Next is a high-quality lapel pin depicting the Handcuff King in his prime. This is a beauty, and is going to be my new go-to lapel pin. Especially as it captures Houdini in his Handcuff King days.
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Showing posts with label Fred Pittella. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fred Pittella. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 19, 2026
Fred Pittella's Houdini key bookmark and lapel pin
Our friend and collector, Fred Pittella, has released two new pieces of Houdini merchandise memorabilia. The first is a high-quality bookmark with a replica Bean Giant Handcuff Key. "So your next page doesn't escape you!" says Fred. A mini trading card also comes loose in the package. With so many new Houdini books this year, a good bookmark is a must!
The price of the bookmark is $40 plus $14 shipping. The lapel pin is $25. You can get them by contacting Fred at fredpstuff@aol.com.
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Wednesday, November 8, 2023
Broken wand ceremony 2023
The Society of American Magicians held their annual broken wand ceremony at Houdini's grave yesterday. Joe Delvin, president of the parent assembly of the S.A.M., conducted the ceremony. Benjilini handled the religious service. Dorothy Dietrich broke the wand. The photo below comes courtesy of our friend and attendee Fred Pittella.
The wand-breaking tradition began with Houdini's death in 1926. The S.A.M. has continued the ceremony every year since 1969.
The wand-breaking tradition began with Houdini's death in 1926. The S.A.M. has continued the ceremony every year since 1969.
Friday, November 5, 2021
2021 seances keep Houdini's spirit alive
The 2021 Houdini Seance season is complete. This year saw The Official Houdini Seance held in Chicago at Potter & Potter auctions. Once again Harry decided to skip the event, but all the other usual suspects were on hand. According to Bill Radner, who kindly provided the below images, it was another grand evening in celebration of Houdini.
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Meanwhile, The Original Houdini Seance by Dorothy Dietrich and Dick Brookz was held virtually from the Houdini Museum in Scranton. The stream attracted some 200 viewers at its peak. There were some strange goings on. A picture of a Water Torture Cell poster fell over and the museum was hit with a mysterious blackout mid-seance. Was that Harry trying to be heard? (You can read more about this seance at Interval Magic.)
Guess we'll all try again next year. But these seances and their popularity just prove Houdini is alive and well in 2021!
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Monday, November 2, 2020
Houdini Seances go virtual for 2020
The first seance of the day was Dorothy Dietrich and Dick Brookz' Original Houdini Seance. This was held via ZOOM at 1:26 PM (the time of Houdini's death). The seance was open to the public, hitting a high of 201 viewers by mid seance. The S.A.M. hosted the event with Dorothy and Dick conducting the seance from Scranton, PA.
But it's what happened at 1:29 PM that has us all scratching our heads. A printers block that was used by Houdini toppled over on the seance table in a way that seemed utterly inexplicable. I spoke with Dorothy and Dick afterwards, and they assured me there was no trickery involved. Luckily, it was all captured on video. Below is the moment. The printer's block is propped against the photograph of Harry, Mama, and Bess on the right. This is pretty weird!
Next came The Official Houdini Seance run annually by Bill Radner and Tom Boldt. This was also conducted via ZOOM, but was a private invitation only event. Always a class production, the seance featured a performance by Benjilini, brief talks by myself, Gay Blackstone, George Hardeen, and David Muller. Bill Radner showed the seances cuffs and Tom Boldt hosted. Teller was also among the virtual attendees. The Official Houdini Seance always invites a professional medium to conduct their seance. This time it was Robyn Fritz, a "certified past life regression specialist" and author.
Unlike recent Official seance mediums, Robyn had no problem instantly contacting "Mr. Houdini," whom she said she had been "working with" all week in preparation. She explained Houdini was trapped in a grey area of the afterlife (her version of purgatory) and was searching for his wife. Roybn was able to bring forth Bess and reunite the two, who then traveled off together into what Roybn calls the "party."
Roybn seemed nice and I think she believes in her abilities. But I was far from convinced. At one point she asked the group if we had any questions for Houdini, and I volunteered a few test questions to verify it really was Houdini we were speaking to. I explained Houdini himself would understand this and demand it of any seance. But Houdini was unable or unwilling to answer a single question.
This was the first Official Seance I've attended in which the medium actually claimed clear and unequivocal contact. But I don't think she appreciated my test. Or was it Houdini who didn't like it? Either way, I'm convinced no one was convinced.
Finally, while it wasn't a seance, another virtual highlight of this Halloween weekend was the Magic Collector's Corner #29, which focused on Houdini for the third time. I thought this was the best of the three Houdini specials, with appearances by myself, Fred Pittella, Dorothy Dietrich, Mike Caveney, and, best of all, Houdini's Ghost himself, Patrick Culliton! If you saw it I know you enjoyed it as much as I did. If you want to watch a replay (or see the full video of Fred Pittella's amazing collection), you can check it out by joining the Magic Collectors' Corner Facebook group.
Hope everyone had a Happy Halloween!
UPDATE: Dick and Dorothy have shared with me a photo of the phantom printer's block to show this was not a trick (not a Telekinetic Timber). This came out of 278 in 1980.
Friday, October 30, 2020
Magic Collectors' Corner Houdini Part 3, Sunday
We're heading into the Halloween weekend and the 94th anniversary of Houdini's death. Covid hasn't restrained the Handcuff King, and not only will tomorrow see Houdini seances, but on Sunday the incredible Magic Collectors' Corner weekly ZOOM gathering will highlight Houdini. Yes, it's the eagerly awaited "Houdini Partie Trois!" Below are details.
No Prison Could Hold Him! Plus, The Guy Was Pretty Good With A Deck Of Cards!
This week's Magic Collectors' Corner features a return to the discussion of one of the biggest names in magic's history... HARRY HOUDINI! This will be our third time talking with experts about the world's greatest escape artist and undeniably one of the most iconic names in magic! Plus, we'll visit a portion of the Houdini collection as owned and cared for by Fred Pittella. Additionally, we're going to play more magic history-themed games, ask Adele Friel Rhindress some questions about life on the road with the Blackstone show, learn some magical trivia, share more about past topics when we Escape From The Mailbag, and we'll even have a few special surprises!
ZOOM Meeting ID: 823 2179 9558
Password: Dante
Join Zoom Meeting
This will be the 29th Collectors' Corner. David Sandy and Lance Rich have committed to doing these through November. If you haven't yet attended a Collectors' Corner, you are in for a real treat! These offer up a treasure trove of magic history. Their show on Richiardi ran for 4 fascinating hours! And the weekly attendees are a-listers of the magic and collecting world.
Participation on the ZOOM platform is limited to the first 100 people, but you can also watch a live simulcast on the Magic Collector's Corner Facebook Group. There you can also view past shows.
Hope to see you on Sunday!
Thursday, September 3, 2020
More trouble for Mysto
Following up on Tuesday's post about Houdini's exposure of Carl Mysto's coffin escape in 1904, our friend Fred Pittella sends over these gems from his collection. This playbill predates the Salford exposure and is almost certainly the work of Houdini.
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| Click to enlarge. |
Poor Mysto. Maybe it's his failed 1902 audition and Houdini calling him "a common bum and a dirty one at that", but I admit I feel sorry for him. I feel like he pulled himself together and came up with good idea with his coffin escape, especially the idea of his hands manacled through the top, and he didn't do anything to warrant its exposure.
But as said on Tuesday, Mysto's skirmishes with Houdini actually brought him publicity and bookings that he wouldn't have otherwise received, and he did go on to have a long career in English Music Halls. In 1922 he even starred in a popular musical comedy show, O.K., in which he played a magician detective named "O.K." In 1930 he renamed himself The Great Neudini.
Thanks to Fred Pittella for the share. Be sure and check out Fred's own website Houdini & Escapes Museum.
Wednesday, July 29, 2020
The photo Houdini thought would fool Conan Doyle
On January 6, 1922, Houdini wrote a peculiar letter to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle which, as far as I know, has never been discussed in the many books and articles written about the famous friends. The letter itself is reproduced in full in the 1932 book, Houdini and Conan Doyle: The Story of a Strange Friendship. Here it is in full:
My dear Sir Arthur Conan Doyle:--
Along with this letter I am sending you a photograph which I think will interest you.
This photograph was secured about four months ago, while my new photoplay called "Haldane of the Secret Service" was in the making. In this photoplay I portrayed the son of a murder high police official, and, in one of the scenes, but on my way from the Club, I meet a young lady who is running madly down the street before pursuing thugs. She runs in my arms for protection.
We had a cameraman on the scene, to make an instantaneous photograph of the action, and the result was the picture I am sending to you. This is not a trick picture, that I know. It is not a double exposure, how would you explain it? Does it look like ectoplasm?
The gentleman with the straw hat is your good friend Houdini. The girl, whose face is unfortunately turned away from the camera, is Miss Gladys Leslie. She also cannot account for the picture.
You will note that the figures of the persons making up the crowd on the sidewalk are sharply defined. They are watching the action and, as you can see, were greatly interested. I should like to have your opinion regarding the picture.
I am playing a brief tour, but letters directed to my home address will always reach me.
Very best regards and with hardest greetings for the new year,
Sincerely yours,
Houdini.
Conan Doyle did not take the bait, writing back:
The effect is certainly produced by the whisk of lady's dress as she rushed into your protective arms. It then wrapped itself 'round her legs. It is certainly not ectoplasm!
It's likely the reason this exchange doesn't get attention is that no one had seen the photo in question. But in 2017 I had the great pleasure of visiting the collection of Fred Pittella, and among his photos is the one I've shared at the top of this post. This is almost certainly the photo Houdini is talking about, as it is a perfect match in all regards.
But ectoplasm?
There is no way Houdini was confused by this effect, which is a photographic blur exactly as Doyle describes. There's also a double exposure in this photo. The faint figure of Houdini in his straw hat can be seen to the right of Houdini and Gladys Leslie. Is this "ghostly" image what Houdini is talking about in the letter to Doyle? It's not entirely clear.
Whether it be the double exposure or the photographic blur, all I can think is Houdini is testing the famously gullible Doyle. It could be Houdini wanted to entrap the great man; have his very own Cottingley Fairies photo that he could later hold up as an example of Doyle's naiveté. But this doesn't seem like a terribly friendly thing to do, and I can't help but think Doyle recognized the trap. Maybe it's telling that later that same year Doyle would attempt to snare Houdini with the Atlantic City seance. If anything, it shows the men were playing mind games well before their famous split.
Years earlier, Houdini had given Doyle something that was certainly more to his liking. This is also in Fred's collection. It's a copy of the book After Death–What? Spiritistic Phenomena and Their Interpretation by Cesare Lombroso. Houdini inscribed the book (below), and Doyle added on the cover page, "One of the Classics on the subject."
Thank you Fred!
Monday, February 10, 2020
Fred Pittella follows Harry and Mama to Budapest
Fred sends us some photos and says, "You could just imagine Houdini walking down these stairs with his mother on his arm, all puffy chest a proud son."
"How my heart warmed to see the various friends and relatives kneel and pay homage to my mother, every inch a queen, as she sat enthroned in her heavily carved and gilded chair." - Houdini
While no photos of this famous reception survive (to my knowledge), it has been depicted in two Houdini biopics, The Great Houdinis (1976) and the Houdini Miniseries (2014).
Here's an image from Fred's collection capturing the real Harry, Mama, and Bess at this very time.
Thanks Fred!
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Friday, November 9, 2018
Discovering Houdini's Baltimore
Last Sunday I had the great pleasure of speaking at the Jewish Museum of Maryland as part of their Inescapable: The Life and Legacy of Harry Houdini exhibition programing. It was a terrific event and their exhibition is magnificent! But what I want to share here is what I saw before the talk along with fellow Houdini nuts Fred Pittella and Joe Notaro (HHCE) who had come from New York and California respectively.
For whatever reason, I was thinking there wasn't much left of Houdini's Baltimore to see, that the locations of the theaters he played and the site of his 1916 suspended straitjacket escape were now unrecognizable. But after arriving in Maryland--and seeing Ken Trombly's formidable collection in Bethesda (thank you, Ken)--I did some quick research and discovered how wrong I was! So the next morning before my talk, Fred, Joe and I went in search of Houdini's Baltimore.
Our first stop was the location of Houdini's suspended straitjacket escape on April 26, 1916. Houdini did the escape from the Sun building, which sat on the corner of Charles Street and Baltimore. The escape drew a reported crowd of 50,000 and terrified Bess. According to the paper:
On Charles Street, from Lombard to Fayette, men and women, but mostly men, were packed in a dense mass, so dense that it was almost impossible to move. The roofs of the nearby buildings were almost as crowded and the throng stretched in diminishing numbers as far as the Masonic Temple and nearly to Pratt street.
Thank goodness for this street-naming description, as it made finding this location a snap (it was only 5 mins from our hotel). There are two famous photos that show the immense crowd that witnessed the escape, and many of the buildings in this photos remain today!
This first photo is looking down Charles Street (which is on an incline) and shows the intersection of Baltimore and Charles. (The Sun building is off camera to the right.) As you can see, the large white building with colonnades remains. So does the smaller building with a peaked roof behind it. A four story office building beyond is also still there. It's all wonderfully still recognizable.
This second pic (from the Fred Pittella collection) is looking back UP Charles Street and was likely taken from a window in the Sun building itself. But one can see the familiar colonnades of the building across the street. The actual spot where Houdini was strapped into his straitjacket is now an underground pedestrian walkway.
As for the Sun building itself, that is now long gone. The paper moved their offices in 1950. In fact, whatever replaced the Sun building is also now gone as the site has been recently cleared for new construction.
One last thing about this escape. In the JMM exhibition there is a wall-size enlargement of the famous crowd shot (seen at the top of this post). This allows one to see new details, including this!
This appears to be Houdini's famous gibbet sitting in the intersection of Baltimore and Charles. You'll notice the sign references "tonight." Houdini did indeed do a challenge escape from the gibbet at the Maryland Theater on this very night. Pretty wild.
And speaking of the Maryland, that was to be our next stop.
Houdini played the Maryland Theater many times. He first appeared in 1905 when the Maryland was a Keith's vaudeville house. The theater is no longer there and I couldn't find an address for it. But Dean Carnegie at The Magic Detective had shared a postcard showing the Maryland attached to the Kernan Hotel, and I could find an address for that! Amazingly, the hotel (now apartments) is still there and looks very much the same. It seems likely this is where Houdini stayed when playing the Maryland.
But the Maryland is not completely gone. In the photo below, notice how the ghost outline of the theater is still clearly visible on the side of the building where the red brick becomes white near the top. Unmistakable.
The actual site of the Maryland is now a parking lot (below). One wonders where the stage might have been? It's fun to think that on one of these parking spaces Houdini escaped from packing cases, countless handcuffs, the Iron Maiden, and his Water Torture Cell.
Later at the museum, David London, who curated Inescapable, gave us further details about the Maryland site. Turns out there was more here than we realized! As David said, "Houdini was all over this block."
The hotel was part of a larger entertainment complex, "Kernan million-dollar triple enterprise", that consisted of three theaters; the Maryland, the Auditorium, and the Academy of Music. The Academy of Music should ring a bell as Houdini played his "3 Shows in One" here during the week of November 9, 1925 (93 years ago today). I have an original program for that engagement (below). But like the Maryland, the Academy of Music is now gone.
However, Houdini also played the Auditorium Theater during the week of April 30, 1906 with his short-lived roadshow company (watch for a future post on this). Amazingly, the facade of the Auditorium Theatre still stands just around the corner. What a surprise it was to find this!
One Baltimore location we did not seek out was the site of Houdini's 1922 suspended straitjacket escape from the Munsey Bldg. Because it was show time!
Thanks to Fred Pittella, Joe Notaro, David London, Ken Trombly, Trillion Atwood, and everyone at the Jewish Museum of Maryland for making this such a memorable trip and helping me discover Houdini's Baltimore.
Inescapable: The Life and Legacy of Harry Houdini runs through January 19, 2019. I highly recommend it!
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Friday, July 20, 2018
Wild in Houdini's New York (2018)
Last weekend I traveled to New York City to speak at the New-York Historical Society. It was a fantastic trip filled with Houdini sights and discoveries. I'm sensitive about not making this blog "all about me" (people come here for Harry), and I considered not writing up this trip up as I did my visit to NYC last year. But there was just too much cool Houdini stuff to not share! So here we go. All about me. And if you're wondering where the photo to the left was taken, just you wait!I arrived on Thursday night and met up with my father and sister, Taylor, who would be sharing some of my adventures. (My sister, whom I'm very proud, lives in Manhattan and works for Macy's Fashion Design.) We had dinner at Keens Steakhouse in Herald Square. The restaurant dates back to 1885 and is deeply rooted in the theatrical history of the area. Actress Lillie Langtry famously challenged Keens Men Only policy in 1905. While there were no references to Houdini inside, there's no question that he ate here, so I considered this a Houdini sight in itself.
Friday, July 13th
I had most of the day free before my talk, so I decided to hit a few Houdini locations. The first was the Houdini Museum of New York at Fantasma Magic. This was my first visit to their new location with an expanded space for owner Roger Dreyer's spectacular Houdini collection. Roger wasn't able to be there, but he told his staff to let me see anything I wanted, even offering to open any display case and let me handle any object.
I've written about the museum's artifacts in previous posts [be sure and read: Did Hardeen reveal Houdini's most secret secret?], but what stood out to me this time was the grave bust of Houdini that now sits in the entryway. This is the 1976 replacement bust, which was stolen in 1983 and recovered in 2002. It's on loan from the Society of American Magicians. What I love is it still has the police evidence tag on it -- now part of its history! I was also excited to see a very detailed photo of Bess in her stage coat; the very coat I would be seeing on display at the NYHS that night. John Gaughan's full size reproduction of the Automaton from The Master Mystery is a new and popular addition. I also got to see some of the treasures back in Roger's private office. It was a perfect way to begin my day. Thanks to everyone at the museum for making me feel so welcome.
Time was getting tight, but with Colleen's subway assistance, I could squeeze in one more stop. So we shot down to 14th Street where, again, I had been told I would find a historic plaque. This time I was in luck! Near 14th and 3rd is a plaque marking the spot where Tony Pastor's famous vaudeville theater once stood. Interestingly, it was just across the street from where Huber's Dime Museum was located at 106 East 14th Street. So I got two Houdini locations in one. Thanks Colleen!
I then zipped back to Taylor's apartment; napped, showered, put on my suit, and I was off to the New-York Historical Society, housed in a beautiful building off Central Park West. There I met curator Cristian Petru Panaite who showed me around the amazing Summer of Magic: Treasures from the David Copperfield Collection exhibition. It's every bit as impressive as I imagined, and the Houdini area (a round glass enclosure surrounded by large screens showing Houdini doing escapes) was breathtaking. And the Mirror Cuffs!
The exhibition also had a clever "levitation" photo op. Here's Taylor getting a lift from DC.
After a quick sound check inside the museum's impressive Robert H. Smith Auditorium, I was able to meet magicians Adam RealMan and The Great Dubini, who were performing for the assembling crowd and would be featured for the entire "Houdini Weekend." But now it was showtime!
I'm happy to report that my talk on "Houdini in New York" seemed to go over extremely well. I had built this talk just for this event, and I really wanted to deliver for the museum and David Copperfield who had put so much (blind?) faith in me. I shared several uncommon stories, and the ~370 attendees seemed to really enjoy them. I was also able to play up the fact that the day marked the 104th anniversary of Houdini's first performance of his Walking Through A Brick Wall at Hammerstein's Victoria in NYC, a happy coincidence.
We then screened the excellent PBS documentary Houdini (2000). After the screening, I met many friends and blog readers, and even the family of Kenneth Silvermam. I was also thrilled to meet in person the new owners of Houdini's house (278), who were sitting front and center. They told me they were stunned when I showed a photo of Mrs. Loeffler's boarding house and Sojourn restaurant, because that is where they had met! So they met at Houdini's first New York home and then ended up buying his house. Now that is wild!
Saturday, July 14th
This was to be an exciting day, as I had been invited to see 278, which is currently in the process of being restored. Having met my father and sister at my talk, the new owners also invited them along, so this proved to be a nice family adventure for us. At noon we made our way to Harlem and walked up the steps and through those magical doors. Last year when I left the open house, I felt a wave of sadness as I realized I may never be back. But here I was back inside 278!
I was also able to go down into the basement, which I could not do in 2017. At long last I saw the mysterious wheel that has, so far, failed to excite Houdini collectors, maybe because some have suggested it might just be part of the dumbwaiter or some other mechanical part of the house. I wanted to get to the bottom of this, so I rolled it out into the light to get a closer look. I even took a wet paper towel to clean it off.
The first thing I discovered was that it was painted dark green with signs of bright orange paint as well. It reminded me of circus colors, and my mind flashed on this image. Could this have been from a circus wagon? Or, better yet, could it have come from Houdini's vanishing elephant cabinet, which was said to have been painted to look like...a circus wagon!!!
This possibility had me bouncing off the basement walls. However, when I later read up on wagon wheels, it turns out they were commonly painted this shade of dark green to hide dirt. Orange was also a color commonly found on wagons. (Who knew wagons were so colorful?) So the paint was not unusual or especially theatrical. However, it does confirm this is a wagon wheel, not a gear, and Houdini did an escape called "the big wheel release." So I'm pretty convinced this is the last original Houdini prop stored in the basement of 278. (A wine press that dates back to Houdini is also still present.)
The owners then took me on a very thorough tour, showing me where they had uncovered some of the original flooring and features, and even a few mysterious areas that had been sealed off, such as a large space in the basement and a fireplace on the top floor. What could be inside? They intend to find out! I also saw the original doorway to Houdini's library that Fred had stored in the basement. It will be put back in place. The new flooring in Houdini's bathroom will also be taken out. According to the owners, Fred did not remove the original floor, just covered it over. So will they find the much mentioned "H" in the tile underneath? (One concern is Fred might have poured concrete over it.)
After our explorations, we had a lovely outdoor lunch at Bier International just down the street (I could see 278 from my seat). We enjoyed sausages and beer, and I was struck by how the area still has a German influence, just as it did in Houdini's day. It was a sensational time and I'm so grateful to the new homeowners for the visit. I really got a good idea of what they are planning, and I know the finished house is going to be magnificent. They also invited me back, so I'm excited that I'll be able to continue to share details of the house's revival.
By now it was late afternoon and I was pretty tired, but I decided to go for broke and make the trek out to Queens and visit Houdini himself. After an hour subway and bus ride, I found myself at Machpelah Cemetery. It was closed on Saturday, but I know Houdini's trick of how to walk through walls. The weather was perfect and the light beautiful, and I spent a good two hours there as the sun set. I've never been to the grave alone, and it was nice to spend this time, as Houdini himself once put it, "in silent contemplation." (Okay, I did briefly FaceTime with my cat.)
Sunday, July 16th
My flight home wasn't until the afternoon, so I could still hit a few Houdini spots. For this I was aided by the great Fred Pittella, whose amazing Houdini collection I saw during my 2017 trip. Fred picked me up from Taylor's apartment and we travelled to Union City, New Jersey. There we found the building that once housed Houdini's workshop and his ill-fated Film Developing Corporation. Today it is part of Hudson River Studios, a collective of buildings available as rental space. This building is known as, what else?, "Houdini"! There's even a pic of Harry inside the front door. (And that's where I took the top image.)
The building was closed on Sunday, but I was happy just to see the outside, which still looks almost exactly as it did in Houdini's time. But then a film crew arrived to load some equipment into the building. After a little persuading, the very nice woman in charge allowed us to have a quick look inside. It was immediately clear that the film lab must have been housed in a large open area on the first floor. But what about the workshop?
Until now, my best guess was that it was on the second floor. This is because in the few photos of that space the windows appear to be level with the neighboring rooftops. Unfortunately, we could not get to the second floor as that is where the film shoot was taking place. However, Fred and I could see those same level rooftops from the first floor -- so it's a bit of an optical illusion. That means it's possible the workshop was here somewhere.
That's when I moved toward the back and found another room off to the side. Boom! The brick walls and the windows are a very good match to the famous photos. It also makes logical sense that Houdini's workshop, with its heavy machinery, would be on the first floor. So Fred and I firmly believe we've found the location of Houdini's magic workshop. What an unexpected treat!
By the way, the fact that there hasn't been an Official Houdini Seance in this place is crazy! This needs to happen.
Leaving the lab, Fred and I traveled deeper into New Jersey for what would be the last stop of my trip, and it was a big finish! We arrived at the home of the King himself, Kevin Connolly, who owns one of the world's great Houdini collections.
If that wasn't enough, we then took a seat at the dining room table and Kevin served up an unending banquet of file folders jam packed with programs, letters, and photos. Truly spectacular Houdiniana at my fingertips. In one folder Kevin had programs from almost every stop of Houdini's 1922 Vaudeville tour (allowing me to confirm and fill in a few spots on my Chronology). I also got to read through the unusual letters Houdini wrote about monkey gland transplants, an operation he might have been considering having himself.
It was also just a delight to talk, joke, and gossip with Kevin and Fred. These guys know where all the bodies are buried! They also remember the "old timers" like Sid Radner, Jay Marshall, and Milbourne Christopher. Hmmm...does that make us the new "old timers"?
We bid our goodbyes to Kevin and his lovely wife Susan, and Fred drove me to the airport. Thus my 2018 Houdini adventure came to an end. Thanks to everyone who made it so special.
Thanks to my dad, Ron Cox, Colleen Bak, and Ray McNally for the event and exhibition pics.
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