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

Houdini Returns: The Centennial Auction

Here's something to add to your 2026 Houdini calendar. Potter & Potter have announced "Houdini Returns: The Centennial Auction" for October 31, 2026. The auction will be held at The Magic Castle in Hollywood.

Marking 100 years since the death of Harry Houdini, Potter & Potter will present a landmark sale of Houdini memorabilia on October 31, 2026 at the famed Magic Castle in Hollywood, California. The sale brings to the public for the very first time 100 historic items from the collection of Kevin Connolly, many of which were personally owned by Houdini.

Click here to view a few preview auction items, including the famed Welsh Bros group photo that graces the cover of Escaping Obscurity: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini, 1897-1899. This should be a good one!

Related:

• Potter & Potter Houdiniana head scratcher
• When the Welsh Bros. came to town
• The Magic Castle reorganizes with Houdini's help

Off to see Harry...

I'm going to wrap up 2024 with a speculative journey. I often think about time travel. Well, more specifically, I think about time traveling to see Houdini. I know I'm not alone in this. So if time travel were possible, and, say, you could select 3 specific days in the past in which to see Houdini, what days would those be? Here are the 3 days I would program into my flux capacitor:

Saturday, May 14, 1898

On this day, the Welsh Bros. Circus was playing in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The young Harry and Bess Houdini were traveling with the circus performing Metamorphosis in the circus concert tent, where Bess would also do her seriocomic songs. It's also possible I could find Harry doing his King of Cards act in the sideshow. While all this would be enough, this day marked Houdini's debut as a "clown on bars" in the Big Top show. "Went big and funny," he wrote in his diary. So, yeah, a chance to see so many aspects of the young Houdini and Bess and experience the entire Welsh Bros. show... What a day! Also, if the rules of time travel allow, it would be easy to approach and talk to him.

For my second date, it's very hard to not select March 17, 1904, as that was the day of the famed Mirror Handcuff Challenge in London. Very hard! But the Mirror Challenge was just one performance, and I want to maximize my Houdini time. Besides, I know Joe Notaro will choose the Mirror Challenge, so I can learn all about it from him. Instead, I'm going to...

Saturday, March 2, 1918

This time, I'm landing in New York City to see Houdini vanish his elephant and escape from an underwater packing case at the Hippodrome. In fact, I could see it twice as the Hippodrome had a matinee (at 2:15) and an evening show (at 8:15). After the evening show, I could zip over to Martinka's magic shop and, using a 1918 S.A.M. card borrowed from one of my collector friends, I could attend the 174th regular meeting of the S.A.M. which Houdini presided over as President. But there's more! This was the week Houdini was giving World War I soldiers lessons on how to escape from German handcuffs. So, disguised as a soldier, I could get a lesson in escapes from the Handcuff King himself! Although, a 60-year-old private might seem a bit suspicious. He might think I'm an imitator come to steal his secrets! Maybe I need to rethink this one.

My last choice has to be a performance of the 3 Shows in One. But which one? While it is tempting to see Houdini's final show in Detroit, I think it would be too upsetting. So I'll leave that to others. Instead, I'm going to...

Thursday, September 30, 1926

This was when Houdini was playing his 3 Shows in One in Worcester, Massachusetts. This is also the day of the Summerfield's Department store test, in which he was sealed in a glass casket for an hour propped up on view. Unlike his other outdoor stunts, which were over relatively quickly, this is one I could savor. I'd get to stand and look at the 52-year-old Houdini for an hour! Heck, maybe I could even strike up a conversation with Jim Collins. Maybe get a backstage pass to the show that night! And speaking of that show, Houdini was doing the onstage Buried Alive in Worcester at this time. So I can see exactly how he presented this still largely mysterious escape. Yes, this means I would not see the Water Torture Cell, but I want to learn during each jump. I would also get to see all the new and improved magic for the 1926-27 season, including Slicing a Girl. And how poetic to see Houdini at age 52 doing his King of Cards routine, just as I had seen him do it three days and 28 years earlier.

How about you? What would your three days with Houdini be? Let us know in the comments below. I've also launched a POLL on my Patreon.

Thank you for your patronage and support this year. It was a big year for centennials and celebrations, and I expect more of the same in 2025. Happy holidays. I'll see you all in the future!

The Houdinis 1924 Christmas Card.

2024 in Review:

January (23 posts)

February (20 posts)

March (20 posts)

April (20 posts)

May (21 posts)

June (19 posts)

July (11 posts)

August (18 posts)

September (19 posts)

October (22 posts)

November (19 posts)

December (8 posts)

Most Viewed New Post of 2024

Geno Munari Houdini collection lost in fire (Oct. 21)

Houdini in Australia facts and fantasy

Andrew McConville from the State Library Victoria discusses Houdini in Australia on the "In Black and White" podcast hosted by Jen Kelly. These are well done. You can listen via the links below at the Herald Sun.

Harry Houdini: The great escape – Part 1

Harry Houdini: The great escape – Part 2 

Speaking of Australia, here's something I recently found. This 1895 ad for the Welsh Bros. Circus in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, advertises "The Mystifying Houdinis" as hailing from Melbourne, Australia.

Lancaster New Era, April 22, 1895.

I've actually seen several other early mentions of Australia being Houdini's home country. I always suspected reporters were confusing Australia with Austria (because Houdini claimed that as well). But this mention of Melbourne puts that notion to rest. So, yeah, in his early days, Houdini sometimes claimed he was an Aussie!

Believe

Related:

• Houdini's Melbourne bridge jump (sans corpse)
• When Houdini showed Australia that a man can fly
• Houdini's LAST Australian flight was the wild one

Ambassador's Tour

Following the Milbourne Christopher Awards last month––where I was honored to receive the Ambassador of Magic Award––I embarked on a whirlwind tour of Houdini locations in the region. Four states in three days! Here's what I saw on my self-proclaimed "Ambassadors Tour."

My explorations began the day of the Awards, Sept. 16, with a visit to the site of the former Winchell Smith Dam and Grist Mill in Farmington, Connecticut. This is where Houdini filmed the rapids action for The Man from Beyond. I also got to slip on the steel straitjacket from the Tony Curtis Houdini movie. I covered both these with photos in my award roundup post. The day after the awards is when my tour began in earnest.

Sunday, Sept. 17
I left New London early and drove down the 95, a beautiful drive on a sunny Sunday. As I passed through Stamford, Connecticut, I resisted the urge to turn off and seek out the location of the short-lived Weiss farm. I hadn't anticipated passing through Stamford, so I wasn't ready with the address and research. And I had a lady to meet! So I reluctantly let that location pass as I headed toward New York with the perfect soundtrack playing.

I soon arrived at my first New York destination: Gates of Heaven Cemetery in Hawthorne. This is where Bess Houdini is buried. I've never seen Bessie's grave, so I was excited to finally make this pilgrimage. However, the cemetery is huge, and Bess isn't easy to find. In fact, I was getting worried about ever finding her! So I began to walk and call out, "Show yourself to me, Bessie," and I'll be darned if I didn't walk right to her.

This was a very different experience than visiting Houdini's grave. It was much more emotional. It's sad to see her here alone, but her headstone is beautiful. I realized I should have brought flowers (something I've never felt the need to bring to Houdini's grave) so I left and returned with a lovely bouquet acquired from a florist just outside the cemetery gates. I ensured it had no yellow flowers as Bess was superstitious about the color yellow. I sang Rosabel (badly) and spent a fair amount of time talking to her. Again, this is something I never do at Houdini's grave. It was a cathartic experience that really took me by surprise. Thank you, Bessie. We love you.

I was now ready for my next stop. So I returned to my rental car and dialed a familiar address into the GPS: 278 West 113th Street. Yes, I was headed "home"!

Little did I know that this Sunday was the 54th Annual African American Day Parade in Harlem, so the streets around 113th were closed and packed! I was nervous enough about driving into NYC and trying to find parking. Now trying to do so in a parade...holy smokes. But maybe Bess was watching over me as I quickly found a parking garage just a few blocks away.

I'm always thrilled to visit 278! As far as Houdini locations go, this is easily #1. As I approached the house, I took a photo. The fact that there were no cars parked on the street was a rare opportunity to get a clean pic. It wasn't until later that I looked at the pic and noticed a strange oval of light directly over the house. Not something you often see in digital photos. I think this is pretty weird!

Homeowners Niro and Vincent were out for the afternoon, but Vincent's friendly father, John, visiting from Kansas City, let me inside and invited me to make myself at home. I cleaned up and was able to relax like it was my very own house. I was also able to enjoy the paraders on 113th Street. I imagined it was a parade for the new Ambassador of Magic!

When Niro and Vincent returned, they caught me up on all the latest renovations and discoveries. We had a wonderful dinner, and it was so much fun to enjoy the house as the Houdinis enjoyed it, filled with family and warmth. Vincent also made a terrific cocktail that I think he should name the "278." I had two!

But it gets even better. Niro and Vincent had invited me to spend the night. (Well, I invited myself and they said yes.) Vincent's parents were in the guest bedroom, so I took a fold-down couch in Houdini's top-floor workroom. Ironically, this is the room I always envisioned myself sleeping in. I even set my Christopher Award on the fireplace mantel to forever imbue it with Houdini 278 energy.

As night fell, it began to rain and continued to pour all night long. In my pajamas, I could look down on a rain-swept 113th Street from Houdini's office window and hear the rain tapping on the skylights. The atmosphere was indescribably perfect, and the entire experience was a dream come true. I'm the luckiest Houdini nut in the world.

Unfortunately, I had no dreams about Houdini or ghostly visitations in the night. However, early in the morning, I heard what sounded like a parrot somewhere on the top floor. Could this have been the spirit of the mischievous Laura who, by all accounts, was the true boss of the house?

Believe

Monday, Sept. 18

After a lovely morning coffee with Vincent and his father, I said my goodbyes and set out in light rain toward my next state: Pennsylvania. Eventually, the skies cleared and it was a beautiful drive into the Poconos. Around noon, I rolled into Scranton. I was there to see another famed Houdini location: the Houdini Museum!

I was so happy to see Dorothy Dietrich and Dick Brookz! For the next several hours we never stopped talking, gossiping, laughing, and having a generally wonderful time. Their museum is incredible! It's packed with memorabilia both old and new. Some reproduction material is there to help tell Houdini's story to visitors, especially children. But the longer you stay and the deeper you look, the more treasure you find. Dorothy then guides you through each with a twinkle in her eye. She also shared some rarities not available to the general public. It was one of the most extraordinary and unique Houdini museum experiences I've ever had.

But there was more to my day in Scranton. After a terrific dinner at a Chinese buffet, Dorothy, Dick, and I traveled downtown to see what used to be Poli's Theatre where Houdini appeared the week of February 22, 1915. The theater has undergone extensive renovation and is today called The Ritz. But it's a surviving Houdini theater, and we love those!

Dorothy also insisted we go see Scranton's famed Lackawanna Building. I'm so glad she did. The building is remarkable inside and out and said to be very haunted. Now a hotel, it was once Scranton's train station. Houdini and his equipment passed through the massive lobby, so this was a bonus Houdini location!

It was hard to say goodbye to Dorothy and Dick, but it was time to move on. Dorothy invited me to sleep in the museum, and I wish I would have! But I had already booked a motel in nearby Wilkes-Barre where another Houdini location was waiting.

Tuesday, Sept. 19

I woke up in Wilkes-Barre and set out early to find a location that was even more obscure than the Farmington rapids. With some luck, I had nailed down the exact spot where the Welsh Bros. Circus set up their tents for two days of performances in July 1898. The streets have changed and the exact site is now occupied by a construction company (who don't care for nosey visitors). These buildings appear to be new as Google Maps still shows the lots empty as recently as November 2020. 

However, the railroad tracks directly adjacent to the property are unchanged and afford a great view of the site. I noticed that the tracks branch off here, which makes sense as the circus train would have parked along the side track during these two days. It's a fantastic early Houdini location and the first Welsh Bros. location I've ever visited. (I'll have some other details about Houdini's time in Wilkes-Barre in the diary book.) I also picked up a few railroad spikes off the ground. So this location comes with free souvenirs!

This Welsh Bros. location was good enough that I could have called this the grand finale of the tour. But I had one last stop and one last state to go.

Around eleven, I rolled into picturesque Wayne, New Jersey, and the home of our friend Roger Dreyer. Here is where Roger houses his amazing Houdini Revealed Museum. Roger was super generous and welcoming as always. He had bagels waiting for me and some awesome gifts, including a new retail 278 item that I will be posting about later. I gave him a Welsh Bros. railroad spike. Then we got down to "work!"

I had seen the museum when it was located in Fantasma Magic in New York City, but Roger's setup here is far larger and jaw-dropping. Roger has an excellent sense of how to frame and display his treasures. He even let me try on Houdini's top hat and a pair of authentic jump cuffs.

Roger then let me go through his Houdini files. I only wish I had more time. I had to leave some files unseen if I was going to make it to Newark and my flight home. But what I saw was incredible, and this was a perfect way to end my Ambassador's Tour.

Thank you to Niro & Vincent, Dorothy & Dick, and Roger Dreyer. You are the true Ambassadors of Magic!

Addresses:

Miss Porter's School Administration (formerly Winchell Smith Dam and Grist Mill)

44 Mill Lane

Farmington, CT

Gate of Heaven Cemetery 

10 W Stevens Ave

Hawthorne, NY 10532 

Bess plot: Section 48, 184-10 

Houdini's House

278 W 113th Street 

New York, NY

Private. Tours by appointment only.

https://house.278.nyc/

Houdini Museum and Magic Show

1433 N Main Ave.

Scranton, PA 18508

https://houdini.org

The Ritz (formally Poli's Theater)

222 Wyoming Ave.

Scranton, PA 18503

Lackawanna Building

700 Lackawanna Ave.

Scranton, PA 18503

Welsh Bros. location 

E. Ross Street & S. Pennsylvania Street

Wilkes Barre, PA

Roger Dreyer's Houdini Revealed Museum

Wayne, NJ

https://www.houdinirevealed.com/

Related:

• Christopher Awards roundup
• Inside Houdini's 278
• Houdini joins the circus

The Bandwagon travels with The Houdinis and the Welsh Bros.

The latest issue of The Bandwagon, The Journal of the Circus Historical Society, has a stellar cover article by Greg Parkinson about The Houdinis and the Welsh Bros. Circus. The article is extremely well-researched and thoroughly annotated and offers new information about The Houdinis two tours, as well as Welsh Bros. history in general. Highly recommended!

The Bandwagon is sent quarterly to members of the Circus Historical Society. To join, visit their official website.

Thank you Chris Berry.

Related:

• Bess clowning around?
• When the Welsh Bros. came to town
• Houdini, Barbara Fritchie, and a return to Frederick

Bess clowning around?

Above is the famous photo of the Welsh Bros Circus troupe in 1895. You can see a young Houdini standing on the far right (labeled #6). But where is Bess?

I've always wondered if Bess is the clown standing in the center of the photo (#4). The clown looks to be Bessie's size, and why else would she be absent? There is also evidence that supports this. On page 78 of the Harold Kellock biography, Houdini His Life Story, Bess talks about this first tour with the Welsh Bros. and remembers:

"We had only two clowns with the circus, two serious- minded middle-aged men. The tragedy of their lives was that they could not sing, for they had the songbook privilege for the show, and, with no one to sing the songs, they could not sell the books. They were overjoyed when they found that I could make a stab at singing. They dressed me as a clown, put me on a chair, and I sang verses of all the more catching songs, for which I received the large sum of two dollars for fourteen shows. My, but I was proud of that money! I felt that I earned it all myself."

So what do we think? Does this photo capture Bess the singing clown? I think it does!

Speaking of the Welsh Bros., the next issue of BANDWAGON, the quarterly publication of the Circus Historical Society, will feature an article by Greg Parkinson about The Houdinis days with the Welsh Bros. that promises "new and surprising details."

Visit the Circus Historical Society website for details on how to join. You'll need to be a member by Monday to receive this issue of BANDWAGON.

Thanks to Diego Domingo and Chris Berry.

UPDATE: Chris Berry checks in with evidence that the Welsh Bros. Circus did have three (male) clowns at this time. The New York Clipper for May 5, 1895 identifies them as Charles O'Brien, Josesph Kearney and Billy Ashton. So it's possible they are the three pictured here and Bess, for whatever reason, is absent.

Related:

• Houdini joins the circus
• When the Welsh Bros. came to town
• Houdini, Barbara Fritchie, and a return to Frederick

Houdini, Barbara Fritchie, and a return to Frederick

On November 25, 1924, Houdini gave his spiritualism lecture at The Armory in Frederick, Maryland. The morning of his arrival, Harry and Bess sat down with a reporter in the main dining of The Francis Scot Key Hotel (above), for which Houdini expressed admiration.

The interview ran the next day in the Frederick News. In it the reporter is full of praise, stating: "Quiet and unassuming, he was the essence of friendship. He immediately places one at ease and when Houdini starts to talk, all one has to do is listen." Houdini even performed his thumb racket at the table. But what really stood out for me is when Houdini reveals he had been in Frederick once before.

In case you don't know (because I didn't), Barbara Fritchie was an elderly woman who defiantly flew the American flag from her house during the Civil War. She became famous in folklore as the heroine of a 1863 poem by John Greenleaf Whittier in which she tells a Confederate general, "Shoot if you must this old gray head, but spare your country's flag."

A 1927 reconstruction of the Barbara Fritchie house still stands in Frederick today.

At first I was skeptical of Houdini's story. It was my understanding that the Welsh Bros. Circus toured exclusively in Pennsylvania. So I thought Houdini might have whipped up this memory just for the local reporter.

However, I did some digging and discovered that the Welsh Bros. Circus did play Frederick for one day on September 14, 1898. This is indeed when The Houdinis were with the troupe! The circus set up on Burger's lot on East Patrick street. The local paper even mentions the parade:

Frederick News, Sept. 14, 1898.

So it looks like Houdini's memory is legit, and it's a treat to have a new story from his circus days. (I later discovered the Welsh Bros. also played a single day in Cumberland, Maryland. But Houdini in Cumberland is another story.)

The reporter then turns his attention to Bess. The result is this gem:

I have a feeling Bess was probably serious about this. Just as she worried about her husband when he suspended himself in a straitjacket, I'm sure she worried about him now and for good reason. Houdini was courting real danger with his exposures and there were no shortage of frauds and fanatics who could have done him harm. But just like Barbara Fritchie, he flew his flag anyway!

UPDATE: You can now read a day by day account of the Houdinis 1898 Welsh Bros. tour in Escaping Obscurity: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini 1897-1899, available exclusively from Mike Caveney's Magic Words.

Related:

• Houdini's Spiritualism Lectures
• When the Welsh Bros. came to town
• Houdini joins the circus

The American Museum of Magic has a fabric King of Cards poster (update)

Magician Franz Harary recently live streamed a tour of the American Museum of Magic's Research Center with Curator Jeffrey Alan. This part of the museum is not open to the general public. Inside are some true treasures, including many Houdini items. You can rewatch the video in full on Facebook.

One thing that stood out for me was an original King of Cards poster made of "fabric". I've never heard of a poster from this era printed on fabric (and would love to be educated). But I can see how it makes sense, especially for a traveling show. This has a Welsh Bros. circus header which dates it as 1898. I'm wondering if this is the same poster that was uncovered by Edward Saint and featured on the cover of Genii in October 1941? As far as surviving King of Cards posters go, this has to be one of the most intriguing.

Several other interesting Houdini items are shown, including the brass pails used to fill the Water Torture Cell with hot water. (I'd love to see these reunited with the cell some day.) Also a file said to have belonged to Bess containing an inscribed cabinet photo of the teenage Ehrich Weiss. The photo was sent to a relative in Budapest who gave it back to the adult Houdini during his visit in 1901.

The American Museum of Magic of located in Marshall, Michigan. The museum is currently open by appointment only. Visit their website for more info.

UPDATE: David Haversat, who certainly knows a thing or two about Houdini posters, provides the following:

This lithograph is not actually printed on cloth. This is a very early preservation of the poster being mounted on a cloth material. It’s much thinner than the linen used today. Depending how they adhered the poster to the material, the poster can appear to become part of the cloth. Some old time preservation materials included an item called Chartex, it utilized heat to bond the poster the this type of gauze. It’s a terrible material in today’s standards, but worked back then. 

There have been recent reproductions of the King of Cards printed on “oil cloth” or silk material on eBay. Those are reproductions. The one in the Lund Museum is authentic, and mounted to old preservation material.

Thank you David!

Related:

• Everyone's first Houdini poster
• Genii & Houdini: October 1941
• REPORT: The Midwest Magic History Weekend 2015

Everyone's first Houdini poster

Recently I was going through boxes of posters in my garage and was delighted to discover my old "Harry Houdini - King of Cards" poster reproduction. This hung on my bedroom wall from around 1976. I suspect this was the first Houdini poster for many. It sure was mine!

This reproduction is now iconic in its own right. So what's the story behind it? To tell the story right, we should probably start with the original.

King of Cards is often said to be Houdini's first poster and leads some to conclude that he started his career as a card magician. Neither is correct. While it could be said this is his first known solo poster, there are posters for "The Houdinis" that pre-date this. Houdini actually had this printed around 1898, probably at the same time as his full color Metamorphosis poster. Both posters were printed by the National Printing and Engraving Company of Chicago and both were used during the Houdinis 1898 tour with the Welsh Bros Circus. But the following year Houdini received his big break via Martin Beck and forever became the King of Handcuffs, making his King of Cards poster obsolete. Ironically, this poster, which is today is seen so often, it probably the poster Houdini used the least of any during his career. But that could be why so many copies survive.

In 1941 an original King of Cards poster featured on the cover of Genii magazine. Editor William Larsen noted: "The poster which is reproduced on the cover was found in the Houdini files by Edward Saint, Houdini Archivist, and especially rephotographed, on his instructions, for our use." The poster became known in magic circles. A mockup King of Cards poster with the image of Tony Curtis can even be spotted in Houdini (1953).

An original King of Cards and the 1941 rediscovery.

In November 1961, magician Tommy Windsor created the first reproduction of the King of Cards poster. This was well before magic poster reproductions were common, and it may have even been the first? Windsor's reproduction was printed on heavy 80 pound book paper and sold for $2.00 (postage paid). In his adverting Windsor dated the poster as 1895 and began touting it as Houdini's first. He also promoted it as a great deal, seeing as originals were known to sell for $25 and up! It appears Windsor only sold his poster for a limited time as his advertising dries up after 1961.

In 1968 Lee Jacobs again offered "Tommy Windsor's Harry Houdini King of Cards Poster" along with his own magic poster reproductions. Jacobs was a magician and publisher who operated a mail order magic business out of Pomeroy, Ohio. Presumably Jacobs had acquired Windsor's unsold stock, or he was selling them on Windsor's behalf. But in 1973 Jacobs announced that he had acquired the rights to the poster from The Tommy Windsor Studio. In the August 1973 Linking Ring Jacobs stated: "This is our finest hour. We have just completed the most beautiful poster reproduction ever and at a price you won't believe."

It's probably no exaggeration to say the Lee Jacobs King of Cards poster sold in every magic shop in the country. (I believe I got mine at Hollywood Magic.) And it was just in time for the great Houdini renaissance of the 1970s. It may have even been a contributing factor. It frequently shows up as background art in film and television. In The Life and Afterlife of Harry Houdini, Las Vegas magician Jen Kramer is quoted as saying, "I'll bet ninety percent of the kids who dream of becoming a magician have that poster on the wall, and we stare at it endlessly."

Unlike some of Jacobs other reproductions, King of Cards is approximately the same dimensions as the original. The quality of the reproduction is also excellent and the book paper gives it a lithograph look and feel. Ironically, it's now old enough that it could be confused as being an original! But there are obvious tells. Original King of Cards posters have wider borders and a large empty space at the top where performance details would be placed. Also, "NATIONAL PR. & ENG. CO. CHICAGO" is omitted from the lower right border of the reproductions. Jacobs also stamped his name and address on the backs.

As for telling the difference between the Lee Jacobs and Tommy Windsor reproductions, I'm afraid I've not seen a confirmed Windsor poster, so I don't know the differences for sure. But it's possible Jacobs trimmed the borders tighter on his posters. I did spot a "vintage" repro on eBay that had larger borders and no Lee Jacobs stamp on the back. So maybe this was a Tommy Windsor? If anyone has a confirmed Windsor, I'd love to see it.

In 1980 Jacobs issued a "NEW" King of Cards reproduction. This new poster was done on 100 pound glossy enameled stock with the color being closer to the original. While the borders are still trimmed, the Chicago Printing Company credit is restored. On the back are reproductions of two Houdini photos and a letter along with an essay by Jacobs dated February 22, 1980. The essay furthers the myth that the poster "dates from before the days when Houdini began doing the escape feats."

Even though the paper quality on the 1980 poster is heavier and less susceptible to aging, to my eye the image is slightly inferior to the earlier poster. And it's a shame to loose the lithographic look and feel. In 1980 I was excited by the extras on the back and the restoration of the printing company's name. But today I prefer my pre 1980 poster. Below you can see the two reproductions side by side front and back (original on left and 1980 on the right).

Lee Jacobs would go on to release a reproduction Buried Alive poster in 1986 which featured material on the back related to "Harry Houdini, Motion Picture Star". Jacobs died in 2003. Of his magic poster reproductions, his widow Ramona Compton said, "This may have been Lee's greatest contribution to the field of magic. And he had always wanted to be remembered for this contribution."

In 2014 the original King of Cards poster that Tommy Windsor used for that first reproduction in 1961 sold at a Potter & Potter auction for $17,000.

Today you can get beautiful King of Cards poster reproductions with the full borders and accurate colors from Nielsen Magic and others. But for me there is something magical and, yes, collectible about these earliest King of Cards reproductions from Tommy Windsor and Lee Jacobs that started it all.

Did you have a King of Cards poster? Do you remember where you got it? Please feel free to share your own King of Cards memories in the comments below.

Thanks to Magic Castle librarian extraordinaire Joe Fox for all the information and great images that turned this post from a one paragraph quickie to a King of Cards deep dive!

UPDATE: Mark Horowitz has sent this image of his original Tommy Windsor King of Cards poster. As you can see, the borders are indeed a bit wider than the Jacobs repro. These were sent to buyers folded and with an "Insurance Poster Trick." Thank you Mark for providing this final piece of the puzzle!

Related:

• Original King of Cards poster sells on eBay
• Genii & Houdini: October 1941
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