of 12 he saw Thurston perform, and was even invited onstage to assist in a trick. He later took magic lessons from magician Fred Estelle of Brooklyn. One bit of information that the nephew shared with me -- something I've never seen printed anywhere -- is that Geoffrey actually worked briefly with Houdini! At age 19 he got a job in Houdini's full evening roadshow. Unfortunately, his tenure was brief as Houdini died that same year.

Geoffrey assisting Hardeen in 1943

Geoffrey performed his own magic act until he met Houdini's brother, Theo. Hardeen, in Atlantic City in 1932. Hardeen had revived his own career after inheriting the Houdini show. Geoffrey became one of Hardeen's assistants, working alongside Jim Collins, James Vickery, and Dolly Spence. He eventually become Hardeen's Chief Assistant, and may have been the man who rescued Hardeen when he had his mishap in the Milk Can.

Geoffrey was initiated into the Society of American Magicians on May 19, 1944. Then on May 29, 1945, during his final show at the RKO Madison Theater in Ridgewood, New York, Hardeen named "Doug" his official successor. Hardeen would die a short time later -- it was Geoffrey who broke the wand over his casket in the S.A.M. ceremony -- and Geoffrey went on to perform as "Hardeen Jr", the professional name bestowed on him by Hardeen.

Along with the "Heir to the Throne of Magic" title, Douglas Geoffrey inherited the Houdini-Hardeen show props. Thankfully, Hardeen did not stipulate in his own Will Houdini's instructions to "burn and destroy" all his props following his death. The props Geoffrey decided not to use -- including most of the escape apparatus -- he sold off in the July 1945 issue of The New Conjurer's Magazine on behalf of Elsie Hardeen. Among the items listed was Hardeen's original Milk Can with an asking price of $500. (I believe this is the can currently on display as part of the Houdini Art and Magic exhibition.) One personal memento Geoffrey held onto was the monogramed pocket from the pajamas Houdini was wearing when he died. (Today it's in the collection of Arthur Moses.) He also wore Hardeen's masonic pin during performances.

The Hardeen Jr. show, first billed as Houdini Lives Again! and co-starring magician Bob Sherman aka "Sherms", toured vaudeville and with the USO starting in 1945. Featured in his act was The Flight of Time (advertised as "the last illusion invented by Houdini"); Mummy Case; Houdini Card Star; Nest of Boxes; and the Book of Life (the last effect invented by Hardeen). Even though his newspaper adverts sometimes featured escape imagery, the only "escape" he did was the substitution truck with handcuffs. At one point he was (unintentionally?) billed as "Houdini's nephew."

Two Hardeen Jr. ads: One for his show and the other for a "magic battle".

Hardeen Jr. specialized in "challenge" magic contests, at one time holding his own in a card manipulation contest with Cardini. He also succeeded Hardeen in the Olson and Johnson Broadway show Hellzapoppin, playing a remarkable 80 weeks. Hardeen Jr. took his show international, performing in such far off locations as India and Saudi Arabia. While performing at Union City's Capital Theater, he was assisted by Hardeen's daughter, Gladys Hardeen.

Reviews where good. The Richmond News Leader noted that "the Hardeen act has all the flair of 'big time'. He moves with a clocklike precision, and an evenness that is so often missing in these performances that hit the road."

Hardeen Jr. in 1980

However, when it came to publicity, Geoffrey was modest, a trait he certainly didn't share with Houdini and Hardeen. This is probably why so little is known of his career today. He even turned down an invitation to appear on the Ed Sullivan Show. Instead he enjoyed performing smaller venues, and in a home theater which he built behind his house in Queens that he called the "109th Street Playhouse." Here he would perform magic during parties, which he threw often.

Geoffrey continued performing until he physically couldn't manage the coin and cards manipulations. He gave up the stage in 1988 and died on January 14, 1990 at age 82. The S.A.M. performed a Wand Breaking ceremony and buried him with his magician's baton. His close friend, William Rauscher, who penned the book The Houdini Code Mystery, conducted the funeral. Rauscher would carry on performing many of the Houdini-Hardeen magic effects he received from Geoffrey, including The Flight of Time.

Douglas Geoffrey did not formally pass on the Houdini-Hardeen-Hardeen Jr. show to any successor. But he carried the torch admirably for many years, and his life and name should definitely be celebrated as part of the larger legacy of Harry Houdini.

My thanks to the nephew of Hardeen Jr. for the information and the use of his photos.

John Gaughan performs 'Goodbye Winter' at The Magic Castle

Last night I had the pleasure of attending The Magic Castle's special Magic History Week showcase, and I'm happy to report that Houdini is well represented. Not only does his photo grace the Magic History Week program (below), but legendary illusion builder John Gaughan performed one of Houdini's lesser-known stage illusions, Goodbye Winter, in the Palace of Mystery.

In the trick, an assistant (in this case the attractive Vanessa Lauren) vanishes atop a tall table after she's covered with a simple curtained frame. Houdini's own description of the effect reads: "Vanishing a living, breathing human being in mid-air, in the center of the Stage, away from all curtains and in full glare of lights in less than One Millionth of a Second."

Houdini first introduced Goodbye Winter as part of his 1914 "Magical Revue." He revived it in 1922, along with the Vanishing Elephant, during live appearances at the Times Square Theater in New York to promote his film, The Man From Beyond. He later incorporated it into the magic portion of his 1925/26 full evening show under the new name, Wintertime.

It's really a remarkably effective trick, very simple and direct in design and presentation. It tells me Houdini brought his escape act philosophy to his stage magic -- keep the props simple and relatable and present it in full view of the audience (meaning natural stage lighting). One minute she is there and next she is gone. Simple and baffling! A large reproduction of the "Houdini For President" lithograph graced the stage during the effect. John later told me the Goodbye Winter apparatus is authentic in design, but the patter Houdini used in unknown.

Even though the trick was created for Houdini by Charles Morritt, seeing an authentic Houdini stage illusion makes me what to argue with a little more passion that his reputation as a magician deserves more respect.

However, as effective as Houdini's Goodbye Winter was, it was John's presentation of Robert-Houdin's trapeze automaton, Antonio, that truly stole the show. It's just amazing how a trick created in 1848 could completely captivate an audience in 2011.

The Palace show was MC'd by Mike Caveney, who performed Paul Valadon's "The Drum that Can't Be Beat" and "Well, I'm...!". Closing the show was a remarkable performance by actor and magician Jonathan Levit playing Howard Thurston under the technical direction of Jim Steinmeyer. Using authentic props and patter, "Thurston" presented The Cards of the Air and Sawing a Woman in Halves. Maybe I'm just a big magic history nerd, but I found the original Sawing a Woman more entertaining, amusing, and baffling that any modern interpretation.

Also as part of Magic History Week is the lovely Lisa Cousins, who performs elegant and authentic antique magic in the Parlour of Prestidigitation. Houdini gets some attention here as well as Lisa's act includes an early version of The Flight of Time, which was later modernized and performed by both Houdini and Hardeen.

The Magic Castle's Magic History Week is presented by The Los Angeles Conference of Magic History and continues through March 13. It is a must see! In fact, I just might go back and see it again.