The Vanishing Elephant appears in Providence

The Providence Performing Arts Center will present a "Sensory Friendly Performance" of The Vanishing Elephant this Saturday, March 15 at 2pm. The play, which premiered in New York in 2023, tells the story of Houdini's vanishing elephant Jennie (or Jenny, as the play spells it).

Tickets are only $5 and can be purchased at the Providence Performing Arts Center website. And before someone asks what a "Sensory Friendly Performance" is, here's a link that explains.

Related:

• The Vanishing Elephant reappears in New York
• 100 years ago Houdini vanished an elephant
• Houdini arrives in Providence

Attention Holiday shoppers

Here's one for you Black Friday and Cyber Monday shoppers. While I've seen Houdini tie-in advertisements before, I've never seen one on this scale. This ad for O'Gorman Co. "The Big Store" in Providence, Rhode Island, takes up nearly an entire page and is designed around Houdini. Not that I'm complaining!

The Evening Bulletin, Jan. 28, 1907.

Houdini was playing Keith's Theater in Providence this week. The O'Gorman Co. challenged him to escape from a packing case made by their shipping department on the night of February 5, 1907. Houdini got free in 38 mins. But he could never escape the great deals at O'Gorman's!

The Evening Bulletin, Feb. 5, 1907.

Happy shopping.

Related:

• Houdini swears by Zam-Buk
• A word from our sponsor...
• Houdini buys a Ford

Foster Lardner: the man on the platform

Last week I shared the exciting news that David Haversat had acquired photo albums that once belonged to Foster Lardner. For 26 years Lardner worked with the Keith's organization in Providence, Rhode Island. He can even be seen standing on the platform with Houdini during a suspended straitjacket escape in 1924.

I've done a little more research into Lardner. Turns out he had much more of a connection to the world of magic than I realized. He was a student of Al Baker and a member of the SAM. He even made the cover of The Sphinx in October 1928. In that issue, Dr. A.M. Wilson writes:

     It is with no little pleasure and pride that I present the portrait of Mr. Foster Lardner, manager of the E. F. Albee Theatre, Providence, R.I. Mr. Lardner is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin, a scholar as well as a theatrical manager and magician. He has been practically interested in magic from his boyhood days. During the late World War he gave frequent magical entertainments for the soldiers in hospitals and gives frequent shows in the children's hospital of Providence. Magic has no better friend than Mr. Lardner. He knows the game from back stage to footlights. Every reputable magician, amateur or professional, has a friend and him. Mr. Lardner is too modest to write his own biography or to give me sufficient data to write it for him. [...] I consider my life richer for the friendship of Foster Lardner.

Lardner left Keith's in 1930 after it had become part of RKO. From this point on, he appears to indulge his passion for magic. In 1931, he stage-managed the SAM's "Carnival of Magic" featuring Hardeen, Cardini, and Jarrow. He also worked up a lecture, "Behind the Scenes with the Master Magicians," which you can see advertised below. You can bet Houdini was part of this talk!

Evening Bulletin, March 30, 1932.

As Wilson noted, Lardner frequently performed magic for children. Below is a nice set of photos showing Lardner entertaining tykes at the Rhode Island Hospital in 1931. He even used a rabbit named "Houdini."

Evening Bulletin, Dec. 20, 1931.

While Lardner might have been considered an amateur magician, in 1934 he joined the rarified ranks of only a handful of magicians to die onstage (literally). Below is an account of the evening and also offers a nice obituary of Lardner's life overall.

Evening Bulletin, May 18, 1934.

So there's a little primer on Foster Lardner, no longer just the man on the platform. I'm sure there's more to uncover, and maybe someone like Dean Carnegie, The Magic Detective, will do so one day. But I certainly consider Foster Lardner now part of the Houdini story.

Thanks to Joe Fox of the William Larsen Sr. Memorial Library at the Magic Castle for The Sphinx images and info.

Related:

• Foster Lardner photo albums find a new home
• Suspended straitjacket escape in Providence (UPDATE)
• Foster Lardner photo albums (Patreon)

Foster Lardner photo albums find a new home

Today I have some exciting news about a fantastic find! Our good friend David Haversat has just acquired several photo albums from the family of the late Foster Lardner.

Foster Lardner was an actor, magician, and head of the Keith's organization in and around Providence, Rhode Island, during the height of vaudeville. He was also a photography enthusiast. Lardner's albums chronicle the history of Providence's theaters and include an incredible collection of photos of performers who played the city, including about two dozen unpublished photos of Houdini!

Lardner's great-granddaughter, Claire, was kind enough to show me the albums and the Houdini photos last week. Lardner captured Houdini's handcuffed jump from the steamer Warwick in 1911 and his suspended straitjacket escape before 80,000 people in downtown Providence in 1924. He also appears to have been friendly with Houdini as there are candid shots of them visiting the Providence Arts Club (still there) and photos of Houdini with Edward Albee. A treasure trove to be sure!

Lardner himself can be seen in film of Houdini's suspended straitjacket in Providence (which, thanks to the album, I can now date as Sept. 18, 1924). He is standing on the platform beside Houdini with his camera in hand. In fact, at 17 seconds, you can see him snap a photo facing directly into the camera.

Here is the photo Lardner took at that moment preserved in the album today. How cool is this? This is just one of several photos Lardner took that day from his unique vantage point on the platform. 

David plans to leave the albums intact to preserve Lardner's work and all the history they contain. Congratulations to all!

Thanks to Claire and David for letting me share in this adventure. You can see more album images as a member of my Patreon.

Related:

• Suspended straitjacket escape in Providence? (UPDATE)
• Did Houdini do a "bag jump" in Providence?
• Homeowner discovers Houdini posters in her walls!

Inside The Official Houdini Séance 2022

By all accounts, this year's Official Houdini Séance in Providence, Rhode Island, was a very special event and a true post-pandemic return to form. Organizer Bill Radner tells me, "[It was] one of the best events we have ever produced. The room used for the séance was breathtaking by most people's standards, and I feel it was equal to Fort Worth in the atmosphere department."

This year's seance was a private event with attendees spending two days at the historic Edgewood Manor in Providence. "This allowed for the customary bonding after dinner that the Houdini enthusiasts love so much," says Bill. After a full-course dinner at one of the best Italian restaurants in the area, the event kicked off at 7pm on Halloween with an hour-long magic show by magician Joel Acevedo who, according to Bill, "fooled most or all of our members and got a standing ovation at the end of the performance."

At 8pm the seance was conducted in the beautiful Victorian dining room in the same serious and respectful manner that has been used by the Official Séance since 1948. This year's Inner Circle: Seance Directors William Radner from West Springfield, MA and Thomas Bolt from Appleton, WI; Houdini family member Deborah Hardeen Bloom from Canton, CT; Houdini Historian and Handcuff Expert Fred Pittella from Queens, NY; Houdini Collector and Expert Arthur Moses from Fort Worth, TX; Houdini Expert Midge Markey from Sammamish, WA; Houdini Collector and Expert Robert Somerdin from Deerfield Beach, FL; and the Great Grandniece of Medium Anna Eva Fay, Jennifer Yee, and her husband Gene Yee from Melrose, MA.

This seance was conducted by certified psychic medium Jodi-Lynne from Rhode Island. By all accounts she greatly impressed and even mystified the gathering. Arthur Moses tells me, "We're all still processing what we experienced."

There was even a bit of unexplainable phenomena. I'll let Bill tell you himself:

"My wife Lisa was taking the photos along with a few videos and at certain times a mysterious blue dot moved around the medium and attendees while being questioned. I can’t reproduce it and it has never been seen in any other videos taken with the same device. None of us can figure it out. I am going to investigate this further but I can tell you it was not any kind of reflection or flare from the lighting in the room."

After the event, the group had a wine and pizza party in the seance room while signing the Official Houdini Séance programs. This year's program was designed and printed by Tom Boldt's talented graphic artists and celebrates Houdini's many appearances in Providence. I love it!

Bill concludes, "The combination of the venue, fantastic dinner, the magician, the camaraderie and great location made this Séance one for the books."

The Official Houdini Séance is a great tradition and I'm so happy to hear this year's event was such a success, even if Houdini again decided to sit it out. Or did he?

Thanks to Bill Radner and Tom Boldt. Check out my coverage of past seances below. I will be sharing more photos from this year's seance on my Patreon. 

Official Houdini Seances past:

• The Official Houdini Séance 2021 (Chicago)
• The Official Houdini Séance 2020 (Online)
• The Official Houdini Séance 2019 (Niagara Falls)
• The Official Houdini Séance 2018 (Baltimore)
• The Official Houdini Séance 2017 (Cleveland)
• The Official Houdini Séance 2016 (Milwaukee)
• The Official Houdini Séance 2015 (San Francisco)
• The Official Houdini Seance 2014 (Danvers)
• The Official Houdini Séance 2013 (Halifax)
• The Official Houdini Séance 2012 (Fort Worth)
• The Official Houdini Séance 2011 (Holyoke)
• The Official Houdini Séance 2010 (New York)
• The Official Houdini Séance 2009 (Melrose)
• The Official Houdini Séance 2008 (New Jersey)

The Official Houdini Séance to be held in Providence

The Official Houdini Séance will be held this year at the historic Edgewood Manor in Providence, Rhode Island, on October 31st. Organizers Bill Radner and Tom Boldt have arranged to have the entire house for attendees. The seance will again be a private event.

This year's seance will be conducted by certified psychic medium Jodi-Lynne from Rhode Island. Magician Joel Acevedo from Boston will provide entertainment. Houdini family member Debbie Hardeen will be among the Inner Circle guests. 

Houdini certainly has connections to Providence, so this sounds like a great choice of location and venue. Will it be the key to Houdini's return? We'll see!

Thanks to Tom Boldt and Bill Radner.

UPDATE: Inside The Official Houdini Séance 2022

Related:

• Houdini arrives in Providence
• Did Houdini do a "bag jump" in Providence?
• Suspended straitjacket escape in Providence? (UPDATE)

Did Houdini do a "bag jump" in Providence?

Yesterday's Providence Journal article about a relation of Bert V. Clark opening a safe for the city of Bristol made me look back on some of the 1950 articles about Houdini's trusted locksmith. Of course, I found something that sent me down a new rabbit hole! Here's the relevant excerpt:

Evening Star, Nov. 29, 1950.

A jump from the Crawford Street Bridge in Providence isn't something I have in my chronology, nor do I have a record of any bridge jump in which Houdini was put inside a bag. But I have seen it mentioned. In Rochester Houdini announced that he would be "sewn into a sack like Monte Cristo" and thrown from the Weighlock Bridge. But when Houdini did the actual escape on May 7, 1907, the bag was left behind.

I do trust Clark's recollections so I'm assuming that this happened. But when? My guess it would be early in Houdini's bridge jump career, so probably around the time of the Rochester leap. Candidates would be the two weeks he played Providence in 1907 (Jan. 28 to Feb. 10) or the week of April 13-19, 1908. In 1911 Houdini jumped handcuffed from the upper deck of the steamer Warwick into the Providence river, but no bag involved.

Here's a photo of the Crawford Street Bridge as it appeared in 1906. Looks like a perfect spot for a "bag jump" to me!

Related:

• Houdini's 1907 Rochester bridge jump
• Suspended straitjacket escape in Providence? (UPDATE)
• LINK: Safecracker with a link to Houdini opens mystery safe for the town of Bristol

LINK: Safecracker with a link to Houdini opens mystery safe for the town of Bristol

Several people have sent me this story from the Providence Journal today. You'll have to click the link to find out if they discovered anything inside the safe, but I can tell you Francesco Therisod's claim that his relative worked with Houdini is legit. Houdini did indeed employe the talents of locksmith "Bert" V. Clark of Providence and the two men became good friends. Bert revealed his connection to Houdini and some choice secrets in 1950, including how Houdini escaped from a riveted boiler in Boston. He died at age 80 in 1955.

Related:

• Is it safe?
• Houdini arrives in Providence
• Did Houdini do a "bag jump" in Providence?

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)

Suspended straitjacket escape in Providence? (UPDATES)

This footage is identified as Houdini doing a suspended straitjacket escape in Providence, Rhode Island, in September 1924. Houdini did indeed play Providence the week of September 15-21, 1924, so evidence of this escape shouldn't be hard to find. However, I've not been able to find any newspaper account or other mention that confirms the date and location of this escape. But it's still a fantastic piece of film.

Any research sleuths out there want to take up the challenge of verifying this escape? As I said, Houdini played Providence the week of September 15, 1924. But another candidate would be the week of November 23, 1925. (Houdini did a suspended straitjacket in Providence on March 7, 1917, but this is clearly Houdini in the 1920s so we can discount that one.) 

Or this could be misidentified and a different city entirely?

He always keeps us guessing!

This clip is from a compilation of Houdini footage from the George Eastman House on the "Houdini The Movie Star" DVD set.

UPDATE: Thanks to reader Dave and the always resourceful Bill Mullins, we can now confirm this footage was shot in Providence. Bill and Dave cleverly used the names of businesses glimpsed in the background (Liggett Druggist and Dart & Bigelow) to establish that Houdini is doing the escape on Westminster Street in front of the offices of the Providence Tribune (the building seen flying the American flag below). Bill has also provided a map from the time.

Click to enlarge.

Today a modern office building stands on the sight at 40 Westminster Street.

So all that remains for us to discover now is the date!

UPDATE 2: Date discovered! This occurred on September 18, 1924. Thank you to Claire Stretch, great-grandaughter of Foster Lardner, who can be seen in the video standing beside Houdini with a camera. Read more about Lardner's photo albums HERE.

Related: 

• Houdini's known suspended straitjacket escapes
• Houdini comes to Providence (1925)
• Houdini arrives in Providence (1926)

Houdini buys a Ford

The saga of Houdini and his cars continues. While later in his life Houdini preferred to be driven (and even developed a slight phobia about driving himself), during the years of his early success he appears to have been a car guy! You might recall this post that showed he purchased a Humber automobile in 1904 and even claimed to have raced it. Now we have evidence of a second Houdini car.

The below ad is from the Providence Journal when Houdini was playing the Keith's Theater on Westminster Street in February 1907. Looks like a test drive is all it took to turn him into a Ford man.

The car Houdini purchased was a Ford Model K 6-cylinder touring car. It sold for a whopping $2800 ($81,488.04 today). By contrast, the 4-cylinder only cost $550. Let's hope he got a price break for doing the ad!

I ran all this past David Charvet, who knows classic cars as well as magic, and it turns out the Model K occupies an interesting place in Ford history. Henry Ford himself did not like the idea of a high end luxury model like the K. His goal was to make an affordable car that everyone could own. So one year later in 1908 he introduced his Model T, and the rest is automotive history. David says 1907 Model Ks are quite rare today and sends over this photo.

Below is a photo of Houdini behind the wheel of a car that does not appear to be the Ford Model K. So I guess the search is now on for car #3!

Related:

• Under the hood of Houdini's Humber
• Houdini was clearly not a car guy
• LINK: Houdini connection to the first driverless car

Houdini's last hire

Here's one last Providence related post for this anniversary week. While searching for a review of Houdini's show, I stumbled on this classified ad that appeared in the Providence Journal 95 years ago today.

Providence Journal, Oct. 6, 1926

We now know the man who landed this job was Elliot Sanford. Sanford joined the troupe in Providence and had a ringside seat for all the dramatic events of Houdini's final weeks. He even acted as one of Houdini's pallbearers. He would remain with Bess into early 1927 to help her settle the estate and move to a new home. He then returned to his old job in Providence. 

In 2018 an unpublished manuscript written by Sanford about his days with the Houdinis sold at auction for $48,000.

Related: 

• Houdini arrives in Providence
• Which synagogue did Houdini visit in Providence?
• The most historically significant Houdini auction lot EVER?

Which synagogue did Houdini visit in Providence?

My mind is still with Houdini in Providence 95 years ago this week. Today was his second day in the city, and it held special significance. October 5, 1926, was the 34th anniversary of his father's death. Houdini said he always made a point to find a synagogue to say Kaddish on October 5, even if it meant traveling outside of a city to do so. Houdini didn't need to travel on this day. In doing a very cursory search online, I see that Providence has two notable synagogues in 1926, both of which still stand.

The Broad Street Synagogue (later known as Temple Beth-El) is located at 688 Broad Street in Providence. According to Wikipedia, the Jews of Providence who founded Temple Beth-El were predominantly Ashkenazi Jews from German-speaking areas. The majority of the early congregants were immigrants from Germany, the Netherlands, Hungary, and Poland. If I had to guess, I would say this is the synagogue where Houdini said his final Kaddish.

The building survives but is currently vacant. In 2020 it was named as one of named one of Providence's "Most Endangered Buildings" by the Providence Preservation Society.

Another candidate is The Sons of Jacob Synagogue located at 24 Douglas Avenue in the Smith Hill neighborhood of Providence. Wikipedia states that the congregation which built it was formed in 1896 by Orthodox Jews who immigrated from Russia. The Rhode Island Jewish Museum is currently running a campaign to restore the building and "into a center that curates the immigrant experience."

Like I said, I didn't do a thorough search for synagogues in Providence in 1926, so it's possible Houdini visited another one entirely. It's also possible he skipped the ritual this year, but I don't think that's very likely. He was devoted to both his parents and he loved a good ritual!

From the review of his opening night show, we know he had instructed an audience member to meet him at the theater at 10AM to be "disillusioned" about the medium Keeler. So I suspect Houdini started his day with his synagogue visit and remembrance of his father.

Related:

• Mayer Samuel Weiss
• Houdini arrives in Providence
• LINK: How Harry Houdini stayed chained to his roots as a rabbi’s son

Houdini arrives in Providence

It was 95 years ago today that Houdini opened his "3 Shows in One" at the Providence Opera House in Providence, Rhode Island. He had originally been booked to appear the week of September 20. But he was extended for a third week in Boston, so that pushed the Providence engagement to the week of October 4, 1926. This would be his tenth and final appearance in the city.

The Providence Journal gave the opening night show an enthusiastic review in the Tuesday, October 5th issue. Below is that review in full.

Click to enlarge.

The show ran nightly with matinees on Wednesday and Saturday. According to Billboard, it played to capacity business all week long.

There were also some notable events that happened off stage this week. Houdini met with H.P. Lovecraft and C.M. Eddy to discuss their collaboration on The Cancer of Superstition. He lectured to students at Brown University. Bess was also stricken with food poisoning near the end of the run, causing Houdini great worry and to stay up nights. This is typically seen as the first on a series of unfortunate incidents that would culminate with Houdini's death on Halloween 1926.

I have a particular fascination with this Providence engagement as earlier this year I acquired an original window card advertising this very week. I first shared the card during a special S.A.M. Houdini birthday celebration on Zoom back in March. Magician Dave Thomen recently shared a clip on Facebook, and I was excited to see this as it provides a look at the card pre-restoration. Not bad for 95 years old!

The Providence Opera House was located at 115 Dorrance Street at Pine Street. It was built in 1871 and could seat over 1400 people. For many years it provided family friendly entertainment and was one of the most prestigious venues in Rhode Island. It closed on March 14, 1931 with a final performance by Providence-born George M. Cohen. It was demolished soon after.

Below is Dorrance Street today. The long featureless black building on the left is where the Providence Opera House and the Narragansett Hotel once stood.

Thanks to Bill Mullins for his research tips. For more on the history of the Providence Opera House check out Rhode Tour.

Related:

• Houdini comes to Providence (1925)
• Houdini's grand finale: 3 Shows In One
• Homeowner discovers Houdini posters in her walls!

The last Houdini poster

Today I'm thrilled to reveal my original Houdini window card. This advertises his "3 Shows in One" in Providence for the week of October 4, 1926, just three weeks before his death on Halloween. To the best of my knowledge this is the latest and therefore last known piece of Houdini street advertising. The fact that it uses Halloween imagery has always struck me as eerily prophetic.

This window card is one of several that were discovered inside the walls of a house in Warwick, Rhode Island, late last year. It was restored by Poster Mountain and framed by Allan Jeffries Framing. What a journey!

Related:

• Homeowner discovers Houdini posters in her walls!
• The LAST Houdini window card
• Houdini "Halloween" window card and production tables sell at auction

The LAST Houdini window card

If you've been following my blog you will be familiar with the remarkable story of Heather from Warwick, Rhode Island, who discovered a cache of original Houdini window cards in the walls of her home during a bathroom remodel. She offered the cards for sale to collectors and quickly sold out. (No doubt she was able to pay for her remodel!)

However, Heather held one card back that she planned to send to auction. This morning she tells me she has decided to make this one available for sale as well, and here it is! This is the last of the amazing Rhode Island Houdini window card discovery.

For this last card Heather is going to field offers. So if you are interested, she can be contacted HERE.

She also has some of the other non-Houdini cards for sale. These are from the E.F. Albee theater in Providence. Houdini actually played the Albee in September 1924.

 

Good luck!

Related:

• Homeowner discovers Houdini posters in her walls!
• Wishing Houdini Happy Birthday with the S.A.M. Podcast
• More tales of Houdini "wall art"

Homeowner discovers Houdini posters in her walls!

Here's an exciting one! A woman in Warwick, Rhode Island has discovered several original Houdini posters in the walls of her home during a bathroom remodel. The Houdini posters along with an assortment of other theatrical posters appear to have been used as insulation. Some were cut to form fit the wall spaces, but many survived complete. The house dates to 1925 and all the Houdini posters are all from his appearance at the Providence Opera House in Fall 1926.

The posters are window card size and are of two styles. One shows Houdini coming to Providence the week of September 20, but this actually didn't happen. Houdini remained in Boston for a third week and his Providence engagement was delayed until the week of October 4, which is what we see on the second style card. (This is a key historical detail that, IMO, confirms these as 100% authentic.)

As wild as this find seems, it has happened before. In 2006 a similar discovery was made in the walls of a home in Chicago and featured on the show The History Detectives. A window card similar to these sold at auction in 2019 for $2,200.

The lucky homeowner is weighing her options as to what to do with these, but she is open to private sales. If interested, she can be contacted HERE.

Related:

• Houdini "Halloween" window card and production tables sell at auction
• The History Detectives crack the case
• Houdini's grand finale: 3 Shows In One

Houdini arrives in Providence

Here's a nice ad from the Providence Journal dated March 4, 1917, announcing Houdini's appearance 100 years ago this week. This was shared on Twitter by @ThisDayInWWI.

While in Providence, Houdini did a suspended straitjacket escape from the Brownell Building at Exchange Place, a stunt that appears to be referenced here in the illustration.

Related:

• Houdini in 1917
• Houdini comes to Providence
• LINK: Providence man says he knows where Houdini's treasure trove is
  

LINK: Providence man says he knows where Houdini's treasure trove is

Houdini got a lot of press attention this past Halloween (the 90th anniversary of his death), and I've been playing catch up. Today I have a link to the most unusual article of the batch. The Providence Journal profiled Noah Schwartz who believes he's on the verge of discovering Houdini's lost "treasure box."

Schwartz tends to demand your attention by saying he is the reincarnation of Houdini. If he's pressed, he'll say that he is not really claiming to be Houdini resurrected, but the recipient of "inklings" and feelings, "faint echoes" of Houdini "being transmitted through me."

Noah first shared this info with me via the Wild About Harry Facebook page. He's clearly passionate about his quest, but I admit I could never quite puzzle together his theories about airships, C.M. Eddy, and the Superman Building. And his claim that he's the reincarnation of Houdini is, of course, hard to verify.

But now The Providence Journal has done the leg work and gave Noah an impressive front page spread in their Halloween print edition (above). Who knows? Maybe the extra attention will help solve the mystery.

Click here or on the headline to read the online version at The Providence Journal.

Related:

• C.M. Eddy, Jr. and The Cancer of Superstition manuscript

Houdini comes to Providence

A nice collection of newspaper clippings from November 1925 advertising Houdini's full evening show at the Providence Opera House in Rhode Island have sold on eBay. I love ephemera like this. Imagine, you could go see 2 1/2 hours of Houdini for .50¢ or $1.50 max. Now if we only had a time machine...

It's also interesting, and poignant, that Houdini would spend his Thanksgiving performing a special matinee. This, of course, was Houdini's last Thanksgiving.