You can watch a video of Huis van Houdini below.
Don't forget that you can go inside the real house of Houdini in New York. Although I'm not sure if it spins around! Click for details.
Showing posts with label Homes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Homes. Show all posts
Friday, February 14, 2025
Huis van Houdini at Bellewaerde Park in Belgium
Monday, November 25, 2024
Houdini's house is getting a touch up
If you're heading to New York over the holidays and hoping to get a photo in front of 278, heads up that seeing the outside of the house is a little tricky right now. Our friends Vincent and Niro are having the exterior power washed, cracks repaired, the cornice is being repainted, and other cosmetic touch-ups. It's going to look as good as the day Harry bought it. Probably better!
While you can't see the outside of the house, remember you can see the inside. The owners offer tours. Check out their website house.278.nyc for details, or email Vincent at tours@278.nyc to schedule a time.
We love our friends at 278!
Related:
Related:
Sunday, November 5, 2023
A look inside the Houdini Estate
Last Sunday, I had the pleasure of acting as Houdini historian during a wedding at the Houdini Estate in Laurel Canyon (congratulations Chris and Adrienne). It's great how this has become such a prime Los Angeles event venue that so intrigues people. It's also wild to think I used to crawl around its ruins when I was a kid.
Anyway, I thought I'd share this video from Home Lore. This gives a good look at the property with some nice nods to Houdini history, and the presenter is a lot of fun. Enjoy.
You can find information on how to rent the property for events or even just an overnight stay via the official website. And if you want a Houdini historian on hand, I'd be happy to join the party!
Saturday, September 9, 2023
Yes, you can go inside Houdini's house
Those days are in the past, as the awesome homeowners, Vincent and Niro, now offer small private tours by appointment. You'll see where Houdini took several famous photos, learn where his library and famous bookcase once stood, see artifacts discovered during the restoration, and learn some insider secrets. This is a unique opportunity and a must for us wild ones! However, you must make arrangements first––you can't just show up––and there is a charge. But, hey, you're going inside 278!
If you are interested in learning more, visit the 278 website or email tours@278.nyc to work out a tour time and details. I can't wait to get back inside myself!
Thursday, April 6, 2023
LINK: Kiwanis Experience the Magic of the Houdini Estate
The Burbank Leader has posted coverage from The Magic of Kiwanis event last month at the Houdini Estate in Laurel Canyon. I had a nice conversation with the reporter, David Laurell, and I think he does a great job encapsulating the house history here. They even caught a pic of me yapping it up to one of the groups inside the house.
Friday, December 2, 2022
The bouncing beds of 278
In 1938 a ghostly phenomena was reported in Jonesville, Virginia, when the Sybert family claimed that the bed of their 9-year-old daughter, Bertha, would bounce uncontrollably whenever she was in it. Bertha also showed signs of possession. The press would dub her "Bouncing Bertha" and a bouncing bed would later appear in The Exorcist. You can read more about "The Legend of Bouncing Bertha" HERE.
Houdini's bed survives today in the collection of Jon Oliver. No reports of bouncing.
In December a reporter asked Bess Houdini about the Virginia phenomena and, as you'll read below, she dismissed it as "bunk" (others would eventually come to the same conclusion). But what I really like about this article is Bess's description of bouncing beds and other trickery inside her former home of 278.
 |
| The Skyland Post, Dec. 29, 1938. |
Monday, July 25, 2022
Houdini 278 parlor photos sell on eBay
Two fantastic photos of Houdini demonstrating magic inside his New York home (278) sold on eBay yesterday for $965 and $930. These photos where taken as part of series of shots for an article in the January 1926 Popular Science Monthly, "Lessons in Magic" by Houdini.
What I really love about these images is they give a great look at the trophy cases that lined the west wall of the 278 parlor. You can also see the large built-in mirror that is still there. I'm also pretty sure I can spot the recently rediscovered breakfront, now housed at the Harry Ransom Center, in the background inside the passage to the library. It interesting that Houdini's famous bronze bust, which can be seen in the corner in other photos, appears to have been moved to another location by the time of this shoot.
Below you can see how one of these photos appeared in the Popular Science article. The workshop photo seen here also recently sold on eBay for $1,225.
Original archive photos such as these from Brown Brothers continue to surface and sell on eBay. The high prices are keeping me at bay, but at least we get to mine the valuable Houdini history they contain.
Congrats to the winner of these amazing images.
Monday, January 31, 2022
The Doug Henning Project visits 278
For more 278 check out the links below. And be sure to follow Neil's site for all things Doug!
Related:
Related:
Tuesday, January 18, 2022
Bess Houdini's 1940 residence
The great Jim Steinmeyer recently alerted me to this house at 963 North Mariposa Ave in East Hollywood where Bess Houdini and Edward Saint lived in 1940. According to the 1940 census, Bess and Ed lived here with Saint's 75-year-old father, Mead Grant Myers, and a 30-year-old cook named C. Edward Tyree. It is the lone surviving house on a block of apartment buildings. Here's a photo I took on New Year's Day.
So we now have two surviving houses in Los Angeles that Bess and Ed occupied, the other being the more well-known house at 1616 N. Curson. Below is my list of currently known addresses for Bess and Ed during their Hollywood years:
- 2435 Laurel Canyon Blvd. Hollywood CA. (1934/1935)
- 1616 North Curson Ave. Hollywood, CA. (1936)
- 1851 North Winona Blvd. Hollywood CA. (1937/1938)
- 963 North Mariposa Ave. Hollywood, CA. (1940)
- 8565 West Knoll Drive, West Hollywood, CA. (1941)
- 346 N. Vermont, East Hollywood, CA. (Milt Larsen remembers her here.)
- San Marcos Hotel, Apt 302 & 301, Beverly Blvd at Western, East Hollywood, CA. (1942)
- Ceder Lodge Sanitarium, 2030 Griffith Park, Los Angeles, CA. (1943)
Thank you Jim!
Related:
Related:
- Pat Culliton and I found Bess Houdini's house...like heroes (Laurel Canyon)
- Hollywood home of Bess and Edward Saint for sale (Curson)
- Is there a Houdini pet buried in West Hollywood? (West Knoll)
Thursday, May 13, 2021
Edwin L. Scanlan remembers his neighbor Houdini
On the 50th anniversary of Houdini's death in 1976, the New Jersey Sunday Register ran an article featuring the boyhood recollections of Edwin L. Scanlan who lived next door to Hardeen in Flatbush. This was when Houdini and Bess were living with the Hardeens, and Scanlan came to know both brothers well. I love stuff like this, and Scanlan's memories provide new insight into Houdini's Flatbush years. I've excerpted choice selections below. Enjoy.
I had the rare privilege of knowing this remarkable man for 10 years, starting in 1916. My Dad, relocating his business from Philadelphia, Pa., bought a large house in Flatbush, Brooklyn that year, and it was not until we were settled did we realize that Houdini and his brother, Hardeen, a magician and escapist in his own right, shared a similar house next to ours.Houdini owned a house in Manhattan too, but the Flatbush property was the general headquarters for the brothers, because it had the advantage of a big barn-like structure at the rear of the plot which housed the wondrous array of magical apparatus and stage illusions used in their performances, ready to be moved out as required by their schedule of engagements.At first I became acquainted with Houdini's little dog, Bobby, and got to know the brothers through him, doing little chores and errands for the magicians. I was just going on 10 years of age at the time. They took a liking to me, especially Houdini; the Houdinis had no children. The following year (1917) I was given the job of keeping the big storage building neat and tidy – I was then in seventh heaven.I earned their implicit trust in regards to "keeping mum." In return for my work they, particularly Houdini, taught me the fundamentals of magic when at the GHQ, though they traveled considerably, often worldwide.I never divulged any of the secrets of the spectacular apparatus, despite the fact that it did not take me long to catch on, due to the amount of time I spent figuring things out. I also watched them perform on stage and elsewhere whenever they were in the New York metropolitan area or even in Atlantic City, one of Houdini's favorite spots. Hardeen had two sons around my age but neither one took any interest in magic.
The topic then turns to aviation. Scanlan notes that after Houdini's historic first flight in Australia ("Long before I knew him") newspapers ran articles about the danger of Australia possibly being invaded by aircraft from Japan. Scanlan continues:
Houdini was deeply impressed by these news stories and recalled them for years thereafter, when I knew him, and long after he had given up flying – "a young man's game," he would say.Houdini was the one who later inspired me to take to the 'wild blue yonder' – I was 14 at the time – and he said, "It's fine to build those model airplanes you occasionally turn out but learn to fly the real thing; it's never too early to start learning." Despite the fact that here was a man who was continually risked his own life, sometimes two or three times in a single day (which he took great enjoyment in doing), shackled handcuffed, sealed up in a crate or trunk and dropped off a bridge, for example, and yet he said: "life's greatest thrill is flying – alone."
I'll always be indebted to Houdini for arousing my interest in flying, alone, and even when I moved to an apartment in Greenwich Village – still in my teens – I kept in touch with the two brothers.
Houdini could escape from anything – except from those minds and hearts of those who saw him, who knew him, who loved and admired him.
In 1976 Scanlan published a book about overcoming alcoholism, The A to Z System, is which he mentions his friendship with Houdini and Hardeen. He died at age 82 at his home in Red Bank, New Jersey on August 2, 1990.
 |
| Hardeen's Flatbush home. |
Friday, January 15, 2021
Go inside Houdini's 278 via Facebook Live
Andrew Basso's chat today with 278 homeowner Vincent T. was an enormous treat for Houdini fans! We got a great look inside magic's most famous residence, and I think everyone can see for themselves that Houdini's house is in good hands. You can rewatch the stream via the link below.
Can you believe that Vincent and his wife met at Sojourn, which in 1887 was Mrs. Loeffler's boarding house where the Weiss family first lived when they arrived in New York? From Houdini's first home to his last. Now that's wild!
Saturday, December 26, 2020
Fire at the Houdini Estate in Laurel Canyon
I'm taking a break from my break to share news of a fire that broke out in a shed on the Houdini Estate in Laurel Canyon on Christmas night. Luckily, it sounds like the fire did not reach the house itself. The below comes from KABC Eyewitness News.
The fire started just after 8 p.m. in a shed behind the house in the 2400 block of N. Laurel Canyon Blvd., which was once home to legendary illusionist and escape artist Harry Houdini.Over 100 firefighters responded while helicopters performed water drops.Crews say they were helped by the wind which pushed the flames into a small area of brush.The fire was fully contained in about an hour.
Fire in this area is no joke. In 1959 a massive brush fire destroyed the original mansion that stood on this property along with many homes. For a full history of Houdini's connection to the property check out this post.
Thanks to Mark Willoughby for the alert.
UPDATE: Below is some video of the action.
Monday, June 8, 2020
Hollywood home of Bess and Edward Saint for sale
The house at 1616 N Curson where Bess Houdini and Edward Saint lived at the time of the Final Houdini Seance is for sale. The beautiful craftsman-style home was built in 1918 and last changed hands in 2017.
It appears the house went on the market right at the start of the Covid-19 lockdowns, so that might account for it still being unsold. Or maybe it's the $2,395,000 price-tag. Yikes!
You can check out the listing, which includes many photos of the house inside and out, on Zillow.
It appears the house went on the market right at the start of the Covid-19 lockdowns, so that might account for it still being unsold. Or maybe it's the $2,395,000 price-tag. Yikes!
You can check out the listing, which includes many photos of the house inside and out, on Zillow.
UPDATE: Looks like the house sold on October 20, 2020 for $2,240,000.
Related:
Related:
Monday, March 23, 2020
Own an authentic brick from Houdini's 278
The owners of Houdini's New York brownstone (278) have renovated the garden level to include a new door and deck into the backyard. To accomplish this, they had to remove a window and part of a brick wall. This wall is actually visible in several images of Houdini (see below). The result is a lovely new deck and pile of bricks that would otherwise go into the trash. But this is 278!
So as they did with the wood lath last year, the owners have decided to give collectors a chance to own an authentic piece of Houdini's 278 and are offering individual bricks for sale. All proceeds will go back into the restoration. These are limited and will not last long--remember how fast the lath went--so if you are lucky enough to be reading this you might want to jump at this offer by visiting https://house.278.nyc.
For those who might bemoan this alteration, know that the garden level and especially the kitchen have gone through many changes throughout the years and offer very little that is recognizable from Houdini's time. So this is not a bad place to make a change and bring some modern confront into Houdini's 278.
Related:
Wednesday, November 13, 2019
Once Upon A Time in Laurel Canyon
I really enjoyed the new Quentin Tarantino film Once Upon A Time in Hollywood. Not only because I'm a Tarantino fan, but it depicts a bygone Hollywood that I clearly remember. And now friends have alerted me to a Houdini connection to the film. If you buy the exclusive LP soundtrack, it includes a map of 1969 Hollywood. And if you look closely on that map, you'll see the "Houdini Mansion" among the historic Manson-era haunts.
This is a reference to what is today the restored and privately owned Houdini Estate, a popular site for weddings and film shoots. But back in the 1960s and '70s it was a burnt-out abandoned ruin that everyone called the "Houdini Mansion". This was a haven for hippies and all kinds of characters to flop, including one man who called himself Robin Hood and would shoot arrows at people. And, of course, it was said to be haunted!
The remains of the house and gardens with overgrown stairways and stone arches where open and visible to motorists driving through Laurel Canyon, so the "Houdini Mansion" was a well-known and somewhat mysterious Los Angeles landmark. No surprise to see it on this map as part of the Hollywood Tarantino so lovingly recreated in his movie. [For the truth of Houdini's connection to the property check out my related links.]
No, this photo isn't from the movie, and that's not Brad Pitt! This is me in 1977 at the "Houdini Mansion" showing off a freshly pilfered brick. And look at that cool Magic Castle t-shirt.
The Once Upon A Time in Hollywood exclusive soundtrack LP is available in independent record stores and in a limited quality on Amazon.com.
Thanks to fellow Tarantino fans Matt Bradford and Michael Curran for this one.
Related:
This is a reference to what is today the restored and privately owned Houdini Estate, a popular site for weddings and film shoots. But back in the 1960s and '70s it was a burnt-out abandoned ruin that everyone called the "Houdini Mansion". This was a haven for hippies and all kinds of characters to flop, including one man who called himself Robin Hood and would shoot arrows at people. And, of course, it was said to be haunted!
The remains of the house and gardens with overgrown stairways and stone arches where open and visible to motorists driving through Laurel Canyon, so the "Houdini Mansion" was a well-known and somewhat mysterious Los Angeles landmark. No surprise to see it on this map as part of the Hollywood Tarantino so lovingly recreated in his movie. [For the truth of Houdini's connection to the property check out my related links.]
No, this photo isn't from the movie, and that's not Brad Pitt! This is me in 1977 at the "Houdini Mansion" showing off a freshly pilfered brick. And look at that cool Magic Castle t-shirt.
The Once Upon A Time in Hollywood exclusive soundtrack LP is available in independent record stores and in a limited quality on Amazon.com.
Thanks to fellow Tarantino fans Matt Bradford and Michael Curran for this one.
Related:
Friday, November 8, 2019
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:
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:
Tuesday, August 27, 2019
Houdini Estate sees wedding of owner José Nazar
It was a magical wedding filled with whimsy and creativity around every corner. And a camel! There were also some fascinating and notable guests, including the great Patrick Culliton (who I hear partied until 3am). The bride had just come in from Egypt where she is currently searching for the lost tomb of Cleopatra. I'm not kidding.
It's always fun to get a peek inside this special place, so here are a few photos to enjoy. And congratulations to José and Kathleen!
The Houdini Estate is available to rent for all occasions. Visit the official website for details. For more on the history of the property, check out my post from 2012: Inside the Laurel Canyon Houdini Estate.
Saturday, July 20, 2019
Pat Culliton and I found Bess Houdini's house...like heroes
Recently Patrick Culliton and I made a fresh search for the location of 2435 Laurel Canyon Blvd., where Bess Houdini and Edward Saint lived from about 1933-35, and where Houdini himself might have resided while making The Grim Game (although firm evidence for this remains elusive). What instigated our search was the appearance of a photograph of the house, the first we've ever seen, that sold in a recent Haversat & Ewing auction for a whopping $1,925 on a $125-$150 estimate. The photo is annotated in Bessie's hand: "My home on Lookout Mountain Laurel Canyon Hollywood Calif."Turns out it was less of a search than a confirmation. Patrick has always pointed to a mountainside just off Laurel Canyon Blvd.--directly across from what is today called The Houdini Estate--and said that was where the house sat before it burned in the massive 1959 Laurel Canyon brush fire. The remains were later demolished when the mountainside was graded back to widen the street.
Sure enough, all we needed to do was hold up a printout of the photo to see that distant mountains lined up perfectly. But the photo also offered up some new information. According to canyon lore, the house had an "elevator" to the street. It's not clear, but I think the photo might show part of what might be funicular chair to the street, which did exist in Laurel Canyon.
But most intriguingly, the photo shows that the house sat higher and further back on the mountain side than we thought. This suggests the possibility that the foundation didn't fall victim to the grading of the hill after all. So, obsessives that we are, Pat (age 75) and I decided to climb the hill and investigate. The hill is steep and eroding and I was worried one of us would take a fall. Little did I know the real danger we were heading into...
We made our way gingerly up the crumbling hill to what we could see was an open area. Once there, we found a pasture that was suspiciously level, exactly what you'd expect to see if a house once stood there. That's when we started to spot random bricks in the ground and some very old and rusted pipes. There was also what appeared to be a stone staircase angled down toward the adjoining property once owned by Tom Mix and Frank Zappa. So it was clear. Not only was this the site of Bess and Ed's house, but there were still remains to prove it! (Yes, I took a brick.)
That's where we should have left well enough alone. But we were intrigued by a second plateau higher up the hill and felt we needed to investigate. So we made our way higher into thicker brush. When we hit the second plateau we found no remains of a house. We did find a treehouse and what appeared to be evidence of homeless encampment, so we decided we had gone far enough and began to search for a safer path back down the hill.
That's when I felt the first sting.
I looked down to see that a wasp had just stung me on my arm. In fact, there were two of them. Bemused, I called out to Pat, saying I just got stung by a stupid wasp. But before I finished my sentence, I heard Pat yell, "Wasps!" Like in a horror movie, as he ran past me I turned to see his back was COVERED in wasps. That's when I realized I was also COVERED in wasps. Somewhere, somehow, we had tripped up a wasp nest and they were on the attack!
Websites say if you are attacked by a swarm of wasps you should not bat them away, wave your arms or make noise. You simply remain calm and walk away in a straight line. We did NOT do that. Instead, we got down that mountain in record time, swatting and waving and yelling the whole way. We both ended up with a dozen stings each. Thankfully, neither of us are allergic, and although we both felt dizzy and spent a pretty uncomfortable week nursing our stings, we survived.
And we found Bess and Ed's house. Like heroes.
Related:
Thursday, June 6, 2019
Houdini's secret mind reading system uncovered?
The restoration of Houdini's 278 continues with some interesting finds being made. Among them is the discovery of old wires that, according to the homeowners, run "everywhere." Some of the wiring is copper and hand wrapped with thread. A lot of it runs under the floors of the parlor and garden levels. What purpose this wiring served is a mystery. But Houdini buffs might have an idea!
On February 8, 1925, Houdini invited a group of notables, including Ralph Pulitzer, to his home for an experiment in "telepathy." He was looking to debunk the claims of a man named Earl Balfour who claimed he could divine what had been discussed in a room when he wasn't present. The next day The Brooklyn Daily Eagle covered the event.
Houdini never revealed the secret of his mind reading feat. But after his death, his nephew, Louis Kraus, did. In doing so, he also revealed one of the secrets of 278. Kraus's lengthy explanation was reprinted in Houdini The Key by Pat Culliton. Below is a key excerpt:
So is this mysterious wire part of Houdini's secret mind reading system? I think it almost certainly is. And while a few pieces of wire needed to be removed, most of it will remain as a historic part of Houdini's 278.
Related:
Houdini never revealed the secret of his mind reading feat. But after his death, his nephew, Louis Kraus, did. In doing so, he also revealed one of the secrets of 278. Kraus's lengthy explanation was reprinted in Houdini The Key by Pat Culliton. Below is a key excerpt:
"The whole house at 278 West 113th Street was wired. The room in which the committee sat was so completely wired that the least whisper was picked up and carried electrically to an operator concealed in the basement. The operator held a transmitter in his hand and repeated all he heard. His repetitions were carried by other hidden wires to the top floor, terminating in loops under the carpet. In this way, the spoken thoughts of the committee in New York, were actually carried to the magician, invisibly through wire and air, but the method was electrical not telepathic..."
So is this mysterious wire part of Houdini's secret mind reading system? I think it almost certainly is. And while a few pieces of wire needed to be removed, most of it will remain as a historic part of Houdini's 278.
UPDATE: The following is from a lengthy profile of Amedeo Vacca in the December 1947 The Linking Ring. In it Vacca says he was the man who wired the walls of 278 for Houdini's mind reading trick. It then says:
Sunday, June 2, 2019
Magic wand made of wood from Houdini's house
My recent post about the availability of wood lath from Houdini's New York home (278) proved to be wildly successful. Many Houdini buffs were able to get authentic pieces of Houdini's house, and in doing so helped fund the ongoing restoration.
Among those who took away a load of lath was Houdini fan and woodworker Barry Spector, who I had the pleasure of meeting at the 278 open house in 2017. As thanks, Barry sent me this magic wand made from the 120-year-old wood. How cool is this?
Barry tells me this is Wand #1. I'm not sure if he has plans to make more. However, he is working on a few more projects with the wood that he'll share with us in time.
Thanks to Barry and everyone who have helped in the restoration of Houdini's 278.
UPDATE: If you're interested in a wand Barry can be contacted at negrilman15@gmail.com.
Related:
Among those who took away a load of lath was Houdini fan and woodworker Barry Spector, who I had the pleasure of meeting at the 278 open house in 2017. As thanks, Barry sent me this magic wand made from the 120-year-old wood. How cool is this?
Barry tells me this is Wand #1. I'm not sure if he has plans to make more. However, he is working on a few more projects with the wood that he'll share with us in time.
Thanks to Barry and everyone who have helped in the restoration of Houdini's 278.
UPDATE: If you're interested in a wand Barry can be contacted at negrilman15@gmail.com.
Related:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)