Unknown French Master Mystery poster surfaces

I'm very excited to share some fantastic news today! Don Creekmore, who is currently writing a book about Houdini in Kansas, has acquired this hitherto unknown French poster for Houdini's 1918 serial The Master Mystery (Episode 4). The poster measures approximately 42" by 63" and as you can see for yourself, it's a stunner!

Don tells the story of how he came to own this treasure:

The poster was found among hundreds of other silent movie era posters in a movie theater in France. No other Houdini or magic related posters though. The owner discovered my website regarding my book research on Houdini's time in Kansas, www.houdinikansas.com. While the poster is unrelated to my book research, he did notice that my business, www.oldhelmet.com, is buying and selling authentic antique diving helmets.

When he sent me the image of this poster, I couldn't believe my eyes! Not often does an antique make me physically shake on first sight, but this did! After a number of months talking with the owner an agreement was made, bringing it to my collection of magic posters and diving helmets in Wichita, Kansas.

While this poster is completely new to me, a French Episode 8 poster in a similar style sold at a Christies auction in December 2008. I'm also aware of one other French poster in this style for Episode 3 in a private collection.

Congratulations Don!

Related:

• French Master Mystery poster beats auction estimate
• Houdini's underwater battle surfaces
• Locking down Houdini in Kansas

Nicola's tribute to Houdini

Here's an interesting interview with The Great Nicola a week after Houdini's death. This comes from the November 9, 1926 Dayton Herald. That Chinese "strangling cage" is a new one to me. Enjoy.

Related:

• Nicola The Handcuff King
• Museum will search for Nicola's vanishing elephant
• 'Houdini Triumphant' poster at auction (Nicola poster)

UK magic bar unveils Houdini artwork

The Houdini's Magic Bars in Canterbury and Broadstairs celebrated their fifth anniversary on Monday by unveiling Houdini artwork by Brighton street artist The Postman. "To mark this special anniversary we wanted the man himself to be here at long last," says owner Sam Watson. "So, after many chats and with the help of The Postman, Harry Houdini will be on the walls of both of our bars. Welcome home Harry!"

The Postman blend pop icons with graffiti culture. They explained: "It was a challenge as all we had to work with was a couple of facial images of the famous illusionist which were more than 100 years old. The remaining pieces of the artwork had to be created from scratch, so we visited a few costume stores to gather material and staged a photo shoot. Bringing Harry Houdini into the 21st century and sharing him with our audience is an honour for us."

Sources: Kent Online & Cene Magazine

Related:

• Houdini's Magic Bar opens in Canterbury
• Merlin McFly's stained glass Houdini window
• Houdini pops up at the ArcLight in Hollywood

Houdini, Rose, and Randi in Skeptical Inquirer

The July/August 2021 issue of Skeptical Inquirer magazine contains an article by Joe Nickell called "Role-Playing Detectives and the Paranormal" that examines psychic detectives and debunkers. As you might expect, Houdini, Rose Mackenberg, and James Randi all feature.

You can read the article HERE, or pick up a print edition in stores. To subscribe visit the Skeptical Inquirer website.

Thanks to Arthur Moses for the alert.

Related:

• Skeptical Inquirer looks at Houdini and Lovecraft
• Skeptical Inquirer discovers Houdini's Girl Detective

The "Houdini Shrine" has been found (kinda)

One of the great lost Houdini artifacts is the so called "Houdini Shrine" that belonged to Bess Houdini and featured as a centerpiece of the Final Houdini Seance of 1936. The shrine can also be seen in the movie Religious Racketeers and several photos of Bess in her later years. But after Bess's death in 1943, the shrine vanished without a trace.

Well, I'm happy to report that the "Houdini Shrine" is now part of my collection! Okay, so it's not the Houdini Shrine. It's a reproduction created by Manny Weltman for the 50th anniversary recreation of the Final Houdini Seance held at the Variety Arts Center in Los Angeles on Halloween 1986. For that occasion Gerrie Larsen played Bess and Stefan Krayk played Edward Saint. (You can read more about that seance HERE.)

How I came across this is a story I will share another time. For now, I just wanted to share this particular "Houdini Shrine" as it was also somewhat lost to time. Gives one hope that maybe one day the original might surface!

The Houdini Shrine on the seance table in 1986.

The 1986 Houdini Shrine today.

Thanks to Joe Fox.

UPDATE: Bill Schulert has shared this photo from the Jon Oliver collection. Is this Bess's original Houdini Shrine?

Related:

• The Final Houdini Seance redux 1986
• When Madame Houdini spoke
• The secret origins of the annual Houdini Seance

"Where he dines daily"

Here's a new Houdini location to visit when in San Fransisco. The Aladdin Studio Tiffin Room, once located at 363 Sutter Street, was a favorite restaurant for show biz types, including a familiar Handcuff King. Check out this advertisement from the March 21, 1923 San Francisco Chronicle.

According to a profile at Restaurant-ing through history:

The Aladdin employed African American women cooks and young women from San Francisco’s Asian community as servers. The decor had a Chinese theme with lanterns and dragons, but the cuisine was strictly American.

The restaurant was run by sisters Hattie and Minnie Mooser, who came to know Houdini well. They even amassed their own collection of Houdini memorabilia. The Aladdin Studio closed in 1929. In 1931 Hattie and Minnie opened a new establishment called the Aladdin Tavern on Van Ness Avenue.

Below is the approximate location of The Aladdin Studio Tiffin Room today. Where Houdini dined daily!

Related:

• Houdini and the Mooser sisters
• LINK: A mysterious Houdini girlfriend
• How to eat like a (Handcuff) King

Lives of the Conjurers: Houdini and Spiritualism

Professor Solomon is back with the fourth volume in his Lives of the Conjurers series. This time the focus is on Houdini and Spiritualism. Here's the description:

Houdini’s crusade against fraudulent mediums brought him into conflict with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes and the spokesman for Spiritualism. And it pitted him against a rogues-gallery of rascals. Among them were Pierre Keeler, who produced ghostly messages on slates; George Valiantine and his shenanigans in the dark; the escape artist Nino; and the Reverend Mrs. Josie K. Stewart, pastor of the Independent Church of Truth and a master of sleight-of-hand.

But his prime antagonist was Margery the Medium. “It is your wits against mine,” she told him. Was Margery a fraud? Did she despise Houdini—or admire him for his astuteness and manliness? And was Walter, her late brother, responsible for Houdini’s death

In this compelling history, the full truth about Spiritualism is at last revealed—by none other than Sherlock Holmes himself!

You can purchase Lives of the Conjurers, Houdini and Spiritualism at Amazon.com (U.S.) and Amazon.co.uk (UK). Volume Three, which also highlights Houdini, is still available.

Related:

• Lives of the Conjurers, Volume Three
• Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
• Mina Crandon a.k.a. Margery

Future of Houdini's Hotel Shelton uncertain

One the great surviving Houdini locations is the former Hotel Shelton in New York City. This where in 1926 Houdini famously remained sealed in an underwater casket in the hotel's pool for 91 minutes. While the pool was filled-in in the early 2000s, the hotel has remained in operation as the New York Marriott East Side.

However, due to Covid, the hotel closed in March of 2020. That "temporary" closure became permanent in October. In February 2021 the hotel was foreclosed on. As of July the property is caught up in legal wrangling and remains shuttered.

It's likely the historic building will survive regardless of the legal outcome, although what it might become is a question mark. But what a shame to see this great Houdini location now inaccessible.

If you're headed to New York and sad to not be able to visit the former Hotel Shelton, you might consider heading over to Herald Square and the site of the former Hotel McAlpin (now the Herald Tower apartments). As far as New York hotels go, the McAlpin seemed to be Houdini's favorite. He held many SAM dinners there, including the famous banquet in which Sir Arthur Conan Doyle "fooled" the magicians with film of dinosaurs from The Lost World.

Thanks and Happy Birthday to Neil McNally.

Related:

• Hotel Shelton pool is no more
• The Shelton pool test at 90
• The Hotel Shelton pool in color

History's Greatest Mysteries teases Houdini episode

A teaser trailer for the second season of History's Greatest Mysteries includes this blink-and-you'll-miss-it shot that suggests Houdini will be the topic of an upcoming episode.

This might be something I was involved with early this year. I'm not being coy, I really don't know. But if you click to enlarge this pic, you'll seen some intriguing images here. There's even a photo I've never seen before. So this suggests it's something special. And if it's the one of I'm thinking of, then it definitely is!

How's that for a teaser on top of a teaser?

Thanks to Mike Bent for the tip.

Related:

• Houdini Documentaries

Review: Man Vs History Vs Houdini

Houdini is the subject of the third episode of the new series Man Vs History with Bil Lepp. The show had its first airing last Tuesday on HISTORY and offered up a new and refreshing approach to the Handcuff King.

Instead of a standard biography or rehash of the well-trodden spy and murder conspiracies, this episode tackles two specific claims, both rooted in reality, of how Houdini may have accomplished his feats. This first is Houdini's own claim that he dislocated his shoulders to escape from a straitjacket. The second is the recently uncovered claim by Hardeen that a bullet in his brother's hand allowed him unique dexterity in slipping off handcuffs.

Lepp's investigation brings him to Houdini collector Roger Dreyer and escape artist Matt Johnson. The interview with Roger gives us our first look inside his new Houdini Museum. Lepp also consults with a hand specialist, Dr. Daniel Osei, regarding Houdini's famous bullet injury.

Matt Johnson performs a suspended straitjacket escape at the Garret Mountain Reservation in New Jersey. I'm happy to report that he puts the jacket on as Houdini did and does not cheat it with a straitjacket fail. Good work Matt!

Lepp ultimately concludes that both claims are likely more showmanship than fact. He also quotes Houdini himself as saying, "I can dislocate my shoulders. But I do it the more complicated way without dislocating my shoulders."

Overall, the show was well researched with nice use of photos and film footage. If I had any complaint it would be that the episode wasn't all about Houdini. There is a second segment about Annie Edson Taylor's plunge over Niagara Falls in a barrel. However, this was pretty interesting in itself, and there is a Houdini-Annie connection which you can read about HERE.

No doubt this episode will repeat on HISTORY. But you can also stream it at the Man Vs History website or purchase it at Amazon Prime Video.

Related:

• Did Hardeen reveal Houdini's most secret secret?
• Doctor's report reveals the physical Houdini
• Man Vs History explores The Real Houdini, Aug. 3

The Shelton pool test at 95

It was 95 years ago today that Houdini remained sealed in an underwater casket for over an hour in the pool of the Hotel Shelton in New York City. This was his last nationally covered outdoor stunt.

CLICK HERE to revisit a post I did on the 90th anniversary with all the details of this amazing feat.

Related:

• The Hotel Shelton pool in color
• James Randi on his Shelton pool test
• Four photos from Houdini's Worcester YMCA test

Houdini Air B&B? Can It Be?

Today I'm back on the always enjoyable Transatlantic History Ramblings podcast with Lauren Davies and Brian Young. This time the topic is the fabled Houdini Estate in Laurel Canyon, which is now available for rent via Airbnb. But we also talk about Doug Henning, Lance Burton, the Wonderland Murders, and Yanni! It's always a joy to join Brian and Lauren, so have a listen below. Interview begins at 30:55.

You can listen and subscribe to Transatlantic History Ramblings on Apple, Spotify, Google, Anchor, or your favorite podcatcher. You can also follow them on Twitter @HistoryTA.

Related:

• The true story of the Laurel Canyon Houdini Estate
• We're getting closer to putting Houdini in Laurel Canyon (for real)
• The Man Who Walked Through Walls AGAIN!!

Spying on Houdini

Our friend Tom Interval (Interval Magic) sent over this terrific story from the October 1946 Linking Ring about a man who witnessed Houdini escape from a cask of beer from a secret vantage point. It's pretty amusing -- although clearly Houdini didn't find it amusing one bit! I'll let the story speak for itself.

Click to enlarge.

Houdini was challenged by the G-B-S Brewing Co. to escape cask filled with Arrow Beer at the Maryland Theater in Baltimore on April 30, 1915 and again on April 27, 1916. I'm guessing one of these was the escape witnessed by Thomas Worthington? But what I'd really like to know is the identity of the disloyal assistant.

The Baltimore Sun, April 30, 1915.

Thanks Tom!

Related:

• Did Houdini really almost drown in beer?
• Discovering Houdini's Baltimore
• Bess never looked up

The ghost of Edward Saint

Over the years the Houdini Seance at the Magic Castle has had many different spooky effects that have come and gone. One effect from the 1980s was a room camera triggered to snap a photo if it sensed an ectoplasmic presence. Of course, Houdini Seances as the Magic Castle guarantee results, so that camera saw a lot of use!

I had completely forgotten about this effect until my good friend Mark Willoughby sent me this Polaroid, snapped during a seance held on my 21st birthday in 1985. Yes, looks likes the ghost of Edward Saint was in attendance!

The Magic Castle has now completely revamped the "Houdini Seance Experience." Its debut was delayed by the Castle's closure due to Covid. But it is now set to relaunch in late September. Below is the first teaser from the Magic Castle's August newsletter.

Thanks Mark!

Related:

• Edward Saint
• Rousing the spirits
• Magic Castle Houdini Seance is coming back to life