Remembering Harry Houdini Hinson

Here's a rare photo of Bess with her nephew Harry Houdini Hinson. Harry was the oldest child of Bess's sister Marie Hinson. He was the brother of Vincent, Ruth, and Marie (Blood). Harry was following the footsteps of his famous uncle and namesake by practicing magic. By all accounts he was quite good. Tragically, Harry was killed at age 20 in a sleighing accident 85 years ago today on February 15, 1934.

This photo, which is the only photo I've ever seen of Harry, comes from the collection of John Hinson, who you'll remember shared many wonderful rare unpublished photos with us back in 2013. So on this sad day, here's remembering the brief life of the other Harry Houdini.

Thanks to John Hinson and Jon Oliver.

Related:

• Meet the Rahners
• Marie Hinson remembers the generosity of Houdini
• "Dearest Vincent" - Lost Bessie letter comes home

Unpublished Houdini: Street shoot

Here's an unpublished shot of Houdini filming street scenes with an unidentified cameraman. This was most likely taken in Europe during Houdini's return tour in 1920 when he was heavily involved in making movies. Footage he shot during this tour would untimely appear in his 1923 feature, Haldane of the Secret Service.

"I think the film profession is the greatest and that the moving picture is the most wonderful thing in the world."

– Harry Houdini

This photo comes from the collection our good friend and benefactor, John C. Hinson, the great nephew of Harry and Bess Houdini. You can check out more unpublished photos from the Hinson family collection HERE.

Related:

• Haldane was here
• Unpublished Houdini: Man of action
• Houdini's film lab - then and now

Unpublished Houdini: FOREVER

Today we have the final installment of Unpublished Houdini. In this series I shared a new never-before-published photo of Houdini every Monday from our generous Hinson Endowment.

This portrait shot of Houdini has appeared in at least one documentary, but I don't believe it has ever seen print; so I think it's a perfect way to end our Unpublished Houdini series. What can I say? This is a fantastic shot of Houdini, capturing his iconic gaze and intensity, and the background gives it a very contemporary feel. It's almost like this was put together in present day to exaggerate the mystery of Houdini. But this is Houdini's own work in his own time. It's Houdini then, now, FOREVER.

"I am going to live as long as I want to and on my 100th birthday I am going to do my upside-down strait-jacket escape hanging from the tallest building in New York City."

-HOUDINI

I hope you all enjoyed our weekly dose of Unpublished Houdini. But don't worry, I still have plenty of unpublished shots of Houdini and Bess from our Hinson Endowment and I'll continue to share them in posts throughout 2014.

The Complete Unpublished Houdini:

Bound at Last

The ladder tie

Man of action

Hollywood pals

Confidence

In Los Angeles

Bess at home

Harry at work

Tourists

With his baby

From Beyond

Among Gods

FOREVER

Unpublished Houdini: Among Gods

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 a photo of Houdini and Bess posing with a group of fellow travelers at "Balanced Rock" in the Garden of the Gods National Park in Colorado Springs, CO. This was most likely taken in December of 1915 as Houdini was performing in Colorado Springs at this time, and that date seems right for his appearance.*

By the way, notice the tall man in the back without a hat. Looks a lot like Adrien Brody, doesn't it? Spooky...

Why it is a fit place for the gods to assemble. We will call it the Garden of the Gods."

- Surveyor Rufus Cable, 1859

Balanced Rock in the Garden of the Gods National Park still exists today and is a popular stop and photo op for tourists. Now besides being an amazing natural phenomena, we can add: Houdini was here!

Click here to view all the installments of Unpublished Houdini.

* UPDATE: Houdini dated this visit as January 4, 1916.

Unpublished Houdini: From Beyond

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 a terrific photo of Houdini as Howard Hillary a.k.a. The Man From Beyond. The 1922 silent feature was the first film made by the Houdini Picture Corporation and reflected Houdini's fascination with reincarnation. The press book shows that this photo was used on an 8x10 lobby photo (captioned: "Dare you say there's no life after death"), so maybe this is not technically "unpublished." However, I've never seen that lobby photo reproduced outside the press book, and I love this clean image of Houdini/Hillary emerging from pure blackness…from Beyond.

Click to enlarge

"But there is something--of that I am convinced--in the theory of reincarnation. Just how much, I cannot say, nor do I believe it will greatly profit us to try and tear aside the veil. In due time it will be lifted, and we shall see beyond with Milton--'the bright countenance of Truth.'"

-HOUDINI, 1919

Houdini's interest in reincarnation is something that you won't find mentioned in any biographies. I'm not sure why this is, because when looking through primary sources, like newspaper clippings and press books, it is found everywhere. Houdini seemed eager to express his ideas about this particular form of "life after death." He even had his own theory about who he may have been in a past life. But perhaps it's a little hard for biographers to reconcile Houdini the skeptic and/or the Rabbi's son with the idea of Houdini the reincarnation advocate. Although according to aish.com, the idea of reincarnation is found in Judaism.

"Dare you say there is no life after death."

Seeing as we are on a somewhat spiritual journey with Houdini, next week I will share an unpublished photo of Houdini "among the Gods."

Click here to view all the installments of Unpublished Houdini.

Related posts:

• Is this Houdini in a past life?
• Houdini, reincarnation, and a man named Von Treck

Unpublished Houdini: With his baby

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 Houdini the proud new author holding his first major book, The Unmasking of Robert-Houdin, published in 1908. His baby. In Unmasking, Houdini set out prove that the great French conjurer, Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin -- Houdini's boyhood hero from whom he took his name -- did not deserve credit for the many magic effects he was said to have invented. The celebrated "Father of Modern Magic" was, according to Houdini, in reality "the Prince of Pilfers."

"Wrote until 2:30 AM on Houdin book. This is a labor of love. I shall be happy when it is finished, as it will take a lot of worry off my mind."

- Houdini's diary entry, July 19, 1907
(He finished the next day.)

Houdini was immensely proud of his book, which features many images from his own collection, and dedicated it to his father. In adverts he even offered a cash prize of $250 if anyone could name "a book which has taken so much time, energy, travel and money, with such authentic data regarding real magical inventions." While he knew many would not read the book cover to cover, he still implored them in his inscriptions to at least "read the introduction." (This can be found written in many copies of Unmasking, including one in my own collection).

"Please read the introduction anyway."

However, the magic community, especially in France, severally criticized Houdini's wholesale "attack" on Robert-Houdin, and the book still provokes a strong reaction today. Kenneth Silverman writes in Houdini!!! The Career of Ehrich Weiss: "Some magicians damn the book; others accept or reject its arguments piecemeal; none endorses it whole."

Houdini never expressed any regret for his what is now seen as an over-the-top (one chapter is titled: "Robert-Houdin's Ignorance of Magic") and somewhat Oedipal attack on his namesake. Many think the true roots of the book lie with the French magician's family snubbing the newly famous Houdini during his first tour of Europe.

The one admission Houdini would allow years later was: "The only mistake I made was in calling my book Houdin Unmasked. It ought to have been History of Magic."

Click here to view all the installments of Unpublished Houdini.

Unpublished Houdini: Tourists

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

For this Thanksgiving week, I couldn't resist this unpublished shot of Harry and Bess Houdini with two Native Americans. Judging by their curious mix of contemporary and traditional clothing, these men appear to be genuine Native Americans and not costumed performers as seen in shots like this. This could have even been taken on an actual Indian Reservation during the Houdinis travels through the American Southwest in December 1915.

In a later installment of UH, I'll share more from this unrecorded trip, but for now enjoy this holiday shot of Harry and Bessie as tourists (click to enlarge).

I couldn't find an applicable Houdini quote to pair with this photo, so on behalf of Harry and Bess allow me to say…

"Happy Thanksgiving."

Next week we'll head back into the portrait studio for a shot of Houdini "with his baby."

Click here to view all the installments of Unpublished Houdini

UPDATE: I believe I've now identified the location of this photo, and it's not what we thought! Check out: The Houdinis at Inceville.

Unpublished Houdini: Harry at work

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 is an unpublished shot of Houdini hard at work in Hollywood on his first feature length film, The Grim Game. I'm not sure if this is a scene from the actual film. There is another photo of Houdini on this same wall hanging upside down holding actress Ann Forrest in his arms (which can been seen in Gibson's Original Houdini Scrapbook page 148). That shot was almost certainly taken for publicity, so maybe this one was as well? What I'd really like to know is whether this wall still exists somewhere in Los Angeles. [UPDATE: Now I know.]

"The present generation can see me in person, but I want my most thrilling feats perpetuated on the screen, so people in later years can assure themselves that I actually did them. That's why I have saved the most sensational stunts I have ever done for this picture and have worked my head off to make them as successful as possible."

-HOUDINI

The irony of Houdini's quote above (from The Grim Game pressbook) is that The Grim Game is the one Houdini movie that isn't available to the very audience that Houdini says he is making the film for. Hopefully at some point a print will free up and we will finally be able to enjoy the result of Houdini's hard work.

Oh, what the heck, here's a bonus photo. This shot shows Houdini and Ann Forrest in some Grim Game cliffhanger action. The man works hard, people!

Click to enlarge.

More Unpublished Houdini:

Bound at Last

The ladder tie

Man of action

Hollywood pals

Confidence

In Los Angeles

Bess at home

Unpublished Houdini: Bess at home

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

I'm giving Harry the week off and instead sharing today an unpublished photo of the other Houdini -- Bessie. What I love about this shot is it appears to be Bess in the backyard of 278. That makes this, incredibly, the only photo of Bess at the Houdinis Harlem home that I've ever seen. Of course, photos of Houdini at 278 are also pretty uncommon.

"Seated in a large arm chair in library and hearing Mrs. Houdini call up: 'Young man your lunch is ready.'"

- From an interview with HOUDINI 

when asked for his idea of comfort.

Speaking of Bess at home, recently I was able to nail down all four homes that Bess and Ed Saint occupied in Los Angeles during the 1930s, a few of which still stand. Watch for a post about that soon.

Next week we'll visit "Harry at work."

Bound at Last

The ladder tie

Man of action

Hollywood pals

Confidence

In Los Angeles

Unpublished Houdini: In Los Angeles

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

I'm changing up my choice of photo today for those arriving in L.A. this week for the Los Angeles Conference on Magic History. This is a magnificent unpublished shot of Houdini doing a suspended straitjacket escape from the historic Examiner building in downtown Los Angeles. (If you can't see Harry, click here.)

"I shall never forget that crowd as I hung suspended. It looked to me as if I was struggling over a bubbling sea."

-HOUDINI, 1917

As you can see, the beautiful Examiner building is as much the subject of this photo as Houdini. Publisher William Randolph Hearst commissioned Julia Morgan and Los Angeles architects Henke and Dodd to design the building in the popular Mission Revival style. Hearst was so pleased with the results that he later commissioned Morgan to design his massive San Simeon Castle. The Examiner building (later the Herald-Examiner) opened for business on January 1, 1915 and remained the newspaper's headquarters until the paper folded in 1989.

Happily, the Examiner building has survived at 1111 S. Broadway and still looks much as it did the day Houdini made his escape. The building is still owned by the Hearst Corporation and is now rented out for film shoots (including The Prestige). Below are photos I took of the building yesterday.

Harry hung here  | Map.

So when you've had your fill of Erdnase at the Conference, sneak on out and see some still living magic history downtown. Later this week I'll share more Houdini-Los Angeles history as well as some additional "then and now" shots from my Houdini photo safari in downtown yesterday.

UPDATE: The date of this escape was Wednesday, April 4, 1923. Also, the straitjacket Houdini used on this day was the same one that appeared on a 2011 episode of Pawn Stars.

UPDATE: Historic site of Houdini escape will be preserved.

Click here to view all the installments of Unpublished Houdini.

Unpublished Houdini: Confidence

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

For this Halloween week, how about this stunning unpublished portrait shot of the man himself. This image of Houdini was probably taken around 1904 and just seems to capture the full mystery, majesty, and, above all, confidence of Harry Houdini. Hey, if your job is to escape death every day, you better be confident! Looks like he is.

"The sun shines for me everyday."
                                               -HOUDINI

Next Monday we'll be giving Harry the week off and I'll share an unique shot of the other Houdini...

Also enjoy:

Bound at Last

The ladder tie

Man of action

Hollywood pals

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: Man of action

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

This week I offer up a special treat along with a mystery. Here are two unpublished shots of Houdini which appear to go together. The question is; what's going on here? Even our benefactor, John C. Hinson, doesn't know what these rooftop shots are all about.

At first I was excited that what we may have here are images captured during one of Houdini's "human fly" stunts. It's not generally known that Houdini sometimes engaged in non-escape related acrobatic stunts, such as scaling buildings. He even once climbed the exterior of 278 to bring Bess flowers on their anniversary. Houdini performed at least one human fly stunt during his return tour of the UK in 1920 when he climbed to the top of a castle in Newcastle and dangled from the parapet. These rooftops do appear to be European...so does the above photo show Houdini coming over the top of a building ledge with an assistant there to help?

But then when I paired the above image with this second shot of Houdini astride a chimney, I started to think that these photos don't capture a human fly stunt after all. Instead these appear to be Houdini engaging in movie-like "action." But this also ties into his 1920 European tour.

"The Movie Fans are clambering for another Houdini serial, and as that is much easier than my Self created hazardous work, I may step that way."

-Houdini

Houdini embarked on this tour at the height of his movie career and went out of his way to present himself as a freshly minted movie star. He also brought along a movie camera and shot random scenes in London, Edinburgh and Paris for a movie he was going to call The Dupe. Some of that footage was later used in Haldane of the Secret Service. But some footage was never used.

So could these be photos taken during some "action scene" shooting? Maybe what we're seeing in that first photo is not Houdini come over a rooftop, but struggling to hold on as a thug tries to kick him off.

These could also be posed shots for later use. There are other examples of these, notably a series of shots taken in Paris, one showing Houdini defending himself against a thug with a broom in front of Notre-Dame. Trouble is, these rooftops photos were both badly overexposed, so Houdini's day of high altitude action was for not.

Well, not entirely. Because thanks to a little Photoshop magic and the foresight of the Hinson family to hold onto these shots, today we can all enjoy Houdini's rooftop action. Douglas Fairbanks eat your heart out!

Speaking of movies, next week we will take a trip to the glamour capitol itself...

Also enjoy:

Bound at Last

The ladder tie

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...

Unpublished Houdini: Bound at Last

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

Let's kick off this series with this wonderful playful shot of Harry and Bess Houdini in 1924. Notice they are tied together around the waist. The Houdinis enjoyed taking joke photos like this, especially on their anniversary. It's possible this is their 1924 anniversary (which would have been their 30th). Or maybe it's just a typical day with The Houdinis. Whichever, it's a lovely image to see after 89 years.

"We have starved, and starred together. We have had our little tiffs but your sunny smile, and my good (?) sense always smoothed out the bitterness. I love you—love you—and I know you love me. Your very touch, your care of me dearest and the laughter in my heart when you put your arms around me prove it. Think dear heart, twenty five years. . . .yours till the end of the world and ever after. Ehrich."

-Note written by Houdini to Bess
on their their 25th Anniversary

By the way, bragging rights to the first person who can identify the double meaning of my "Bound at Last" title. It should be no mystery to a true Houdini buff.

Next week I'll share a photo of Houdini in tight situation that you might think you've seen before. But look again...

Thanks as always to John C. Hinson for allowing me to share this family treasure. And thanks to Tom Interval for the beautiful quotation.

Unpublished Houdini starts next week

Next week I'll launch a new series in which I'll share a never-before-published photo of Houdini every week for the rest of 2013. This is made possible by our generous Hinson Endowment. So get ready the first installment of Unpublished Houdini, "Bound at Last", on October 1st. It's going to be Wild.