Rare Houdini book defaced with fake signature

This is distressing. This beautiful condition copy of Houdini's 1921 book, Magical Rope Ties & Escapes, has been defaced with a fake autopen Houdini signature on the cover. The same autopen is used inside the book.

This autopen signature has appeared at numerous auctions over the past few years. In some cases, it has appeared on books and photos published after Houdini's death. However, here it is on what is actually a valuable book that would sell well at auction. But this signature makes it worthless.

The auction house is Norwood Auctions in Norwood, Pennsylvania. I don't know anything about them. Roger Dreyer of Houdini Revealed has fought the good fight in trying to get these fakes taken down, but Live Auctioneers seems to do a brisk trade in selling fakes to gullible buyers. Don't be a gullible buyer!

I actually have a suspicion about who is behind these fakes, but I have no proof.

R.I.P. to this once-beautiful copy of Magical Ropes Ties & Escapes. 

On my Patreon, I have a "Fraud Pack" that collects images of fakes so people can be aware of them and become familiar with the look of this autopen signature. This is FREE for everyone to download by clicking below. 

UPDATE: I contacted Norwood Auctions. They are standing by this and tell me it was consigned to them by "a well-known elderly collector with a long history of dealing in historical items and artifacts." I remain skeptical.

Related:

• Houdini now signing books from beyond the grave
• There's a skilled Houdini forger out there
• Houdini fakes are flooding online auction sites

A spectacular fastening

I first shared this image back in 2013 as part of my Unpublished Houdini series. But I felt like it was worth a repeat. You may think you've seen this photo, but look again closely. Notice the additional ropes from Houdini's wrists to his neck and the chair sitting in front of the ladder. This is actually an unpublished and uncropped shot taken during the same session. But this shot gives us a much better look at the studio setting for this "spectacular fastening."

"Strange as it may appear, I have found that the more spectacular the fastening to the eyes of the audience, the less difficult the escape really proves to be. For example, the ladder tie here shown gives the impression of an almost unescapable restraint, while in reality it is simply a slow but sure proposition."

- Houdini, Magical Rope Ties and Escape (1921)

If you like this, let me know in the comments and maybe I'll repeat some of the other terrific images that came to us via the generosity of John Hinson in 2013.

Related:

• Houdini on the ropes
• A book that's bound to please
• Announcing the Hinson Endowment

Limited edition 'Magical Rope Ties and Escapes'

Philip David Treece at CollectingMagicBooks.com has released a high-quality reprint of Houdini's Magical Rope Ties and Escapes. This is a limited edition hardback (100 numbered copies) printed and bound in the UK by a specialist short-run printer. It is a full facsimile produced directly from an original copy, with all the plates reproduced as plates, just like the original. As you can see below, it's a beauty!

Magical Rope Ties and Escapes was originally published in the UK by Will Goldston in 1921. It was never released in the U.S. The only other reprint I'm aware of was a paperback by Houdini's Magic Shop in 2011. Of all Houdini's books, this is the one that contains the most photos of him.

You can purchase this new limited edition of Magical Rope Ties and Escapes at CollectingMagicBooks.com.

Thank you, Philip!

UPDATE: Excited to have my copy in hand. It's every bit as good as advertised. The quality of the illustrations and photos match the original exactly. (This is certainly not the case with the 2011 reprint.) Originals are scarce and expensive, so if you don't have this book or want a reading copy, this is the one to get!

Related:

• A book that's bound to please
• French edition of Magical Rope Ties and Escapes
• Houdini the writer

French edition of Magical Rope Ties and Escapes

French publisher Fantaisium has released Houdini's 1920 book Magical Ropes Ties and Escapes as Manuel des noeuds magiques (Manual of Magic Knots). Translation is by François Montmirel.

This might actually be the first foreign language printing of this book ever (but Arthur Moses can correct me if I'm wrong about that).

Fantaisium appears committed to reprinting Houdini's works. This year they've released A Magician Among the Spirits as Un Magicien chez les Médiums and The Right Way to Do Wrong as Manuel du malfaiteur: Révélations sur les criminels qui gagnent.

You can purchase Un Manuel des noeuds magiques at Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.fr.

Related:

• A book that's bound to please
• New French edition of A Magician Among the Spirits
• New French edition of The Right Way to Do Wrong

Is there a Houdini prop in the basement of 278?

If you were lucky enough to attended last weekend's open house at Houdini's 278 in Harlem, you got to experience something not afforded to those who attended the first open house in June. This time the basement was open to visitors. This is where Houdini is said to have worked on and kept some of his famous feats, some of which were still being stored there right up into the 1980s.

In fact, the basement may still contain one last iconic Houdini prop! Check out the photos below, taken by one of last weekend's lucky attendees.

Now, I know we discussed this back in July when David Saltman posted a photo of this "giant wheel" on his blog The Houdini File. But that photo didn't show the same detail. It looked like it might have been part of the house, possibly a gear from the disassembled dumbwaiter. But now getting a closer look, as well as learning the diameter (approx. 40"), one can see that this is actually a wagon wheel. All the elements are there, the most notable being the "Flat Steel Tire" as seen below.

So what's this have to do with Houdini? Well...

Before we get too excited, the wheel we see Houdini tied to above is not the exact same wheel (different number of spokes). But that doesn't mean the wheel in the basement wasn't used by Houdini in exactly this same way. This was one of Houdini's escapes. In his 1920 book, Magical Rope Ties & Escapes, Houdini devotes a section to what he calls "The Big Wheel Release." He even expresses a preference for the type of wheel to use, allowing for dramatic "scenery":

An audience which would go to sleep while and artist was making a really difficult escape from the wheel of a farm wagon will break into tumultuous applause over a comparatively easy one from a cannon wheel.

So how has this wheel remained in the basement all these years? Maybe it was just too impractical to take away. Or maybe those who say it didn't recall that the "Big Wheel Release" was part of Houdini repertoire. But after seeing these photos, I'm thinking the basement of 278 holds one last Houdini treasure, and that's pretty cool!

Here's a look at the full basement (which had a dirt floor in Houdini's day). I especially love those arches. Also notice the horseshoe on the far left. In his book Houdini Question Reality, Dixie Dooley reports seeing a horseshoe over the front door in 1985 that dated back to Houdini. Same one?

So what do we think? Is this wheel for real? Or are we going in circles? Sound off in the comments below.

Thanks to our open house attendee for sharing these terrific pics.

Related:

• Inside Houdini's 278
• The "giant wheel" in the basement of 278
• The owners and occupants of Houdini's 278

A book that's bound to please

Here's an end-of-the-week treat from the collection of the great Kevin Connolly. This is a pre-order advertisement for Houdini's Magical Rope Ties and Escapes. Not only have I never seen this ad, but I don't think I've ever seen any ad for this book! I love the image of Houdini bound to the book here.

Kevin Connolly Collection

Published by Will Goldston in 1921, Magical Rope Ties and Escapes was only released in the UK. It was no doubt timed to take advantage of Houdini's return to the UK after six years of absence because of the war. While it's not one of Houdini's more substantial works, it does contain terrific photos of Houdini in escape action, and the frontispiece photo of Houdini and Ira Davenport seems to foretell the next chapter in his career.

Magical Rope Ties and Escapes is available today for the Kindle. A reprint is also available from Houdini's Magic Shop.

Thanks, Kevin.

Related:

• Houdini the writer
• Unpublished Houdini: The ladder tie
• Houdini book and letter fetch $45,426 in auction

Unpublished Houdini: Hollywood pals

Welcome to Unpublished Houdini. In this series I share a new never-before-published photo of Houdini every Monday from our generous Hinson Endowment.

Here's an unpublished photo of Houdini with Thomas Meighan and Jack Pickford in Hollywood. Meighan was a major star with Famous Players-Lasky; at one point he earned $10,000 a week. Jack Pickford was the brother of silent movie superstar, Mary Pickford. The men shared a connection in that Meighan was the sole witness to Jack's secret marriage to Ziegfeld Follies girl Olive Thomas in 1916.

This casual shot taken before a series of photos of the actors subjecting Houdini to several rope tie challenges. Those photos appeared in Houdini's 1921 book, Magical Rope Ties and Escapes.

"During one of my engagements at the Lasky studio, in California, that popular leading man, Tom Meighan, who established a lasting reputation by his admirable work in the screen production of the The Miracle Man, told me of a tie that was formerly used to secure an Indian who had imbibed too freely of "fire-water."

I am led to believe that he carried the process considerably farther than was the custom in the case of the bibacious aborigine, but I succeeded in freeing myself in less than four minutes."

- Houdini, Magical Rope Ties and Escapes (1921)

What I like about this unpublished shot is it reveals the encounter wasn't quite as serious as the published photos below portray. Acting!

Next week we'll head into the portrait studio for an image of Houdini that just feels right as we approach Halloween...

Also enjoy:

Bound at Last

The ladder tie

Man of action

Unpublished Houdini: The ladder tie

Welcome to Unpublished Houdini. In this series I'll share a new never-before-published photo of Houdini every Monday for the rest of 2013 from our generous Hinson Endowment.

You may think you've seen this photo -- maybe even in Christopher's Houdini The Untold Story -- but look again closely. Notice the additional ropes from Houdini's wrists to his neck and the chair sitting in front of the ladder. This is actually an unpublished and uncropped shot taken during the same session as the more well-known photo. But this shot gives us a much better look at the studio setting for this "spectacular fastening." It's an alternate take on a classic image. I'm a sucker for this kind of thing.

"Strange as it may appear, I have found that the more spectacular the fastening to the eyes of the audience, the less difficult the escape really proves to be. For example, the ladder tie here shown gives the impression of an almost unescapable restraint, while in reality it is simply a slow but sure proposition."

- Houdini, Magical Rope Ties and Escape (1921)

Next Monday I'll share TWO unpublished photos of Houdini in action that present us with a bit of a mystery...

New edition of The Right Way To Do Wrong

A brand new edition of Houdini's first book, The Right Way To Do Wrong, is set for release tomorrow by Melville House as part of The Neversink Library.

Yes, this book has been reprinted a zillion times, but this is not a reprint of the 1906 book. The publisher has collected "the best of the book" along with selected Houdini writings from his Conjurer' Monthly Magazine and two other Houdini books, Magical Rope Ties and Escapes and Miracle Mongers and Their Methods. There are chapters on The French Letter Cuff, The Cologne Libel Suit, as well as tips for Addressing an Audience. So this is something unique.

This new edition also includes an introduction by Teller of the great magic duo Penn & Teller.

The Right Way to Do Wrong (Neversink) is available at Amazon as a paperback and for the Kindle.

Want to "adopt" this Houdini book?

The Magic Newswire reports that The British Library Board is looking for someone to "adopt" Houdini's 1921 Magical Rope Ties & Escapes as part of a program that asks the public to help preserve the great original books in their vast collection.

The cost to adopt the book is £30.00 (approximately $47.50). Your name will be on the certificate and in the records of the British Library.

Click here to go to the British Library website.

Houdini book and letter fetch $45,426 in auction

In what certainly must be the highest price ever paid for a Houdini book and letter, a signed copy of Magical Rope Ties and Escapes together with an unsigned letter from Houdini to the publisher suggesting ideas for the book’s layout, cover design, etc., has fetched an amazing $45,426.00 at the Random Treasures Auctions.

This is all the more amazing as Magical Rope Ties and Escapes is not a particularly rare book. Copies on eBay tend to sell for between $300 and $800 depending on condition. The auction description played up the attachment of the Harry Keller dedication sticker below Houdini’s signature, perhaps leading some to think that this book was given to Keller by Houdini. But this Keller dedication sticker is inside almost all copies of Magical Rope Ties and Escapes (including the one in my own collection).

The auction lot also included a carbon copy of publisher Will Goldston’s response to Houdini’s letter, assuring the magician he will receive final approval on the book design. While these letters are nice, I fail to see what brought on such an astronomical sale price, especially as an equally significant (signed) letter fetched $3,072.00 (a more typical price for a Houdini letter).

The Magical Rope Ties and Escapes lot was the second highest price realized on a Houdini item in the entire auction. The highest price paid was $58,526.00 for a beautiful original lithograph for the Water Torture Cell (right). The highest realized price for the entire auction was $106,123.00 for a rare Robert-Houdin clock.

The auction, which opened on January 1 and closed January 31, included four different Robert-Houdin clocks; original costumes and props of Chung Ling Soo; signed photograph by the Great Herrmann; Thurston ephemera and much more.