Harry Houdini in Hull by Roger K. Noble

Here's a surprise entrant into the 2026 Houdini book sweepstakes. The Houdini Research Files and other magical anecdotes: The definitive story of Harry Houdini in Hull, 1903 - 1920, by Roger K. Noble, has just been published by the Carnegie Heritage Center. I love specialized works like this.

The book is listed on Amazon.co.uk with an April 2027 release date. But the Carnegie Heritage Center website has the book in stock now! That's where I just bought it, and it has already shipped. Below are details.

A beautifully designed and elegant large hardback book covering the period in Hull between 1903 and 1920 when Harry Houdini came to Hull six times appearing at local Music Halls and doing various publicity stunts around the city. This was a time of music hall, vaudeville, science and entertainment and this book describes his performances and the stars he appeared with. The book covers some myths about the world famous star and includes never been seen before images and discloses press reports and interviews with the man himself. With this year 2026 marking 100 years since his death, this book is a must have.

Purchase The Houdini Research Files and other magical anecdotes: The definitive story of Harry Houdini in Hull, 1903 - 1920 from Carnegie Heritage Center or, if you don't mind waiting until April, from Amazon.co.uk.

Thanks to John Hinson for the alert.

Which 2026 books have you bought so far? I have a poll running on my Patreon. Which book is in the lead? Click below and find out.

Related:

• Finding Houdini in Hull
• The 2026 Houdini Centennial Bookshelf
• Derek Tait's new book is a Houdini ESSENTIAL

LINK: How Houdini made Croydon churn with his staged escape act

Nice article at Inside Croydon about Houdini's appearances in Croydon in 1909 and 1910. The central mystery is where exactly Houdini appeared, but I can tell you it was at the Empire Theater of Varieties on North End Street (later the Eros Cinema). You can see I added a comment to the article.

I would still like to nail down the date of this challenge from Hooker's Dairy, even though it's too late to make it into my book. I'm also on the hunt for additional details about his two 1910 appearances, as those will be covered in the next book.

Related:

• The Milk Can
• Derek Tait's new book is a Houdini ESSENTIAL
• Did Houdini really almost drown in beer?

Catching Houdini in Edinburgh

Houdini returns to Edinburgh this week when Houdini Speaks to the Living opens at The Space as part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival on August 7. Click here or on the image below for details and tickets.

While in Edinburgh, why not take a tour of magic locations? Magician Richard Wiseman has added a "Magic & Illusion: Free Walking Tour of Edinburgh" to his website. Quite a few Houdini locations here. Click the image below to see the tour. You can also download a PDF.

Related:

• 'Houdini Speaks to the Living' 2026 tour
• Chasing Houdini in Edinburgh
• LINK: Harry Houdini’s forgotten Edinburgh escapades

The escapes of Karl Bartoni on YouTube

Escapologist Karl Bartoni has launched a YouTube channel featuring vintage film and television footage of his many escapes. There's some really great stuff here. Not only are some of Karl's escapes pretty wild, but they really capture the time and place (mostly Blackpool in the 1980s). Karl also has some video about his friend and mentor Murray, the famed Australian escapologist who retired to Blackpool.

The site is well worth a look, so click below and delve into...

Karl Bartoni - Escapologist

Related:

• Houdini in Blackpool's new "Showtown" museum
• Who coined the word "Escapologist"?
• Did Houdini escape from a lion's den?

See MAGIC at the Chichester Festival Theatre

David Haig’s Magic will play the Chichester Festival Theatre from April 24 to May 16, 2026. Haig plays Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Hadley Fraser plays Houdini. Illusion design is by John Bulleid.

Harry Houdini is the greatest illusionist the world has ever known. Arthur Conan Doyle is the creator of literature’s most brilliant detective, Sherlock Holmes. Their mutual admiration blossoms into a profound friendship, but their views on spiritualism are poles apart. Which of these sparring partners will be proved right? Based on extraordinary historical events, David Haig’s new play Magic asks what we’re prepared to believe, and why.

For tickets and more information, visit the Chichester Festival Theatre website.

Related:

• Houdini Plays
• The real story of Houdini & Doyle
• 'Houdini Speaks to the Living' 2026 tour

Searching for Houdini at "The Old Vic"

The Old Vic near its end. Strourbridge.com

I recently found an article in the April 5, 1958, Stourbridge News about the restoration of "The Old Vic" theater (aka Victoria Music Hall, aka Victoria Cinema) in Lye. The paragraph below is what caught my eye.

Stourbridge News, April 5, 1958.

Unfortunately, I have no record of Houdini at the Victoria in Lye or anywhere in Stourbridge. I am a bit skeptical. This was a very small theater, not affiliated with any of the music hall circuits Houdini played. And as far as I can find, it opened in January 1914. This doesn't leave much time for Houdini to have been there. I have two open weeks for him in 1914: January 5-11 and March 9-15. After that, he was back in the U.S. for the duration of the war.

One possibility is that Houdini could have made a personal appearance at the theater when it was showing The Master Mystery during his 1920 return tour of the UK. But now I'm reaching.

If any research bloodhounds are able to find Houdini in Lye, please give me a bark!

Want more? On my Patreon, I recently shared a list of dates for which I don't have a record of where Houdini was performing (if at all). You can did into that by clicking below.

Related:

• Derek Tait's new book is a Houdini ESSENTIAL
• LINK: Harry, Larry and Violet: Safe Bind, Safe Find
• List of surviving Houdini theaters

Steven Frayne (Dynamo) will honor Houdini's 100th

The Sun newspaper in the UK reports that Steven Frayne, the magician formerly known as Dynamo, will star in a three-part series on Sky Max to mark the Centenary of Houdini's death. 

According to a source, "Steven will be carrying out death-defying challenges, just like his hero Houdini, who is considered the world’s greatest ever illusionist and escapologist. But the stunts will be carried out in combination with his own brand of street magic as he journeys across the US to mark this special anniversary." 

More details will be announced in due course.

Escaping Obscurity now available in the UK

Escaping Obscurity: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini 1897-1899 is now available via a few more magic retailers besides publisher Mike Caveney's Magic Words. There's good news for those in the UK who may have avoided buying the book because of postage costs. Collecting Magic Books now has it in stock.

I'm also happy to see The Magic Apple here in Los Angeles (Studio City) has the book in stock. The Magic Apple is a fantastic old-school magic store, so it's a nice feeling to know a book I wrote is on their shelves. I went to magic shops looking for Houdini books as a kid, so I love the idea of some young Houdini nut stumbling on the book here.

At the moment, these are the only outside retailers with books, but Mike tells me more will be coming. I will share them as I get them.

Overall, the book is selling great, and reviews have been very positive. I have learned of a few errors and made a few post-publication discoveries, all of which I'm tracking on my page: ESCAPING OBSCURITY: Discoveries & Corrections.

Related:

• A Houdini Milk Can mystery in Studio City
• The Magic Apple conjures a Houdini card deck
• YOU CAN NOW OWN HOUDINI'S FIRST DIARY

Houdini BBC radio collection released

BBC audiobooks have released a collection of three BBC-produced Houdini radio programs called Houdini & The Witch of Beacon Hill. Details below.

What drove Harry Houdini - magician, escapologist, and one of the most famous men in the world? Whether it was escaping from handcuffs, a straitjacket or from a box filled with water, Houdini wowed audiences with his seemingly death-defying performance... This BBC Radio collection shares the story behind the trickery: in two fascinating full-cast dramas about the life of Harry Houdini, and in particular his public campaign to expose fraudulent spiritual mediums.

In the stunning full-cast dramatisation Houdini, a man is naked against the world, bound in chains, deprived of all help. Performing a death defying escape from a galvanised iron can, filled with water and secured with massive locks. Failure means a drowning death! This is the gripping story of the master magician, escapologist, and at the time of his death in 1926, one of the most famous men in the world. Michael Maloney stars as Houdini, with Graham Crowden as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Lorelei King as Bess.

Houdini, the showman, longed to believe that he might be able to communicate beyond the grave with his beloved mother, but knew far too much about the trickery and faking of the stage to be easily convinced. The Witch of Beacon Hill is the true story of how Harry Houdini tried to debunk psychics and mediums. Attending séances in disguise, accompanied by a reporter and a police officer he debunked the most famous and celebrated Boston medium Mina Crandon, also known as ‘Margery’. This radio drama tells Margery’s story, and the story of how Houdini set out to disprove her claims. Starring Shelly Thompson as Margery and Nigel Anthony as Houdini.

This double edition collection comes with a bonus episode of Harry Houdini: Escape artist and showman with Rajan Datar. Through interviews, Datar charts the life and career of the legendary Houdini, with writer and biographer Adam Begley, Dr Matthew Solomon, and Dr Katharina Rein.

For the record, Houdini was first broadcast on BBC Radio 2, Oct 1996; The Witch of Beacon Hill on BBC Radio 4, 30 Sep 1989; and Harry Houdini: Escape artist and showman on BBC World Service, 30 Dec 2021

Purchase Houdini & The Witch of Beacon Hill: Two Full-Cast BBC Radio Historical Dramas at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. Unfortunately, there does not appear to be a physical release.

Related:

• Ghosts of Beacon Hill
• BBC Radio: The Witch of Beacon Hill
• Peepolykus blend Houdini and Dracula on the BBC

The Man From Beyond for real

Houdini's 1922 film The Man From Beyond wasn't released in the UK until January 1927. That's right, The Man From Beyond didn't appear in British cinemas until after Houdini's death, meaning the flickering image on those screens really was a man from beyond! Of course, this presented a marketing challenge.

Below is one of the only ads that references Houdini's death, referring to him as "the late Houdini." I found another ad that calls the film as "His Last Great Creation." Apart from these, ads largely ignored the fact that the film's famous star was now deceased.

Evening Advertiser, April 1, 1927.

Evening Post, Feb 17, 1927.

Houdini had planned to tour the UK in 1927, presumably with his "3 Shows in One." It's possible he negotiated the release of The Man From Beyond for 1927 in anticipation of his return to the country after a six-year absence. When he last played the UK in 1920, The Grim Game was just coming out in cinemas.

I've often thought about how audiences perceived this last appearance of Houdini in the UK, where he was so well-known and popular. Seeing The Man From Beyond must have been a somewhat melancholic experience. And, considering the story is of a man returning from the dead, a little spooky!

But very Houdini.

Related:

• Houdini planned to return to the UK in 1927
• The Man From Beyond down under
• The Man From Beyond haunts Hollywood in 1971

Houdini art fanzine from 1980

Here's an eBay oddity that caught my attention. This is a 1980 fanzine produced in Bristol, England, called HOUDINI. It's not a magazine about Houdini himself, but a fanzine devoted to music and theater art. However, the man himself is featured on the cover of issue #1, and there appears to be an article about "The Self-Liberator" by Jim Newman. Was there ever an issue #2, I wonder?

You can view the auction HERE.

The real Houdini was no stranger to Bristol, playing the city in 1904 (2x), 1909, 1913, 1914, and 1920.

District Free Press, March 13, 1909. 

Related:

• This post by Tom Interval is Dynamite
• Genii & Houdini: The lost decade
• Houdini Periodical Bibliography Revised 3rd Edition

The Vanishing Elephant will appear in Oxford

The Vanishing Elephant will run at the Oxford Playhouse in Oxford, England, from June 11 to June 14. The play is produced by Northern Irish theatre company Cahoots, written by Charles Way, and directed by Cahoots' artistic director, Paul Bosco McEneaney. The story is inspired by Houdini's famed vanishing elephant, Jennie.

You can buy tickets at the Oxford Playhouse.

Related:

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

"This is a contest, not a love match!"

It's on! The members of the UKEA (United Kingdom Escape Artists) have accepted my challenge for one of their members to recreate the infamous Houdini-Hodgson challenge. Looks like Robin Fox will be that man. Let's hope he doesn't expect some kind of "milk and water affair." In the immortal words of William Hope Hodgson himself, "This is a contest, not a love match!" 👊

Robin will take on the challenge at the UKEA Convention at Shrewsbury Prison in the UK on June 14, 2025. Chris Gower will also give a talk on the rare handcuffs that Houdini owned. You can get more details at the UKEA Convention's Facebook page and buy tickets at De-Val Escapology. Does someone in the UK want to be my eyes and ears to make sure this thing is on the level!?

In all seriousness, I'm thrilled the UKEA and Robin have embraced this idea. The Hodgson challenge was one of Houdini's hardest tests, and I think a lot can be learned from recreating it.

But can he do it?

Related:

• Houdini vs. Hodgson in new book
• Inside History covers Houdini vs Hodgson
• Guest Blog: A modern day Transport Cell challenge

No love for The Truth

For me, the documentary The Truth About Houdini was as important as the Tony Curtis film in fueling my excitement for Houdini. It certainly helped shape my understanding of Houdini and introduced me to the major Houdini players at that time. It's still my favorite Houdini documentary. 

That's why I'm so surprised to read this review in the December 30, 1970 Northern Echo that excoriates it! But the doc did generate controversy, at least in the UK. The Magic Circle objected to what it believed were exposures. However, apart from the cross escape (which was removed at some point), there are no significant exposures.

Anyway, this is a fun read, and I can't condemn someone for defending Houdini, even though, in my opinion, it was unnecessary.

Want more? You can view the cut cross escape footage as a Scholar member of my Patreon below.

Related:

• The first great Houdini documentary
• Watch 'The Truth About Houdini' on its anniversary
• Channel 44's Houdini Halloween of 1976

Now you can read "The Amazing Exploits of Houdini"

This is exciting. Joe Notaro and Arthur Moses have teamed up to bring the elusive Kinema Comic series The Amazing Exploits of Houdini to print in a collected edition for the very first time. This first book contains the stories from 1920 with the original illustrations. Details below.

The British Boys weekly The Kinema Comic ran a serial “The Amazing Exploits of HOUDINI” (“Written by Houdini Himself” – or so it says) from April 24, 1920 to November 27,1926. In these yarns, which no one should miss, the Master of Mystery chronicles his most amazing exploits. Surviving copies are almost impossible to come by these days.

Joe M. Notaro and Arthur Moses have been tracking down these rare issues and are making them available to you in a book series by year. In this offering, they have compiled the 1920 (Apr – Dec) weekly serials (36 issues) of “The Amazing Exploits of HOUDINI” into a single book with original illustrations.

You can purchase Kinema Comic 1920 (Apr-Dec) The Amazing Exploits of HOUDINI from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk in hardcover or paperback.

Related:

• "The Amazing Exploits of Houdini"
• Joe Notaro publishes 'Houdini's Schooldays'
• Houdini Periodical Bibliography Revised 3rd Edition

The Legend of Houdini with Greg Chapman

Magician Greg Chapman will debut his new show, The Legend of Houdini, at Alvechurch Village Hall in Birmingham, England, on October 23, 2024. Below are details. 

Even though Harry Houdini passed away nearly 100 years ago, he remains one of the most famous magicians the world has known. This is mostly because Houdini, as well as being a respected magician and escape artist, was above all a wonderful self publicist.

Never one to let the truth get in the way of a good story, especially one about himself, Houdini created his own legend.

Now, modern magician and escape artist Greg Chapman (creator and performer of The Non-Psychic ‘Psychic’ Show and writer of Greg and Felicity’s History of Magic) is taking to the stage with a new show, in which he performs effects and escapes inspired by Houdini, and shares some of the stories, both true and… exaggerated… that make up The Legend of Houdini!

£1 from every ticket sold for this show will be donated to Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center, Costa Rica.

You can purchase tickets at Ticket Source.

Greg will be touring The Legend of Houdini throughout the UK. You can see a list of upcoming shows HERE.

Related:

• Everyone's first Houdini poster
• I'm starting to think Houdini isn't always honest with us
• All posts related to Houdini events

UK gym offers Houdini workouts

Gymbox in the UK is offering special Houdini-themed workout classes at their Victoria and Ealing locations. Details below.

Ready to break free from the chains of everyday fitness routines? Inspired by the legendary Harry Houdini's workout regime, challenge your body and mind by learning techniques in flexibility, breathwork, agility, and finger-dexterity drills while you hang from the ceiling. It's a workout that escapes limitations and suspends all belief. (And yes, of course, there'll be handcuffs.)

Hattie Grover, Master Aerial Trainer at Gymbox, tells joe.co.uk: "Houdini is not just about breaking a sweat – it’s about breaking free from limitations, both physical and mental. This class will challenge our members like never before, combining the thrill of escapology with a hardcore workout that targets strength, flexibility, and problem-solving skills."

For more information, visit www.gymbox.com. And to get exercise tips from the man himself, check out the top related link below.

Related:

• Houdini is your new fitness coach
• Houdini, Tarzan, and the Perfect Man
• Houdini's claim that he was building a "health house"

Houdini's Coffin wins UK soapbox derby

A coffin-shaped racer paying homage to the great Harry Houdini escaped with top honors at Sunday's Red Bull Soapbox Race at Alexandra Palace, outpacing 58 other wacky entries, reports The Standard. 

Thousands of spectators packed the grounds to witness the return of the event to British soil. The global competition challenges teams to cobble together the most outlandish gravity-powered vehicles imaginable before hurtling them down a treacherous hill.

The Hurry Houdini team from London were crowned this year’s winners. They said "a lifetime of preparation" had gone into the race and that they would be back to defend the title next year "with a few tricks up our sleeves."

You have now officially seen it all.

Related:

• Checkered flag photo identified at last!
• We've been looking at this photo all wrong!
• Houdini rushes The Amazing Race

Inside the Hulme Hippodrome

This video takes you inside the abandoned Hippodrome in Hulme, England, where Houdini performed in February 1909. Here's hoping it can be saved.

Music Hall and Theatre Review,  February 19, 1909.

For more on the theater and the effort to save it, check out the Save Hulme Hippodrome website.

Related:

• List of surviving Houdini theaters
• Newark's (barely) surviving Houdini theaters
• Inside Houdini's Los Angeles Orpheum

The Water Torture Cell captured in 1913

Here's an interesting illustration from the Sporting Life, February 28, 1913, when Houdini was performing the Water Torture Cell at the Finsbury Park Empire in London.

 The artist is very likely drawing from what he saw firsthand. Check out the unusual configuration of the "band of steel" (as Houdini called them) on the cell. It appears that care is being taken to allow the audience to see Houdini's head when inside the cell; hence, the lower section is left open. First time I've seen this.

I also can't help but see a mustache on Houdini in this illustration, but I'm sure that's just a shadow. I've always thought it surprising that Houdini never even experimented with a mustache and remained clean-shaven his entire life. Mustaches were very fashionable at this time, as the historical footage below can attest.

Want more? You can see Houdini's original illustration and notes for the Water Torture cell from the collection of David Haversat as a member of my Patreon below.

Related:

• Was Houdini's caged Water Torture Cell a reality?
• Revenge of the beach boy
• Whoa! Was there a Water Torture Cell movie?