1901 HARRY HOUDINI - The Music Hall and theatre review advertisement
1901 original advertisement from The Music Hall and Theatrical review paper. "HARRY HOUDINI The Hand-cuff King of The World." Another sparse advertisement calling out Houdini imitation acts the bottom caption reads as follows: "Six Imitation Acts opened in Paris before and with Houdini. he opened at the highest salary ever paid to any foreign performer in Paris and is a fixture for months. Where are the rest?" A unique and rare piece of Houdini history as his imitators are called out...
1910 Postcard of Houdini Piloting His Airplane
Original Photo Postcard of Harry Houdini Piloting His Airplane. [Australia], March 18, 1910. A real photo postcard with caption “Houdini piloting his Voisin Biplane. The first successful aviator in Australia wins the Australian Aero League's Trophy, March 15, 1910. Melbourne, Australia.” Divided back. In 1909, Houdini became fascinated with aviation. He purchased a French Voisin Biplane for $5,000 and even hired a full-time mechanic. After crashing once, he made his first successful flight on November 26 in Hamburg, Germany. The following year, Houdini toured Australia. He brought along his Voisin Biplane with the intention to be the first person in Australia to fly. On March 18, 1910, he made three flights near Melbourne. It was reported at the time that this was the first aerial flight ever in Australia. After completing his Australia tour, Houdini put the Voisin Biplane into storage in England. He announced he would use it to fly from city to city during his next music hall tour, and even promised to leap from it handcuffed, but he never flew again. RARE and a great Houdini collectible themed for his passion of aviation.
1910 HOUDINI aviation photos - THE weekly times
April 2, 1910. The Weekly Times. Five fantastic Houdini aviation photos. An awesome account detailing Houdini and his record flight and attempts in Australia in March of 1910. The photographs were taken while flying at the airstrip at Diggers Rest, Victoria, just north of Melbourne. Photo 1- Houdini ready to fly. Photo 2- Harry and his wife Bess Houdini together in pilot seat. Photo 3- A preliminary run along the ground. Photo 4- Houdini's airplane mechanic, Antonio Brassac starting up the engine. Photo 5- Houdini flying at a rate of 6 miles per minute. In 1909, Houdini became fascinated with aviation. He purchased a French Voisin Biplane for $5,000 and even hired a full-time mechanic. After crashing once, he made his first successful flight on November 26 in Hamburg, Germany. The following year, Houdini toured Australia. He brought along his Voisin Biplane with the intention to be the first person in Australia to fly. On March 18, 1910, he made three flights near Melbourne. It was reported at the time that this was the first aerial flight ever in Australia. After completing his Australia tour, Houdini put the Voisin Biplane into storage in England. He announced he would use it to fly from city to city during his next music hall tour, and even promised to leap from it handcuffed, but he never flew again. The Weekly Times newspaper publishing company was based in Melbourne, Australia, and was targeted at farmers and rural business. RARE!
1906 The Right Way to Do Wrong: harry houdini
Harry Houdini, The Right Way to Do Wrong. Boston, 1906. Original red pictorial wraps. First edition. Few small stains to front cover from staple stitching. An expose of successful criminals. He had an admiration for those individuals, unless they were con artists, a separate sect Houdini always attempted to debunk.
1904 houdini a chat with the handcuff king - tit bits
March 26, 1904. Original Houdini interview from Tit Bits publication. "A Chat with the Handcuff King." A very old and scarce interview with Houdini. The rare article covers many topics in his life, along with three illustrations. Tit Bits was a mass-circulation commercial publication on cheap newsprint located in London, England. It's first issue was started in 1881 and soon reached sales of between 400,000 and 600,000. Like a mini encyclopedia it presented a diverse range of titbits of information in an easy-to-read format, with the emphasis on human interest stories concentrating on drama and sensation. It also featured short stories and full-length fiction. Tit Bits final edition was in 1984. Another special time stamp documenting Houdini history!
HOUDINI AND HIS BROTHER HARDEEN PHOTOGRAPH
Photograph of Houdini and Hardeen. Hardeen was also a magician and escape artist who was the younger brother of Harry Houdini. Hardeen, who usually billed himself as the "brother of Houdini", was the founder of the Magician's Guild. Hardeen was the first magician to conceive escaping from a straightjacket in full view of the audience, rather than behind a curtain. A great photo of Houdini and his briother. 8" X 10".
1924 HOUDINI SIGNED - HOUDINI EXPOSES THE TRICKS USED BY THE BOSTON MEDIUM “MARGERY”.
Houdini Exposes the Tricks used by the Boston Medium “Margery”. New York, 1924, Adams Press Publishers. Boldly Signed by Houdini on front wrap, signature slightly affected by tape removal; owner’s signature on front cover with note that this copy was obtained at the New York Hippodrome on 11 February 1925. Original pictorial wraps, regarding Harry Houdini. "Margery" the Medium Exposed: Houdini Exposes the Tricks Used by the Boston Medium "Margery". Also, a Complete Exposure of Argamasilla, and The Famous Spaniard X-Ray Vision. A very scarce 39-page complete Houdini signed booklet.
1914 houdini magical revue theatre advertisement - empire theatre
Friday, June 12th, 1914. "World famous Self-Liberator HOUDINI, The Supreme Ruler of Mystery Will Present a Grand Magical Revue." Detailed playbill advertisement describing Houdini’s world-famous multi-part show at The Empire Theatre, Nottinham, England. "Houdini will prove to be the Greatest Mystifier that History Chronicles." The Empire Palace Theatre was opened on 28th February 1898 and was designed with an Indian Palace style interior. The ceiling was ‘supported’ on each corner by elephant heads, and there was a glass sliding roof in the center of the ceiling. Seating was provided for 259 in the front orchestra stalls, 182 in the centre stalls, 199 in the rear stalls, 83 on long benches in the pit, 340 seats in the dress circle and 700 on long benches in the gallery. There was also a large box flanking each side of the proscenium, with each box seating 6 persons, there were also six boxes located at the rear of the dress circle, each seating 4 persons. The boxes were topped by a decorative ‘onion’ style dome. The proscenium was 30 feet wide and the stage 26 feet deep. There were ten single dressing rooms and one chorus room for 16 artistes. The theatre was equipped with a fireproof Bioscope projection box, and Bioscope films were screened as part of the opening night programme, and continued for many years into the 1910’s. Many famous artistes appeared on the stage of the Nottingham Empire Theatre, including; Harry Houdini, Dan Leno, Marie Lloyd, Harry Tate, Albert Chevalier, and Lily Langtree. During World War II artistes included Arthur Askey, Jewell & Warriss, Tommy Trinder, Anne Shelton, Vera Lynn and Phillis Dixy. Into the 1940’s and 1950’s the stars continued to appear, Laurel & Hardy, Billy Cotton & His Band, Eddie Calvert, Morecambe & Wise, Julie Andrews, Harry Worth, Ken Dodd, and Des O'Connor. During its last few years, it was staging what seemed like an endless stream of weekly striptease shows. Sadly, The Empire Theatre was closed in June 1958. A fantastic and interesting Houdini relic. Scarce!
1924 Houdini New York Hippodrome theatre Program with ticket stubs
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Rare April 4, 1924, Harry Houdini Hippodrome Theatre Program in New York. The Hippodrome Theatre, also referred to as the New York Hippodrome, was a theater in New York City from 1905 to 1939. It was called the world's largest theatre by its builders and had a seating capacity of 5,300. The theatre stage was a staggering 100ft. x 200ft. and had state-of-the-art theatrical technology, including a rising glass water tank. The Hippodrome was the largest and most successful theatre in New York. The theatre closed in August 1939 for demolition, and in 1952 a large modern office building known as "The Hippodrome Center", opened on the site. Houdini is featured on the program exposing fraudulent spirit mediums and their tricks, with a full-page portrait advertising his appearance. Original April 4, 1924, Hippodrome ticket stubs attached to the front cover.
houdini, the "handuff king, breaks out of salford police cells."
"HOUDINI THE HANDCUFF KING BREAKS OUT OF SALFORD POLICE CELLS." Original article from the early 1900s detailing the accounts that took place at the Salford Town Hall in Manchester, England. As written "Harry Houdini was this day stripped stark naked and locked in a cell. It was trebly locked. His clothing was locked in another cell. In less than ten minutes Houdini had broken out of the cell and into the one that held his clothes and walked out through the iron door that led into the corridor." A marvelous read and great piece of Houdini memorabilia.
