Seeing Houdini's first scrapbook

One of the highlights of my recent trip to Appleton, Wisconsin, was visiting the History Museum at the Castle and being given the opportunity to page through Houdini's very first scrapbook. I can't stop thinking about it. This scrapbook pairs perfectly with Houdini's first diary in the Bruce Avebook collection, which I annotated in Escaping Obscurity: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini, 1897-1899. So what I saw in these pages was both familiar and new to me. It was very exciting.

The scrapbook covers the years 1894 to mid-1900. Houdini has written on the spine, "HOUDINI PRESS BOOK 1894-1899." This was not a book of memories when he was making it. It was a tool. Houdini would carry this with him and show it to prospective managers and bookers. Scrapbooks were the resumes of variety performers, proving when and where they appeared and providing reviews. Scrapbooks were essential in career building, and Houdini took his scrapbooks very seriously. In fact, there are mentions of Houdini in England "with a large book of press clippings under his arm." This is that book.

After his breakout success in Europe, when he didn't need to prove himself to managers, scrapbooks were less of a marketing tool for him, but she still kept them. However, I think it's fair to say this scrapbook is the one he used the most. Along with his diary, this scrapbook is also how biographers have pieced together his early career.

The scrapbook on temporary display.

It's all here, starting with the "Risey in the Box" article from the Coney Island Clipper dated June 22, 1894 (the day of his marriage). This not only places the "Hunyadi Brothers" in Coney Island in June 1894, but it also gives us the first mention of Bess ("one of the Floal sisters, 'neat song and dance artists'"). This is on one of the very first pages, and while I've seen copies, seeing it in the flesh was a thrill.

Houdini also annotates this scrapbook. Some of the annotations are made in the same blue pencil he used in his diary to record the signing of his first Orpheum contract (see Escaping Obscurity page 316). This is another nice link between the scrapbook and diary. One note in particular really stood out. On a clipping about a police station test in Lancaster, PA, in 1898 ("Clever Sleight-of-Hand Trick"), Houdini writes in his blue pencil:

The only notice Newton did not write

I earned it.

This is very revealing. Clinton M. Newton was the Welsh Bros. Circus ringmaster and press agent. This tells us the majority of the circus's reviews and notices were press releases written by Newton. Not really a surprise, but good to get confirmation. But here Houdini proudly reports that this wasn't a press release. He "earned" this story himself with his handcuff escape. I love this, and so I wish I had had this when I did the diary book, as I would have mentioned it for sure.

There are other Houdini notes in black ink that appear to have been made later, some noting when fellow performers died. This is something Houdini would do in all his scrapbooks and even his diaries. I love the idea of Houdini revisiting these books many years later and making these notes.

This scrapbook also contains some rare photos, including a group shot of the 1895 Welsh Bros. Circus troupe that differs from the one we are familiar with. This one shows the performers in their street clothes, including Harry and Bess. Harry is wearing a bowler hat. The famed "Mysterious Harry" image is in here, but it is uncropped and shows much more of the image than I've ever seen, including an American flag and what may be Houdini's egg bag on a side table.

There are also some inclusions in the back from earlier in his life, including an 1890 letter regarding Ehrich Weiss's participation in a foot race, and another letter that dissolved his partnership with Jacob Hyman. Very little is missing, which is not always the case with scrapbooks. However, one image, noted as being Coney Island in 1898, appears to have fallen out of its souvenir frame. What could this image have been? A tantalizing mystery.

Despite the 1894-1899 title, the scrapbook includes a fair amount of material from the first half of 1900, when Houdini made his first tour on the Keith's vaudeville circuit and return tour on the Orpheum circuit. Most biographies omit this and jump right to Europe. But I cover this in detail in my upcoming book, Handcuff King: The Conquests of Harry Houdini, 1900-1909, and I'm in the process of licensing some of these scrapbook images for the book. One is a two-page spread that will melt your eyeballs!

So how did the museum come to have this scrapbook? Sidney Radner acquired the scrapbook from Hardeen, presumably in the 1940s. (There are "S.R." notes in the scrapbook, which I'm pretty sure denote Sid Radner.) Sid allowed select researchers, such as Milbourne Christopher, to examine it, but limited access to just a few hours. But he did allow some pages and images to be reproduced in Houdini: His Legend and His Magic (1977) by Doug Henning and The Original Houdini Scrapbook (1976) by Walter B. Gibson.

In 1988, Sid put the scrapbook on loan to the Appleton museum's new "Houdini Historical Center." In 1991, he donated it with the understanding that the museum would conserve it. The donation was reported in the First Quarter 1992 issue of the HHC's newsletter (image right). This is why the scrapbook did not leave the museum when Sid pulled his collection and ultimately sold it in 2004.

True to their word, the museum has done a beautiful job with the conservation. The pages have been de-acidified and repaired, and each page is housed in a plastic sleeve. This makes looking through it possible. I've paged through some scrapbooks that haven't been conserved, and you don't want to know what happens!

The History Museum at the Castle has two more very important Houdini scrapbooks donated by Tad Ware, spanning 1900-1913. These are currently unviewable as they are awaiting a similar conservation effort. This is an expensive process, and these are tough times for all museums. But the History Museum at the Castle is committed to its Houdini collection, and this is something they plan to do. When these scrapbooks are available, you can bet I will return to Appleton!

Thank you to Dustin Mack and all the terrific staff at the History Museum at the Castle for this amazing experience.

History Museum Director Dustin Mack with the scrapbook.

Want more? I've uploaded a PDF of the First Quarter 1992 Center Stage newsletter for Scholar members of my Patreon.

Related:

• Houdini LIVED in Appleton last week
• Houdini's Challenge Scrapbook to be published!
• Houdini Spiritualism scrapbook found in a California flea market

'A Strenuous Career' available now from 1878 Press

The centenary books keep coming! David Haversat has announced the publication of A Strenuous Career: The Personal Challenge and Advertisement Scrapbook of Harry Houdini. Below are details.

For the first time in history, A Strenuous Career: The Personal Challenge and Advertisement Scrapbook of Harry Houdini places in your hands a breathtaking, full-color facsimile of one of the most significant artifacts from the life of the world’s greatest escape artist. This is the amongst the largest and most important scrapbooks personally complied by Harry Houdini! Every page is reproduced directly from Houdini’s own working scrapbook—exactly as he assembled it—preserving the energy, ambition, and relentless drive that defined the man.

Meticulously reproduced from the original scrapbook—courtesy of Dr. Bruce J. Averbook’s extraordinary historic archive in The Averbook Magic Art Museum and Library—this volume features over 160 premium, large-format color pages, presented in a luxurious 9" x 12" hardbound edition with an elegant slipcase. Every detail has been preserved to immerse you fully in Houdini’s world.

This is not simply a book—it is a rare artifact, a conversation piece, a centerpiece for any serious collector of magic or history enthusiast. 

The book is available exclusively from David Haversat's 1878 Press Co.  The print run is only 300, and many were sold at this week's Magic Collectors' Expo. So if you want this, I wouldn't delay!

Related:

• The 2026 Houdini Centennial Bookshelf
• Read 'The Cancer of Superstition' TODAY
• YOU CAN NOW OWN HOUDINI'S FIRST DIARY

Houdini's Challenge Scrapbook to be published!

Last year, Dr. Bruce J. Averbook shared Houdini's first travel diary with the world. (I think I've mentioned that book here.) Well, he's back with another, and it's a big one!

David Haversat has just announced the upcoming publication of A Strenuous Career: The Personal Challenge and Advertisement Scrapbook of Harry Houdini. As the title says, this book reproduces Houdini's entire Challenge Scrapbook, which is another precious artifact from The Averbook Magic Art Museum & Library. The book will be released via David Haversat's 1878 Press Co. in May 2026.

I'm VERY excited about this. I've long known about this scrapbook, but I haven't yet had a chance to study it. Bruce did give me a quick peek at it a while back, and what I saw knocked my socks off! So I can't wait to dive into this book. (I also love the title.)

Are we spoiled yet?

Related:

• Read 'The Cancer of Superstition' TODAY
• YOU CAN NOW OWN HOUDINI'S FIRST DIARY
• The Mother Scrapbook

Hungry for an unseen Houdini image?

I've shared to Patreon today a photo of Houdini like you've never seen him before. Click below and gobble it up!

Related:

• Copperfield finds
• Houdini exposed
• Wild About Harry on Patreon anniversary special

The mother scrapbook and a year of discovery

Today is the 110th anniversary of the death of Houdini's mother Cecelia Weiss. It's also the one year anniversary of a remarkable experience I had with what's called "the mother scrapbook."

The great John Gaughan owns this rarity and last year he allowed me to take it home and "live with it" for several days. Turns out I had it on the anniversary of mama's death. I now mark this as the start of a remarkable year of coming to know Houdini in a deeper way. From this scrapbook to the Harry Ransom Center to Houdini's travel diary to David Copperfield's museum and the Houdini voice tapes to the collection of Bruce Averbook in Cleveland. It's been an incredible year of discovery and it all started here.

So on this dual anniversary, I thought I'd redirect you back to the post I did about the enigmatic mother scrapbook. Just click the image below to open it back up.

P.S. I fully intend to have another year of discovery.

Related:

• A magical visit to the workshop of John Gaughan
• Mama's death and the birth of a myth
• Death in Asbury Park

More treasures of the Harry Ransom Center

Last month I spent an incredible six days at the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas in Austin, which holds the largest public collection of Houdini research material in the world. I shared some of the incredible treasures I saw on my first day in this post. Today I'm back with more.

It's worth repeating that the Harry Ransom Center is open to the public, so "anyone with a photo ID and a sense of curiosity" can see the treasures I'm about to show. Their website has excellent finding aids for the Harry Houdini Papers, the Harry Houdini Collection, and the Magic Collection. And if you are considering selling or donating a Houdini collection or item where it will be well protected and forever available, the Harry Ransom Center should be at the top of your list. So let's get back there!

One of the best things about my visit was the remarkable VIP treatment I received from Eric Colleary, Cline Curator of Theatre & Performing Arts Collections, and my good friend. Eric allowed me to do my research in the stacks where I could pull down boxes of Houdiniana at will. He also had a nice surprise waiting for me there. He had unboxed and placed their famous Houdini Estate bank box on the table right in front of me where it remained the entire time. So this was my view in paradise.

Each morning I also walked past a remarkable piece of furniture. This breakfront belonged to Houdini and stood in the parlor of 278. This actually played a key role in Messmore Kendall acquiring Houdini's collections from Bess in 1927 (as you can read here). The breakfront came to the HRC in 1958 along with the Kendall Collection. But it went on an odyssey adventure and even resided for a time in the Governor's Reception Room of the Texas State Capitol. In 2019 Eric discovered it in storage and brought it back to the Harry Ransom Center where it lives today. Good morning Houdini's breakfront!

My primary goal was to read all the correspondence in the collection and mine dates and data for my upcoming chronology book. Yes, I was there to "work." But there was a lot of correspondence to read! Some files bewitched me more than others. First and foremost was a large file of letters written by Houdini to Bess. As I shared in part one, this was the file I started with and the letters are remarkable. It's also the file that contains the most letters written by Houdini himself. (As these are Houdini's own files, most of the Ransom Center correspondence are written to him.)

Here's another delightful letter from that precious file. A marvelous slice of 278 life:

Another file of interest was a large collection of letters written by Montraville M. Wood, a Chicago inventor and associate of Thomas Edison who worked with Houdini on his Milk Can. The file is packed with letters related to improvements to the apparatus and the construction of new cans. Wood includes many illustrations. But there was one illustration at the end of a letter that tickled me as it must have tickled Houdini.

Another standout file contained correspondence from Birchet "Kit" Clarke, a famous press agent and Harry Kellar's former manager. I loved these letters! I don't know why Clarke isn't mentioned more in Houdini biographies as his letters are loaded with gold (including the mention of a Vanishing Elephant poster). They are also very, very funny. He uses a variety of nicknames for Houdini, his favorite being "Googley." There's even one letter that Clarke taped together as one giant scroll (below). Their friendship was a revelation to me.

Occasionally Eric and I would fall down a side rabbit hole. While chatting about newspapers, Eric pointed out that the Ransom Center has the photo morgue archive of the New York Journal-American. He did a quick search and found there was a Houdini file in that collection. Had anyone ever looked at it? Eric asked if I wanted to take a break and head down to those stacks and see what might be there. Yes please! Once there, Eric pulled a thick file of press photos from a container. The photos were fantastic, but largely familiar. And then this happened!

If you're like me, you just went weak in the knees. Yes, this is a third variation of the famous "my two sweethearts" photograph taken at the F. Gutekunst photo studio in Philadelphia in 1907. This is actually a photograph of a photograph, not an original, but still a great find. The Ransom Center has the originals of the other photos from this famous session, because of course they do!

Occasionally I'd come across something unexpected, such as the below. The Ransom Center allows researchers to insert notes into a file if they have some clarifying information. Slipped into the sleeve of the famous photo of Houdini and the Roosevelt grandchildren (as seen here) I found this exchange between my friends and mentors Manny Weltman and Patrick Culliton. Pretty funny.

I actually added my own note identifying the photo's location and date (Feb. 20, 1925. Home of Mrs. H.A. Alexander, 167 East 74th St., NYC). So I love that Manny, Patrick and I all now share a sleeve in the Harry Ransom Center.

As the days ticked away, I found myself growing apprehensive. It was becoming clear I was not going to be able to read all the correspondence in the collection, and I knew there were other treasures that I would kick myself for not seeing. I began to formulate a new plan how to split my days between correspondence and big ticket items. But many times I just surrendered myself to anything that might be "cool." Eric, as always, was delighted to lay these treasures before me.

I mean, how could I not see this famous Ransom Center rarity? This is the only known copy of Houdini's very first pitchbook. Even Houdini considered this to be rare. It's actually much smaller than I imagined (7 inches), but what a piece of history.

Anything from Houdini's 1903 Russian tour is a mega rarity. Here are two fantastic broadsides advertising his appearance at the Gordon "Aquarium" Garden in Moscow in July 1903. Can you believe the condition?

Here are two large format photos of Houdini and Samri Baldwin. I wonder why Houdini had these made? The Ransom Center also holds a fair amount of correspondence from the famed "White Mahatma." In one letter from 1919 Baldwin writes:

"I was much gratified at receiving your courteous letter; particularly because so many professionals who become rich and famous forget all their old friends. Your letter showed me that I was never wrong in my estimate of you in thinking that money and fame would never make you a bit different from the whole souled boy I knew in Halifax and Kansas years ago."

This is a large and meticulous scrapbook Houdini kept devoted to his movies. Half is filled with fan mail from all over the world, still in their original envelopes. (One love struck young fan from South Africa starts her letter: "Houdini, I hope you like long letters because I've lots to tell you.") The second half contains newspaper clippings devoted to The Man From Beyond. I was expecting it to continue with Haldane of the Secret Service, but it did not. In fact, Houdini seems to have abandoned this scrapbook along with his movie career.

At the moment, the scrapbook is unavailable to view as it is much too brittle. The Ransom Center is working on a way to best preserve the contents. So this was a rare and exciting thing to see. Thank you Eric!

Speaking of movies, I nearly lost it when Eric brought these out. The Ransom Center has several original title cards from The Master Mystery (and one from The Grim Game). They are hand painted and works of art in their own right. These are the only surviving production artifacts from The Master Mystery, so pretty special!

The Ransom Center has some mysteries as well. Below is a custom picture frame with the name "Harry Houdini" across the top. What special image did this frame once hold? I also got to see the famous Ransom Center seed (found among Houdini's papers). What kind of freak seed is this?

My final day was Saturday, August 13. I only had a half day to research as I had to catch a flight in the afternoon. As Eric was off, I spent that morning in the Ransom Center Reading Room, which I'm happy I got to experience as its very well appointed and the staff is very helpful. I spent these last hours photographing everything I still wanted to read, including files of letters written by Hardeen to his "Dear brother Ehrich", and the Chung Ling Soo file, which Eric emphasized as being a must. I even stumbled on a signed photo of Charmian London. The minx.

Believe it or not, as noon rolled around I sat back and realized I had nothing left to see. I had done it! I had, at the very least, laid eyes on everything I knew I wanted to see. In addition, Eric and I had taken an amazing tour of the Paramount Theater and I was able to enjoy Esther's Follies on the invitation of Ray Anderson, which is a must see when in Austin. So in six days I had accomplished my research goals and also achieved a life-long dream...

I had seen the treasures of the Harry Ransom Center!

When I landed back in Burbank that night, I entered the airport to be greeted by this. An omen? I don't know, but I felt like he might be saying, "You ain't seen nothing yet."

Thanks to Eric Colleary and all the wonderful staff of the Harry Ransom Center for giving me this incredible experience and allowing me to share these treasures here on WILD ABOUT HARRY.

Related:

• Treasures of the Harry Ransom Center
• Exploring Houdini's Austin
• Houdini in the bank

The Mother Scrapbook

Recently I had the opportunity to examine a very special Houdini scrapbook in the collection of John Gaughan. But I didn't examine the scrapbook at John's workshop, although that was my expectation. John insisted that I take it home. He wanted me to "live with it" and "absorb it." I was pretty reluctant to take responsibility for this precious (and brittle!) Houdini rarity, but John felt this was the best way to learn about it. He was right.

So, yes, for a week I lived with this highly personal and pretty strange scrapbook shaped entirely by Houdini's hand and mind. Only after returning it to John did I feel like I could write about it.

A little background on the scrapbook itself. This was part of the collection of Marie Hinson, who held onto many of the most personal items kept by her sister Bess Houdini. Doug Henning acquired many of Marie's treasures, which he shared in his book Houdini His Legend and His Magic. According to John, this scrapbook was something Doug hand selected out of the collection. He later passed it to John as a gift. So this is something precious even before opening it!

I had seen this scrapbook in John's display case on my visits to his shop. John kept it open to the first two pages, which best reflect the personal and mysterious nature of this scrapbook. With John's permission, I'm sharing that here for the first time:

Click to enlarge.

There's a lot about these pages that intrigues me. First and foremost is the quote Houdini has handwritten on the inside cover:

"Live with your friends.........

remembering they may one day be your enemies."

This is a pretty strange and dark sentiment. Why would this hold so much meaning for him? It's interesting that it is in quotation marks. Is Houdini quoting his mother here? If so, what does that tell us about his Cecelia Weiss?

There are other things on this page that perplex me. Why the question about the address for the Carnegie medals? Could M.S. be Mayer Samuel? And what's with the oddly cut out photograph of Houdini in the corner? And why has this page been framed with strips of paper? It all seems coded in some way that I can't quite decider.

The next pages hold a remarkable two-page poem written by Houdini "whilst on a train" in 1907. It's devoted to his father and is based on an existing poem, Rock Me to Sleep by Elizabeth Akers Allen. It's really quite moving. A sample verse:

Happiness and Cheerfulness was then our lot
But now you slumber in the family plot
Whilst I have money at my command
All of which Id give with you to stand
To lead you away, from that Hospital door

Like Doc and I once did, in the dim days of yore.

The remainder of the scrapbook is less specifically about Cecelia and more devoted to motherhood and life lessons in general. It might not be correct to call this the "mother scrapbook" as there is so much more. It seems this was a scrapbook Houdini kept for all things that moved him personally. There's even some random stories about how people get better in middle age and one about the treatment of various skin diseases. There's lots of poetry, and Houdini seems especially fond of the columnist Walt Mason. There's only one photograph, but it's one that greatly intrigues me. Where is "The Cecilia Weiss Ward" I wonder?

Among the many stories Houdini clipped is the below. I'm sharing this one because it's the one I can't forget. And you won't forget it either. When I relayed the story to John Gaughan, he shuddered.

Overall, the scrapbook is filled with many accounts of mourning and loneliness. There are several stories that illustrate how fame and riches do not bring true happiness. It's hardly what one would expect from The World Champion Handcuff King and Prison Breaker. But Houdini had plenty of scrapbooks devoted to his greatness. This is one in which he appears to process his deepest thoughts and self-doubts.

I only paged through the entire scrapbook once as it is very brittle and I wasn't about to let a single piece of paper flake off on my watch. I'm happy to report I was successful.

Having this scrapbook in my home was a powerful experience. I actually had it over the weekend that marked the anniversary of Cecelia Weiss's death. While most of the time I kept it closed inside it's archival container, for those two days I took it out and let it live inside my own display case.

My thanks to John Gaughan for giving me this intimate and surprisingly intense Houdini experience.

Want more? You can read Houdini's full poem for his father as a member of my Pateron.

Related:

• A magical visit to the workshop of John Gaughan
• Look who dropped by the L.A. Magic History Conference
• Lost Houdini Spiritualism scrapbook discovered in California

Unseen Elliot Sanford archive sells for $48,000

An archive of unseen material from Elliot Sanford, a previously unknown member of the Houdini troop, sold for a whopping $48,000 (including 20% buyers premium) at Potter & Potter's Spring Magic Auction today. I had called this possibly the most historically significant Houdini auction lot ever, and it certainly got attention, blowing way past the pre-auction estimate of $15,000-$20,000.

Sanford joined the Houdini show in the final weeks of the magician's life and was eyewitness to all that occurred before and after Houdini's death. He was also one of the pallbearers at Houdini's funeral. Included in the lot is an unpublished manuscript Sanford wrote detailing his time spent with the Houdinis. The material had been held by Sanford's family and, incredibly, has never been read by any Houdini biographer. What's contained in these pages could greatly enhance our knowledge of Houdini's final days.

The auction contained a variety of other Houdiniana. Two annotated Houdini spiritualism scrapbooks from the Joe Dunninger collection brought in a hefty $66,000 (estimate $30,000-$40,000). An attractive 1905 color playbill with nice mentions of the Mirror Challenge and the Prison Cell & Barrel Mystery fetched $7,200. A box of photographic negatives labeled "Houdini in Atlantic City" found $5,280. A photo of Hardeen wearing what might be Houdini's iron bar shackles (a little discussed early invention) unlocked $780.

I had my eye on two unpublished original photos, both of which sold beyond their estimates. One shows Houdini and Dr. A.M. Wilson clowning with a "No Parking" sign outside an Orpheum Theater ($2,280). The other shows Bess as a fortune teller ($660). The story of Houdini and Wilson's famous feud is a favorite of mine. I have no idea what the story is behind the Bessie photo.

A pair of alleged Houdini throwing knives, which have made the reality show rounds over the past few years, failed to get any bids. (I was surprised to even see these in this auction.)

As always, congrats to all the buyers and sellers!

Related:

• The most historically significant Houdini auction lot EVER?
• The saga of Houdini and The Sphinx (Houdini vs. A.M. Wilson)
• What's this about Houdini's throwing knives?

The most historically significant Houdini auction lot EVER?

Potter & Potter Auctions has released the online catalog for their upcoming Spring Magic Auction and it contains a wealth of Houdiniana. Chief among the lots are two recently discovered Houdini spiritualism scrapbooks from the Dunninger collection. Those are expected to fetch a very high price. However, it's Lot 360 that has me losing my mind this morning!

Lot 360 is "Elliot Sanford’s Houdini Manuscripts and Archive." The hitherto unknown Sanford worked as Houdini's secretary in the final weeks of the magician's life and was eyewitness to all that occurred before and after Houdini's death. He was also one of the pallbearers at Houdini's funeral (so identified in Christopher's Houdini The Untold Story, which is the only biography to mention him). Among letters, books, and postcards given to Sanford by both Harry and Bess is an unpublished manuscript he wrote detailing his time spent with the Houdinis. Here's just part of the mind bending auction description:

The manuscripts total over 100 pages, both holographic and typewritten, and are filled with tantalizing looks inside the Houdini home, Houdini’s ill-fated final tour of America, including the fateful episode in Montreal that would cost Houdini his life. Other elements discussed include the Weiss and Rahner families, the aftermath of Houdini’s death, and even the magician’s finances and the nature of his estate and how it was dealt with after his untimely passing. Various drafts and outlines, both typewritten and handwritten are included. In all, an archive of historical significance, filled with tantalizing unpublished data and anecdotes regarding the most famous magician the world has ever known. Sanford began working for Houdini as his business secretary in the last weeks of the magician’s life. His story, told in these pages, but as yet unpublished, describes in minute detail his time with the great magician, from the moment of his first interview for a position as assistant in Houdini’s dressing room, to the time of the fateful death blow delivered to Houdini in Montreal, and beyond. Sanford had a front row seat to these moments in history and recounts them in great detail in the pages of his unpublished memoir, offered here for public sale for the first time. The material in these pages has been virtually unknown until now and is an un-mined trove of lore not incorporated in to any published Houdini biography.

While rare posters and original props will always fetch the highest auction prices and cause the greatest stir, this is the kind of thing I consider a true treasure. A poster doesn't really tell us anything new about Houdini. But these pages hold the possibility of rewriting Houdini history, or at least enhancing our understanding of those critical last weeks and their aftermath.

Might they reveal whether Houdini was ill before Montreal? Might they provide new insight into Bess's substance abuse? Just looking at the sample pages melts my brain. A "near-accident" at Houdini's grave? The "lab" on the top floor of 278? Depending on what these pages contain, yes, this could very well be the most historically significant Houdini auction lot...ever!

Potter & Potter's Spring Magic Auction will be held April 28, 2018 starting at 10:00 AM. Previews take place at Potter & Potter's Chicago gallery April 26 & 27, from 10:00am to 5:00pm. The printed auction catalog, which sports a terrific Houdini cover (right), will ship approximately three weeks prior to the auction.

UPDATE: Unseen Elliot Sanford archive sells for $48,000.

Related:

• The last look at Houdini on earth
• Did a contract clause kill Houdini?

Center Stage (Mystifier), First Quarter 1992

Continuing my look back at the Mystifier, the quarterly newsletter of the Houdini Historical Center that ran from 1991-2003.

The second issue of what would eventually become known as the Mystifier is devoted largely to Houdini's first scrapbook. The scrapbook was donated to the Houdini Historical Center by Sidney Radner under the condition that is undergo professional preservation (at a cost of between $5000-$10,000). The book is described as thus:

The scrapbook appears to be sub-divided into two sections. The front 116 pages are a collection of clippings chronicling performances between June 22, 1894 and April 24, 1900, telling the story of the Houdinis two runs with the Welsh Brothers Circus and other shows. The rear 31 pages are a hodgepodge of miscellaneous clippings in memorabilia some mold at a later date. This latter portion include such items as the April 10, 1894 letter from Jacob Hyman to Houdini dissolving their partnership, an 1890 letter from the U.S. Amateur Athletic Union reinstating Ehrich Weiss' victory in a race, and a photograph portion of Houdini's plane packed in a crate.

Some clippings from the scrapbook are reproduced along with a transcription of the "Risey in the Box" article from the Coney Island Clipper, June 22, 1894, the day Harry and Bess were married. This is oldest news-clipping from the scrapbook.

In "Queries", Christopher Miller is still seeking info on Houdini's Milk Cans; Diane Kromm of Milwaukee seeks information on Houdini's posters; and Moira Thomas of Appleton seeks "references, stories, anecdotes, legends, etc., about Houdini's life on the vaudeville circuit."

In his "Backstage with Sid Radner" column, Sid tells a story about Houdini and Arthur Lloyd, "The Human Card Index", related to him by Walter B. Gibson. He recommends Patrick Culliton's article about Jack Hayman in the October issues of Genii. He notes that Pulitzer Prize winning biographer Ken Silverman recently visited the HHC "researching a book on Houdini." He concludes with this:

My wife Helen and I recently attended a workshop which presented the beginning of a Houdini musical–hopefully for Broadway. Finally, I have also seen stories in the press about a new Houdini movie. HOUDINI LIVES!

The play Sid is talking about is likely the musical that ultimately appeared at the Goodspeed Opera House in 1997 (it didn't make it to Broadway). The movie was almost certainly the on-again off-again Ray Stark project, which was in the news at this time as on-again.

The newsletter concludes with the news that the 1992 Magic Collectors Association convention will be held in Appleton May 7-9, the first time the convention was to be held outside Chicago, and that a special expanded Houdini exhibit would be created especially for the weekend.

Center Stage
Volume 2, Number 1
First Quarter, 1992
6 pages

Contents:
Scrapbook Presented to Center
Clipping from the Scrapbook
Queries
Membership Form
Backstage with Sid Radner
Magic Collectors Coming to Appleton

PREVIOUS ISSUE | INDEX | NEXT ISSUE

Related:

• Delving into The Mystifier
• Coney Island: Where Harry met Bessie
• Ray Stark's 35 year Houdini conundrum

The curious case of the incomplete Houdini scrapbook

In the recent Potter & Potter auction of Houdiniana, a major Houdini scrapbook sold for a whopping $43,000 (not including commission). This was, I believe, the high price of the auction. Who won it and what will become of it, I have no idea. But according to David Haversat, who runs Haversat & Ewing Galleries, the scrapbook was incomplete. Therein lies an interesting story.

The complete scrapbook was originally acquired by the late Larry Weeks (of Grim Game fame) in 1948. Larry held in his collection for half a century. Then in the late 1990s, Larry invited David to have a look at the scrapbook. Larry said he felt it was time to do something with it. When David returned, he discovered Larry had cut it up!

"He said he wanted to let everyone have a chance on getting a piece of Houdini from the book," says David. "While some would have been really upset, I understood Larry and could not entirely disagree with his logic. The scrapbook was falling apart and Larry's place was jammed with stuff. If the scrapbook was lost or destroyed, then all the historical items would be gone as well."

David handled the sale of the individual items for Larry between 1999 and 2000. Many items sold on eBay and fetched record prices at that time. Among the items sold were at least 20 Houdini challenges, annotated photographs, letters written to Houdini, postcards, tickets for his movies, photos of Bess and Houdini on vacation, and a receipt for parts for Houdini's airplane. With each item came a note from Larry explaining that it had come from Houdini's scrapbook.

Collector George Daily acquired a good number of the challenges and had them restored. Other major collectors who benefited were Arthur Mosses, Ken Trombly, Sid Radner, Roger Dreyer and Pat Croce (whose own collection was sold in 2014).

Below are a few choice items from the original scrapbook, including a terrific challenge from The Pittsburg Vise that I've never seen before ("The War Between Man and Machine"). There's also an signed affidavit from Houdini to the Pan Pacific Exposition of 1915 assuming all responsibility during his overboard box escape in San Fransisco Bay. I'm excited to share these gems here today.

So do you think Larry did the right thing in cutting up his Houdini scrapbook so more collectors could own a piece? Or did he destroy an important Houdini artifact? Sound off in the comments below.

Thanks to David Haversat.

Related:

• Potter & Potter Houdiniana auction results
• Page through a Houdini scrapbook
• Rick Schmidlin (Part I): Finding The Grim Game
• Larry Weeks has died

Potter & Potter Houdiniana auction results

Potter & Potter held their remarkable auction of "Houdiniana" today, and the results did not disappoint. It was a wild ride with some lots soaring to new highs while others offered up surprise bargains.

As I've already reported, the most publicized lot, the unpublished manuscript for The Cancer of Superstition, sold for $28,000 (all prices noted here are before 23% buyer's premium). A collection of letters from Houdini's manager, Martin Beck, which I considered to be the most historically significant item in the entire auction, went for $26,000. A Houdini scrapbook sold for $43,000 in what I believe was the highest price realized. Houdini scrapbooks have certainly become hot auction items lately!

The Castle Lock display case featured in the 1953 Houdini biopic starring Tony Curtis locked up $27,000. (It sold for $22,000 in the 2014 Pat Croce auction.) A Houdini lock pick brought $3,200 while a ball and chain, authenticated by Dunninger, went for $8,000. A pair of black McKenzie Mitts grabbed $5,500.

Martin Beck correspondence - $26,000.

Houdini scrapbook - $43,000.

Castle Lock display case - $27,000.

Houdini's Needles - $18,000.

A set of Houdini's Needles, complete with box, fetched $18,000. Twenty-six minutes of film footage, including film of Houdini's funeral and some missing footage from The Master Mystery, brought in $4,000. A 1904 "Caught" and "Flown" Christmas card sold for $3,200 while a colorful 1908 Christmas card sold for $3,000.

Photos sold fast and furious and ran the gamut of prices. An original photo of Houdini and Ching Ling Foo sold for what I thought was a low $300 (estimate was $400 – $500), while an 8x10 from The Grim Game sold for a surprisingly high $1,500 (estimate $600 – $800). Grim Game stills in general seemed to fetch premium prices. A pic of Houdini and the Roosevelt grandchildren (his toughest audience) sold for $750. A street scene of Houdini shooting a movie sold for $1,900.

But the image I thought was the photo of the auction -- and the one I most wanted for myself -- was the infamous "frenemies" shot of Houdini and Margery at Lime Street. I bowed out and let it go at $1,300 (and will probably kick myself forever).

Houdini and Ching Ling Foo - $300. Houdini and Margery - $1,300.

Street shoot - $1,900.

A postcard showing Houdini's historic Australian flight flew away with an impressive $3,200 (estimate $1,000 – $1,200). Another postcard showing Hardeen and his two "prize winning" pups brought $400 (another one I'll kick myself over). A wonderful pen and ink cartoon from 1905 drew $2,600.

The best bargains seemed to be books. A copy of Handcuff Secrets in very good condition sold for $375. A near fine copy of Magical Rope Ties and Escapes went for a low $250, and The Right Way To Do Wrong for $175. The pitchbook Houdini: His Life and Work in Prose and Picture by Hardeen sold for only $60.

Surprisingly, posters came in at the lower end of their auction estimates. The famous "Houdini for President" lithograph featured on the auction catalog cover sold for $12,000 (estimate $12,000 – $18,000). A King of Cards sold for $9,500, below the estimate of $12,000 – $15,00. In a 2014 Potter & Potter auction a King of Cards sold for $17,000. Finally, a sensational original lobby display and transport case was a steal, IMO, at $7,000 (estimate $7,000 – $9,000).

Houdini lobby display and case - $7,000.

Poster fragment - $650.

If you log into Live Auctioneers you can see all the auction results.

Congrats to Potter & Potter and all the buyers and sellers in what was yet another historic and exciting Houdini auction.

UPDATE: These two lots came late in the auction so I missed them yesterday. An unusual signed photo of Bess and Julia Sawyer in French costumes and wigs sold for $2,400. A Robert-Houdin glass column mystery clock brought a whopping $42,000!

Bessie and Julia - $2,400.  Robert-Houdin clock - $42,000.

Related:

• The Cancer of Superstition is FOUND!
• Potter & Potter 'Houdiniana' auction catalog
• Potter & Potter 'Houdiniana' auction April 9
• Potter & Potter's Houdiniana auction results (2014)