Harry's Thanksgiving run

Here's an interesting find that ties nicely into Thanksgiving today. The New York Herald of November 27, 1891, ran an article covering footraces held by various New York Athletic Clubs on Thanksgiving day. Headlined OVER MUDDY HILLS, AND DALES, it reports that "roads were in wretched condition, the heavy rainfall making them so slippery that few of the contestants escaped headers in climbing up the hills on the course."

But it's the last two paragraphs that are of interest to us here:

    The annual championship run of the Olympian Athletic Club took place yesterday over the famous Mamlok-Reid course. The start was made from the Xavier Oval at 135th St. and Railroad avenue. Twenty-five men competed. After a stiff run over bad roads, ditches and hills H. Griffin won by fifteen yards over Harry Weiss, the second man. "Tom" Creed was third, "Billy" Meyer fourth and the others bunched. The distance was six and a half miles and the time 33m. 51 2-5s.

    After the run the boys repaired to Captain Smith's Jerome avenue roadhouse, where a fine turkey dinner was eaten. In the evening, the athletes attended the club's annual ball, held at Arlington Hall, where the all around championship prizes were awarded to the athletes having done the best general athletic work during the year. The awards were as follows:–M. Brever and H. Weiss each tied for the first prize with fifteen points, and on the toss, Breyer won and received the championship emblem.

I think there is an excellent chance that "Harry Weiss" is our Houdini. This was when he was a runner with New York Athletics clubs, and I'm reminded of the comment in his later show program that he was "one of the strongest cross-country runners and was looked upon as a dead sure winner on a rainy day or a muddy track." 

Unfortunately, here Harry missed first place by 15 yards and then missed out on his best athletic work emblem on a coin toss. Unlucky day! But at least he got a free Thanksgiving dinner.

Arlington Hall, where the runners held their annual ball, was located 19-23 St. Marks Place in what is now the East Village. It was a community hall and ballroom for the immigrant community of Little Germany in the Lower East Side. The photo to the right shows the hall around 1892. In 1966 it became the location of Andy Warhol's Electric Circus discotheque. So there's your Houdini-Andy Warhol connection! You can read more about the colorful history of the building HERE.

Here's wishing everyone a happy and lucky Thanksgiving.

Want more? You can see the full New York Herald article as a "Scholar" member of my Patreon below.

Related:

• Harry Weiss, boxer and club swinger?
• Houdini's last Thanksgiving
• Houdini lived again on Thanksgiving 1947

Guest Blog: Houdini at Park East Synagogue

Over the holidays our friend Benjilini, magician and author of Benjilini on Houdini, gave a talk at the historic Park East Synagogue in New York City, which remembered their "most magical member" with a special Shabbat Chanukah Dinner on December 23. Today Benjilini provides us with a full report of what sounds like a magical evening.

On a bitter cold and stormy day, I arrived by a car service to the Park East Synagogue located on 163 East 67th St. in Manhattan, NY on Fri., Dec. 23rd for my Houdini presentation at 1pm.

I was escorted into the building thru a security check point. Cantor Benny Rogosnitsky was so excited to see me! With a huge hug he told me, "I know you are going to do a great job, "Benjilini on Houdini!"

Cantor Benny's assistant immediately handed me my payment for the evening. She took me downstairs to their main Ballroom to set-up my display on a long table and provided me with easels which I requested from them.

After my set-up, I took a photo and recorded a small 2 minute video. Cantor Benny took a photo with me and was quite pleased that this program was on the site of John Cox WILD ABOUT HARRY who he apparently knew.

I walked the 18 blocks to the San Carlos Hotel to drop off a few things. My room was 4 stars! I was very surprised by this huge room because I would probably, like Houdini, only be asleep for about 3-5 hours on my return after the event in the evening.

I returned to the Synagogue for the outdoor and indoor Chanukah candle lighting. We prayed in the wonderful 1890 Huge landmark Synagogue followed by a most tasty Sabbath meal along with the close to 100 people for this sold-out event.

Many people went to my display table, as I stood by my Houdini pieces to provide much additional information. Finally, after my introduction from Cantor Benny, it was my turn. After much discussion about the close relationship between Houdini and Rabbi Bernard Drachman (1861-1945) who began his relationship with Houdini during his Bar-Mitzvah in 1887 until Houdini's passing in 1926, I allowed a few people to come up and speak about Houdini.

A Rabbi who knew Rabbi Drachman's son's before their passing told the audience a story that was not mentioned in Rabbi Drachman's book. After Houdini donated a sum of $500 to Rabbi Drachman in order to receive his father's set of Maimonides books the story continues. Here is something new about Houdini that was NEVER mentioned in any book including mine as well. Some years after the event, the Park East Synagogue had a huge leak within its building. Houdini payed the entire amount for its repair and provided the final payments to complete the mortgage of the Synagogue. So, the historic Park East Synagogue stands to this day thanks to Jacob Weisz who later became the legendary Harry Houdini!

Most speakers would never allow three other people to come up and interject and speak at the podium. By doing this, we heard from a licensed Doctor that there was no effective antibiotics to treat Houdini's bursted appendix back in 1926 along with the story above. Also, the President of this Synagogue is responsible for closing the streets by the Machpelah Cemetery where Houdini is buried located in Glendale, Queens on Halloween to keep away those who continually come there on that day to create mayhem and chaos.

After displaying certain pieces, I performed three magical effects. A metallic circle created by Juan Mayoral back in 2001 transformed into the "Star of David." I provided a wonderful introduction before I placed handcuffs on Cantor Benny who hired me for this historic event. After he could not escape, I had him place the handcuffs on me but behind my back. I quickly and thankfully, escaped from these handcuffs as "Houdini." However, my original "Chanukah Dreidel Enlargement" effect, whereas, the small dreidels are transformed into 10 times their original size but now filled with candy using the only two young girls that attended this Sabbath dinner, created a loud and huge applause!

From the ending of that presentation until I left on Saturday evening from the Synagogue about 30-50 people continued to stop me and say, "I enjoyed your entire presentation!" "Why?" "It was 'genuine' on your part. You clearly showed your love for Houdini but your magic tricks are fantastic!"

With a great program, great prayers, delicious food, wonderful accommodations at the Hotel, it was hard to say, Good-Bye. Cantor Benny told me before leaving on Saturday night, "Benjilini on Houdini, you did not just perform a great program as everyone is talking to me about it, YOU hit it out of the ballpark!"

I stayed very calm throughout the entire weekend. I do not know why their response to my entire presentation was so highly effective? However, I have found a new mission. I must provide many additional Houdini lectures with combined magical effects performed by me. I pray to the Almighty, for the Park East Synagogue to rehire me for many future events. I pray to the Almighty that our magical organizations, etc. will recognize my talents and hire me to present these lectures on Houdini as well as having me perform too in 2023 and beyond. I feel it is my TIME! -Benjilini

Thank you Benjilini!

Related:

• Houdini at Park East Synagogue, Dec. 23
• Guest Blog: Houdini Broken Wand Ceremony 2022

Houdini's last Thanksgiving

Here we are back in Providence! In November 1925 Houdini brought his "3 Shows in One" to the Providence Opera House. It was Thanksgiving week and the ad below shows that he gave a special matinee performance on Thanksgiving Day. He also performed a one hour show for inmates at the State Prison. This was Houdini's last Thanksgiving.

Providence Journal, Nov. 27, 1925

Thanks to Lanham Bundy of the Providence Public Library for uncovering the article about Houdini's prison performance. The Opera House advert is from a collection of clippings that sold on eBay back in 2012. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Related:

• Houdini lived again on Thanksgiving 1947
• Thanksgiving Houdini Escape
• Suspended straitjacket escape in Providence? (UPDATE)

Houdini's return to form

Even though Houdini had announced his retirement from vaudeville to make movies, in December 1921 he went back on the vaudeville circuit for a 10-week tour commencing Christmas week at B.F. Keith's in Boston. To publicize his return, Houdini did a suspended straitjacket escape from the Boston Post building on December 22. The temperature that day was a bone chilling 14 degrees with what was described as a "stinging Northwest gale." The escape benefited the "Santa Claus Fund" and marked Houdini's first such outdoor stunt since 1917.

Over the weekend I discovered a treasure trove of photos from this escape in the Boston Post. These beautifully capture Houdini's 1921 return to form.

Oh, and there's also film! 

While this footage from George Eastman House is not dated, it is identified as being Boston and you can see it's clearly cold outside. You can also see a Christmas wreath in a window and Houdini is using the gigantic megaphone as seen in the above photos. So I'm certain this is December 22, 1921.

If you are wondering what Houdini is yelling to the crowd through that megaphone, the Post quotes him as saying:

"I risk my life for Santa Claus' fund, that Boston's poor children may find no stockings empty Christmas morning. Now you risk your dollars! Give to the fund which will help thousands of children to keep their faith in Santa!"

The Boston Post building stood at 259 Washington Street between Water and Devonshire. Here's the site of Houdini's escape today.

Below are some more notable Houdini suspended straitjackets escapes.

Related:

• Uncovering Houdini's 1915 Los Angeles straitjacket escape (at last!)
• Houdini's 1923 San Francisco straitjacket escape in photos
• Houdini's secret New York straitjacket escape

Hang Houdini on your Christmas tree

I recently purchased one of these 3D printed Houdini Christmas Ornaments from BurgerBearShop on Etsy. I love it! Below is a pic of the ornament it on my tree. The bow-tie comes in various colors. This is not an ad. Just a shout out from a satisfied customer. Happy Holidays!

Purchase the Houdini Ornament on Etsy

Thanks to Kevin Connolly for the alert.

Related:

• The Houdinis 1924 Christmas card
• Happy Holidays from the Hardeens
• Teller flips the bird on his 2016 holiday card 

Houdini's fabulous 4ths

The Weiss family landed in America on July 3, 1878, passing through the Castle Garden Emigrant Landing Depot in New York City (Ellis Island was not yet built). Yes, this means the first full day in America for the 4-year-old Ehrich Weiss was, appropriately enough, Independence Day.

There's no record of how the family spent the day, although it's likely they initially stayed at the home of Cecelia's sisters, Rose and Sally, who had immigrated to America in 1865-66 and lived in New York City. So there's little doubt young Ehrich got to experience some kind of Fourth of July celebrations on that day in 1878.

Ironically, the first record of how Houdini spent a Fourth of July comes from Russia. In 1903 Houdini and Bess traveled to Moscow where he famously escaped from the Siberian Transport Prison Van among other feats. They happened to be in Russia during the Fourth of July. So how did they celebrate this most American of all holidays in the land of the Czar? Houdini himself told readers in his New York Dramatic Mirror column:

Although yesterday was the Fourth of July in America, it is only June 21 here in Russia, but just the same our American Consul, Smith, invited all the American performers who were in Moscow to a celebration on the grounds of the consulate, over which waved a large American flag, while the Russians looked over the fence and wondered what the "always-in-a-hurry Americans" were up to. Among the guests were the Manhattan Quartette, Smith and Doretto, Weston of loop the hoopology, four of the Florida Girls, Miss Walcott, Mrs. Harry Houdini and myself. There were many speeches, but not a single firecracker or report of a gun was heard, and without these it did not seem at all like the Glorious Fourth to me.

A more traditional Independence Day celebration for Houdini was July 4, 1922. Harry and Bess attended a party at the home of Houdini's lawyer Bernard Ernst in Sea Cliff, Long Island. What happened that day Houdini would call "the most remarkable coincidence that ever happened to a mortal man", and he would share the story during his lectures on Spiritualism. In his 1924 book, A Magician Among the Spirits, he related the story in full.

[...] Not only are mediums alert to embrace every advantage offered by auto-suggestion but they also take advantage of every accidental occurrence. For instance, my greatest feat of mystery was performed in 1922 at Seacliffe, L. I., on the Fourth of July, at the home of Mr. B. M. L. Ernest. The children were waiting to set off their display of fireworks when it started to rain. The heavens fairly tore loose. Little Richard in his dismay turned to me and said:
    "Can’t you make the rain stop?"
    "Why certainly," I replied and raising my hands said appealingly, "Rain and Storm, I command you to stop."
     This I repeated three times and, as if by miracle, within the next two minutes the rain stopped and the skies became clear. Toward the end of the display of fireworks the little fellow turned to me and with a peculiar gleam in his eyes said:
     "Why, Mr. Houdini, it would have stopped raining anyway."
     I knew I was risking my whole life's reputation with the youngster but I said:
    "Is that so? I will show you."

Houdini and Ernst in Sea Cliff.

    Walking out in front I raised my hands suppliantly toward the heavens and with all the command and force I had in me called:
    "Listen to my voice, great Commander of the rain, and once more let the water flow to earth and allow the flowers and trees to bloom."
     A chill came over me for as if in response to my command or the prayer of my words another downpour started, but despite the pleading of the children I refused to make it stop again. I was not taking any more chances.

May you have a rain free fabulous Fourth!

Related:

• Under the radar
• Former home of Bernard Ernst sold
• NYPL shows us "America's Sensation" in color

The Houdinis 1902 Christmas card rings in $3,120

The Houdinis 1902 Christmas card--the earliest card that I'm aware of--sold today in Potter and Potter's "Winter Magic Auction" auction for a jolly $3,120 (including buyers premium). It's a beautiful and uncommon card with a terrific photo of the young Harry and Bess. It handily beat the auction estimate of $800 - $1,200.

Notice that Bess is wearing her famous Royal Crown Brooch in this photo. This pretty much closes the door on the idea that she received this as a gift from Russian royalty as the Houdinis sent out this card four months before they ever traveled to Russia.

The auction also included a few very nice Houdini movie related lots. One was comprised of a letter on Houdini Picture Corporation stationary and a terrific unpublished photo from The Man From Beyond from the Milbourne Christopher collection. It sold for $2,280. The other was a letter and stock certificate framed with a photo of Houdini and Bess with director Scott Sidney at Inceville in Los Angeles in 1915. It took $3,840.

But the big ticket Houdini item was a locked book that Remigius Weiss used to expose the medium Henry Slade in 1882. Weiss later presented the book to Houdini who wrote about it in A Magician Among the Spirits. The auction lot included letters of provenance from Oscar Teale and Jack Flosso, whose father acquired the book from Joe Dunninger. The Houdini-Slade-Weiss Locked Book unlocked $12,000 (including premium).

Congrats to the buyers.

Related:

• The Houdinis 1924 Christmas card
• Bessie's brooch pins down $72,000 at auction
• The Houdinis at Inceville

Christmas screening of Houdini (1953) at the Jewish Museum Milwaukee

As part of their Inescapable: The Life and Legacy of Harry Houdini programing, the Jewish Museum Milwaukee will screen Paramount's classic 1953 biopic Houdini starring Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh on Christmas Day.

Looking for something fun to do Christmas Day? Come to Jewish Museum Milwaukee to enjoy Houdini, the 1953 biopic starring then husband-and-wife Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh as Harry and Bess Houdini.

The film’s storyline is a fictionalized account of Houdini’s life. It details his beginnings as a locksmith, up through his international success as a world-renowned escape artist and stage magician. Following the death of his mother, he exposes various fraudulent Mediums in the spiritualist movement, while always hoping to make contact with her. The film also follows his love for his wife Bess Houdini and his most dangerous stunts and stage illusions.

We will begin screening the film at 1:00 pm and should end before 3:00 pm, giving you enough time to view permanent and special exhibits before or after the film.

Regular Museum Admission Applies | Members FREE

For more information visit the museum's official website. Inescapable: The Life and Legacy of Harry Houdini runs through January 5, 2020.

Related:

• 'Inescapable' opens this week at the Jewish Museum Milwaukee
• Penn talks magic in movies, including Houdini (1953)
• HOUDINI (1953)

Houdini's close call on Catalina 100 years ago today

It was on Thanksgiving day exactly 100 years ago that Houdini tried to play a real life action hero on Catalina Island. Houdini was there filming Terror Island and staying at the Hotel St. Catherine. The production was using the Catalina Flyer to shuttle crew and equipment between Avalon and the native village set at Banning's Beach (today Toyon Bay). But this day was stormy and the seas were rough, and a drama would unfold in front of the hotel that would call Houdini into somewhat fool-hearted action.

The Los Angeles Examiner on November 29, 1919 reported what happened:

A note about the date of this incident. The Examiner's dateline indicates this happened the morning of November 28, which was a Friday. But in preparing their 2018 Terror Island exhibition, the Catalina Island Museum discovered an account of the incident in the local Catalina Islander newspaper. That article and a letter to the editor by Captain McAfee thanking everyone for their help both state that it happened on Thursday, which was November 27 and Thanksgiving. Just think, had Houdini perished, he would have been known for dying on Thanksgiving! (Somehow not as good as Halloween.)

Intriguingly, both papers report that the incident was filmed. Perhaps if Houdini had been successful in his rescue attempt it would have been worked into the plot of the film as airplane accident was worked into The Grim Game. Unfortunately, this 300 feet of footage has never surfaced. But the Examiner did run a spectacular photo of the action on their front page.

Click to enlarge.

The Hotel St. Catherine was demolished in 1966 and today is know as Descanso Beach. The rocky outcrop where Houdini attempted his rescue remains. There's even talk of renaming it "Houdini Point"! Below are photos I took during my visit to Catalina earlier this year. As you can see, the low tide reveals the real danger both the Catalina Flyer and Houdini faced on that stormy Thanksgiving day 100 years ago.

Wishing everyone a happy and safe Thanksgiving.

Related:

• Houdini now a permanent resident of Catalina Island
• Catalina 'Terror Island' screening a magical event
• Return to Terror Island

The Fens - Xmas in November (Official Video)

Here's a video for "Xmas in November" by The Fens. What does this have to do with Houdini? Plenty, and it's pretty historic. But why don't you watch the video and see if you can figure it out for yourself. I will be back tomorrow to share the answer.

Formed in 2004 in Boston, The Fens is songwriting duo Roman Williams & Matt Nakoa with heavy-hitting rhythm section Jesse Magnuson (drums) & Jamila Weaver (bass). You can buy "Xmas in November" as a single on Amazon.com.

UPDATE: As promised, here's the answer. This was shot inside Houdini's home in New York City (278). This is the first thing to ever be shot commercially inside the house to my knowledge. In the video you catch glimpses of the front parlor, back library (fireplace), and the foyer. In the image below pianist Matt Nakoa is sitting precisely where Houdini's took his famous ectoplasm photo. This also affords us our first real look at the beautiful restoration. Look at that floor!

By the way, yesterday after I put up this post, I clicked over to the video on YouTube to see if there had been a bump in views. Check out the number that greeted me:

Related:

• Musicians remain wild about Harry
• Houdini's 278 is coming back to life
• Inside Houdini's 278

Houdini's Day of the Dead on Catalina Island

We've had our share of Houdini seances, but a Houdini Day of the Dead alter? That's exactly what our friends at the Catalina Island Museum created to remember Houdini's visit to the island exactly 100 years ago this month to film Terror Island.

A proper Day of the Dead alter, known as altares de muertos or ofrenda, includes items to show the souls the way to their home. As you can see, the Houdini ofrenda includes photos from Terror Island, a bowl of Farmer's Chop Suey, a rock from "Houdini Point", and a piece of wood from his home in New York.

Maybe Houdini skipped the seances this year because he was in Catalina? He always meant to return...

Houdini, wizard of the stage and screen, was reported to have declared that Santa Catalina Island was the most ideal spot that he had ever come across, and that when he had finished his work before the footlights that he intended to come back to the island and build a magnificent home.

- The Catalina Islander, 1936

The Catalina Island Museum now features a Houdini display as part of their permanent exhibition on Catalina history. Over the past few years they've also hosted several Houdini events and screenings. Seems to me the Catalina Island Museum has become the designated Houdini museum of the West Coast!

Thanks to Gail Fornasiere for these great photos.

Related:

• Houdini now a permanent resident of Catalina Island
• The Grim Game is a hit on Terror Island
• Houdini in 1919

Happy Easter from Bess Houdini

This needle point was made by Bess Houdini and today hangs in the home of her great-nephew, John C. Hinson. It depicts...well, you know who that is! (No, not him.)

Bess was raised in a strict Roman Catholic family. Her going into show business and marrying a Jewish magician estranged her from her mother who was convinced Houdini was the devil. But fame and wealth seemed to soothe Mrs. Rahner's religious objections, and she even came to live with the Houdinis in 278.

Bess maintained her religious beliefs and, like her mother, was highly superstitious (it's said she never wore yellow because it was bad luck and refused to enter a room if someone had whistled in it). Based on her letters, she appears to have re-embraced her Catholic faith later in life when this needle point was made. Although she was not so devout that she didn't find fun in naming her pet marmoset "Satan."

Happy Easter Sunday.

Related:

• Bessie conjures Satan
• Even I wouldn't go this far
• AUDIO: Marie Hinson remembers her sister Bess Houdini

Bess and I are taking a Christmas break

It's time to wrap up 2018, which was a truly amazing year for Houdini. This year saw the sale of 278, four major museum exhibitions, new plays, books, graphic novels, TV appearances, and an assortment of discoveries and special events. For me the year brought memorable Houdini adventures in Las Vegas, Catalina, New York, Baltimore, Fort Worth, City of Industry and here at home. I'm overwhelmed by how much joy and generosity Houdini brings into my life. I feel very grateful to have stumbled on this "hobby" 43 years ago.

I thought the below from the Tampa Bay Times, which appeared 80 years ago yesterday, was a good way to end the year. So Bessie and I will take our "rest", and we'll see everyone back here on January 1st for what I expect will be another huge year for Houdini.

Have a very Merry Christmas
and a Happy New Year!

Review 2018 below:
January (32 posts)
February (27 posts)
March (32 posts)
April (32 posts)
May (31 posts)
June (37 posts)
July (37 posts)
August (36 posts)
September (31 posts)
October (34 posts)
November (27 posts)
December (16 posts)

Harry Houdini and the Circumnavigators Club

Houdini enjoyed belonging to fraternal clubs such as The Society of American Magicians, The Magicians Club, The Rabbis' Sons' Benevolent Association, the Elks, and the Masons. But here's a club that I had no idea Houdini belonged to until I got a friendly email from David Mink, the current president of the intriguingly named Circumnavigators Club.

The Circumnavigators Club was founded in 1902 and headquartered in New York. As the name implies, it was made up of individuals (exclusively men until 1983) who had circumnavigated the globe. Houdini joined the club in 1912, citing his tours of Europe and especially his journey to Australia as his credentials as a world traveler.

Click to enlarge.

Accepted as a member, Houdini became "Circumhoudini" in the tradition of naming club members with "circum" before their last names. Houdini attended his first banquet at the Hotel McAlpin in New York on March 2, 1916. A photograph of the dinner (above) was shared in the March issue of the official club journal, The Log, which included the following account:

Circumhoudini traveled from New Orleans especially to attend the dinner, and he spoke very nicely of how the Circumnavigators' Club was the first club he had joined and that he made this long journey to meet the officers and members for the first time because he felt that it was "home" to him; that he knew many of the members through reading The Log and that he was not disappointed. Circumhoudini said he flew the first aeroplane in Australia; that he is one of six pioneers living who were the original aviators and that he stopped flying when women took it up. Circumhoudini is a very moderate eater at all times and he did not care for "another piece of pie." Furthermore, on his recent trip to the Pacific coast and back he got the whole "pie" in the way of front page publicity in the leading newspapers of the different cities.

If you're wondering what the whole "piece of pie" thing refers to, according to David Mink: "Harry was the featured speaker at a dinner along with John Henry Mears who set the world record for circling the globe. Mears related that people of many nations, particularly the Japanese, are very hospitable, and in Tokyo he was offered another piece of pie that cost him a bit of time on this record trip. Harry who spoke next [said he] didn’t care for another piece of pie. I suppose this got a laugh!"

Houdini would occasionally contribute to The Log himself. In 1921 he took out a two page ad. The first page was blank -- Houdini having "slipped through" to the second page. "That's my act!"

Click to enlarge.

Houdini also wrote articles for the club journal, including a remarkable piece called "My Happiest Christmas" in 1923 (made even more remarkable by the fact that Circumhoudini was Jewish). In it he tells the story of when he stumbled on an idea how to make extra money as a messenger boy during the holidays. This story appears in many biographies, but Houdini's account in The Log provides more details, including a nice tidbit about how his brother Bill "did the best handwriting in the family." Below is the first page for a taste.

Click to enlarge.

Houdini remained an active member of the Circumnavigators Club for the rest of his life. At one point he and John Phillip Sousa sat on the board of governors together. Below is a photo of Houdini and The Log editor in 1918.

The Circumnavigators Club remains active to this day. The Log is still published and available to anyone to read at their official website. There you can also find details on how to join. The club's mission is worth repeat here in full:

The Circumnavigators Club is the only organization devoted to bringing together those men and women who have circumnavigated the globe. The Club's purpose is to encourage global fellowship and understanding. It strives to inspire people to see and absorb as much as they can about the world in which we live. It is devoted to providing those who have circumnavigated the globe with a forum for intellectual exchange.

Thanks to David Mink for alerting me to this and allowing me to share these remarkable mementos of "Circumhoudini".

UPDATE: A few developments. David Charvet reminds me that Edward Saint mentions Houdini's membership in the Circumnavigators Club during the famous Final Houdini Seance recording. And Dr. Bruce Averbook owns Houdini's membership book and card (below). Very nice.

David Mink has also uncovered a few more items related to "Circumhoudini," which I will share in the New Year.

Related:

• Yes, Houdini was a Mason
• Houdini the Elk
• Houdini the aviator

Here's to the moms

Here's a great image of Bess Houdini with her mother, Balbina Rahner, and mother-in-law, Cecelia Weiss, in 1909. The Houdinis took their mothers to Europe that year. By all accounts the two moms, who were both German-speaking widows with seven children, got along extremely well.

Happy Mother's Day.

Photo from Houdini His Legend and His Magic by Doug Henning.

Related:

• Cecilia Steiner Weiss
• The mothers Houdini
• The family language

Houdini has no time for love

Here's one for Valentine's Day. This appeared in the Harrisburg Telegraph, May 5, 1926. So don't pester Harry today!

Related:

• Time out for Love
• A gift for Valentine's Day