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Monday, February 1, 2021
January 2021 in review
Here's a rundown of posts by category that appeared on WILD ABOUT HARRY in January.
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Saturday, January 30, 2021
Set of Houdini printing blocks sell (quickly!) on eBay
On Monday there was some excitement on eBay when six original Houdini wood printing blocks appeared from a seller in Florida with relatively low Buy It Now prices (which quickly shot up as they started selling fast!). When the dust settled, I was thrilled to come away with the below.
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Wood blocks like these were used in the printing of newspapers and other print media and can be one of a kind. The seller says she found the entire set at an estate sale of a 90+ year-old man. Three of the blocks are etched plates like the above and three are photos on copper. The largest of these is the well-known "Houdini at Different Ages of His Career" page from his pitchbook. Below are the auction images.
While I recognize all these blocks from their newspaper appearances, my own block is a bit of a mystery. While I suspect it was also used in newspapers, the only image I've found so far is the below print in the McCord Museum. Is this the original drawing from which this block was made? You'll notice it has the artist signature. Unfortunately, I can't make it out. [See UPDATES.]
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| McCord Museum |
I would love to more more about printing blocks in general. Were they all one of a kind? How did newspapers acquire them? Would Houdini have provided them himself? If you have any answers, please let me know in the Comments.
Thanks to Todd Karr of The Miracle Factory for giving me the heads up on these!
UPDATE: Chuck Romano of My Magic Uncle tells me the artist here appears to be Howard K. Elcock, an English pen and ink illustrator who did a lot of artwork for Will Goldston's publications. The following is from The Magazine of Magic, February 1915:
UPDATE: Another development. I've just discovered this illustration appears in the "Revised 1920" edition of Houdini's The Adventurous Life of a Versatile Artist pitchbook (below). Curiously, the illustration is not in the later "Revised 1922" edition. Instead, the original photograph appears in its place. Maybe he lost the block!
UPDATE: I've now learned these plates came out of the famous 1980 278 estate sale. Also, what the seller told me about these coming from the estate of a 90+ year old man may not be accurate.
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Friday, January 29, 2021
'Hurry Up, Houdini' french paperback refresh
The fictional book tells the story of two kids who set out to discover the secret of Houdini greatness via some time travel magic.
La Cabane Magique, Spectacle de magie avec Houdini can be purchased on Amazon.com or Amazon.fr.
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La Cabane Magique, Spectacle de magie avec Houdini can be purchased on Amazon.com or Amazon.fr.
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Thursday, January 28, 2021
Harry Houdini's top hat
Inspired by Andrew Basso's recent acquisition of Houdini's tuxedo collar (my most visited new post of the year so far), here's another cherished piece of Houdini apparel; his top hat! This comes from the collection of John Hinson, the great nephew of Harry and Bess Houdini. The label shows it was made in London.
Despite the classic image of a magician in a top hat, as far as I know Houdini never wore or used a top hat on stage. Looks like his was for use in regular life. Below are two photos of Houdini in a top hat, the first being Paris in 1901 and the second from his movie Haldane of the Secret Service (made in 1921). Could one or both of these be this hat?
So as far as surviving Houdini clothing goes (and not counting straitjackets), I'm currently aware of the tuxedo collar, this top hat, his pajama pocket, and his baby shoes. If you know of anything else, please let us know in the comments below.
Thanks to John Hinson for sharing this family treasure.
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Wednesday, January 27, 2021
Scottish Rite Journal reveals Houdini the Mason
I'm not sure where one gets Scottish Rite Journal, but you can read the issue in full at the Scottish Rite website. Just keep it secret!
UPDATE: The author of this article has provided a revised and updated version as a Guest Blog HERE.
HISTORY This Week: Houdini Defies Death
The "HISTORY This Week" podcast celebrates the debut of Houdini's Milk Can escape on January 25, 1908 with an episode about...Houdini! Our pal Joe Posnanski, author of The Life and Afterlife of Harry Houdini, is the guest. HISTORY hasn't always been kind to Houdini (or history in general), but this is very well done. Enjoy.
Monday, January 25, 2021
The ship(s) from Haldane of the Secret Service
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| The "Carvania" as seen in Haldane of the Secret Service. |
So what do know we about the Carvania? Well, for starters, it didn't exist. In the movie we get several establishing shots of the ship at a distance. But those shots appear to be the RMS Aquitania.
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| RMS Aquitania (Wikipedia) |
The RMS Aquitania was a British ocean liner launched in 1914. Aquitania was the third in Cunard Line's grand trio of express liners and the last surviving four-funnelled ocean liner. After being used as a troop transport and a hospital ship in World War I, she was returned to transatlantic passenger service in 1920, earning the nickname "the Ship Beautiful" from passengers. Houdini captured his shots of the "Ship Beautiful" in 1921.
The Aquitania was retired from service in 1949 as was scrapped the following year. Houdini never sailed on the Aquitania. But he did sail on her sister ship Mauretania in 1920.
While the Aquitania may be the ship we see in Haldane, I recently I found evidence that Houdini used a different vessel to film the scenes aboard the ship itself. The below is from the August 12, 1921 Variety.
This makes it pretty clear Houdini shot his scenes aboard the America. In fact, it appears to be the final "CA" in the name AMERICA can be glimpsed on the lifeboat in this shot from the film.
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| USS America (Wikipedia) |
The SS Amerika was launched in 1905 as part of the Hamburg America Line of Germany. She sailed primarily between Hamburg and New York. On the night of April 14, 1912, Amerika transmitted a wireless message warning about icebergs near the same spot where RMS Titanic would sink less than three hours later.
At the outset of the war, the Amerika was seized by the United States Shipping Board and became a Navy troop transport with her name Anglicized to America. In 1920, the ship was assigned to the United States Mail Steamship Company and returned to passenger service. Houdini filmed his scenes aboard the ship in August 1921. The America remained in service until 1949. She was sold for scrap in 1957.
This means we now know the famous photo that Marie Blood used to sign and give out to fans (including yours truly) was taken aboard the America. I wonder if Marie recalled the name of the ship as those years later? If not, it would have been fun to have been able to share it with her. Alas, Marie passed away in 2004.
Finally, I don't know which vessel was used for the stunt in which Heath Haldane is dragged along the side. It certainly appears to be a real stunt using a real ship, but I find it hard to believe any in-use passenger ship would allow this. So it's possible this may have been a third yet identified Haldane ship.
Sunday, January 24, 2021
Simon Carmel reveals the story of Houdini and the deaf
Dr. Carmel is a biographer-historian of 230 deaf magicians from 43 countries. He has produced two earlier works, Silent Magic and Invisible Magic (which includes the biography of deaf escape artist, John Livingston McManima).
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In this new book, Dr. Carmel devotes a chapter to "Harry Houdini and the Deaf Magicians." In it he reveals that not only did Houdini perform special shows for the deaf, but he had mastered the British two-handed alphabet for conversing with the deaf. He also met and corresponded with deaf magicians in England, Scotland, and the United States from 1904 through 1920. All new to me!
Dr. Carmel's previous two books are available on Amazon (linked above), but to get Out of the Magic Cloak you'll need to reach out to him at simoncarmel13@aol.com. He is also offering all three books for a discount of $85 (postage included), signed if desired.
"It is my ultimate goal to make sure that deaf magicians will not be overlooked, neglected or forgotten in the history of magic," says Simon.
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Meet Madame Blanche Corelli
Blanche Corelli (real name Maria Dorothea Herrmann) was the only child of Compars Herrmann of the famous Herrmann magic family. She was also related to Houdini via his father's first marriage (Mayer Samuel's first wife was a first cousin to Blanche's mother, Rosa Csillag.) Like her mother, Blanche had a successful career as an opera singer. She later became a music teacher in Germany.
The book contains correspondence between Blanche and the author's father, Hall Lippincott. While the focuses here is on Blanche's later years in Berlin, the introduction does mention her Houdini connection with a nod to Dean Carnegie's groundbreaking 2011 post at The Magic Detective. Unfortunately, Blanche only makes a few passing mentions of her famous cousin in the letters themselves.
I own a copy of A Magician Among the Spirits that Houdini inscribed to Blanche in 1924. She in turn gave it to Dante in 1939. So I'm excited to add this book to my shelf.
Saturday, January 23, 2021
Smitten with Bess
Friday, January 22, 2021
Houdini's final show program at auction
Potter & Potter have posted their February 27 magic auction listings and among the Houdini rarities is a true bombshell! It's an original program for Houdini's "3 Shows in One" at the Garrick Theater in Detroit for the week of October 24, 1926. Of course, this was the final engagement of Houdini's life and October 24 his last show. I've never seen a program for his appearance at the Garrick, so this is pretty wild.
Inside the program there is an ad announcing the week of October 31 as Houdini's final week (confirming Detroit was scheduled as two week run). It's a bit eerie to have the two days, October 24 and October 31, both mentioned prominently in the program.
Other notable lots include: "Houdini's Production Baby" (companion to the doll seen in this photo maybe?), a copy of The Unmasking of Robert-Houdin inscribed by Houdini to his friend Chung Ling Soo (found at last), and Dai Vernon's own mementos of the night he fooled Houdini.
Potter & Potter's Select Secrets: Rare & Important Magicana auction will be held Saturday, February 27, 2021 at 10 AM CST. You can view the full online catalog HERE.
UPDATE: The program sold for $7,200 (including 20% commission) in what was a red hot auction.
Mark Wilson, 1929-2021
Wilson was no stranger to the Magic Castle's Houdini Room. He also created the "Aquarian Illusion," a cross between Houdini's Water Torture Cell and Metamorphosis. You can watch him perform it on the 1981 HBO special Mumbo Jumbo. It's Magic! on YouTube.
It was always a thrill to see Mark, his wife Nani, and son Greg at Magic Castle functions. I never got over the fact that I was in the same room with a legend.
R.I.P. Mark Wilson. One of the greats!
Photo from 'The Original Houdini Scrapbook' by Walter B. Gibson.
Virtual lecture by David Jaher, January 25
Thursday, January 21, 2021
Houdini in Urbana! (UPDATE)
When I first started my Houdini chronology project, my initial task was to just confirm and catalog the already voluminous available information about the theaters and cites where Houdini played. But I've now reached a point where I have it so complete that any new discovery is a joy, especially when it's a city where I have no record of him playing.
One such discovery is below. On September 27, 28, and 29, 1923, Houdini played a Junior Orpheum in Urbana, Illinois, as part of a split week.
So congratulations Urbana! You are now on the list of cities that enjoyed Harry Houdini.
UPDATE: Since posting this, I have learned that this Orpheum was actually located in Champaign, IL (part of the Champaign-Urbana metropolitan area). Best of all, it's still there!
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