YOU CAN NOW OWN HOUDINI'S FIRST DIARY

It's here! I'm super excited to announce the publication of Escaping Obscurity: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini, 1897-1899. This book reproduces every page of Houdini's first travel diary from the collection of Dr. Bruce Averbook, which has never been made available to the public before.

I have annotated the diary so readers can easily follow all the wild ups and downs of Houdini's struggling days. When I was invited by publisher Mike Caveney to do this project, I had expected it to be a largely academic exercise. What I didn't expect to find was such an amazing story within this incredible artifact. That story is now yours.

Publisher Mike Caveney says:

Three things made me want to publish this nearly illegible diary. First, the great Houdini historian, John Cox, agreed to decipher and then annotate the text found on each and every page. Second, my friends in the magic collecting world stepped up with an unbelievable array of suitable photographs, many of which have never appeared in print. And lastly, my old friend and graphic designer extraordinaire, Michael Albright, agreed to assemble this complicated jigsaw puzzle into a beautiful, full-color book of 373 pages measuring 9 by 12 inches. The final result is nothing short of breathtaking.

The book is available exclusively from Mike Caveney's Magic Words in a Regular and Deluxe Edition. I hope you all love it.

UPDATE: The Deluxe Edition has already sold out, making it the fastest selling Deluxe Edition in Mike Caveney's Magic Words history. But there are still Regular Editions available. The print run is not huge, so it's possible the book could sell out entirely. Just saying.

Related:

• You will soon be able to read Houdini's first diary
• Michael Albright to design the Houdini diary book
• Cover reveal!

Get ready to ESCAPE

Houdini and Knievel

It was inevitable that I would one day stumble on an article linking Houdini and Evel Knievel. That happened today with a Houston Post piece from September 22, 1974, headlined "Evel Knievel latest of many daredevils." The article isn't really about Houdini and Knievel per se. It's more a list of famous daredevils of the past. But for the photo, they go with the two who matter the most!

I actually think Houdini and Knievel were very different in how they approached their life and art. I think the only real parallel is how they gripped their respective eras and have maintained a timeless hold in the public's imagination. There have been many motorcycle daredevils since Knievel who have jumped further and performed stunts far more breathtaking. Even his own son Robbie Knievel had a spectacular career. Yet, ask someone to name a motorcycle daredevil, and the only name that comes up is Knievel. He pioneered his unique art and owns it to this day. 

We can say the same about Houdini. Over the years, numerous escape artists have performed Houdini's escapes faster, higher, and with greater danger. Yet when we think of an escape artist, the only name that survives is Houdini.

If only Houdini did motorcycle jumps!

Here's a kids' book from 1978 by Robert Kraske that collects tales of daredevils. (Kraske also penned the book, Harry Houdini: Master of Magic.) This book has a nice section on Houdini with some terrific illustrations by Ivan Powell. But the guy who made the cover was Knievel. Hey, he was a hero to kids at this time.

Interestingly, this cover shows Knievel jumping a tank of sharks. This was a stunt he planned to do on live television in 1977, but he cancelled the jump after a crash during a practice run. Jumping a shark would be left to another icon of the 1970s.

Wait, Fonzie also did the Milk Can escape. And Houdini once planned to battle a live shark, but canceled the stunt, just like Knievel did. This is starting to get a little too tangled! Let's move on.

Need more? You can read the full Houston Post piece as a "Scholar" member of my Patreon.

Related:

• Wild about Fonzie
• Houdini's Fort Worth street feats
• Houdini's bizarre plan to fight a shark

Joanne Gilbert and Houdini (1953)

On April 16, actress Joanne Gilbert passed away at age 92 in her home in Los Angeles. I missed this news at the time, even though her Hollywood Reporter obituary notes that the actress made her debut in Houdini (1953). Really? 

I confess I had never heard of Joanne Gilbert. But then I stumbled on her and her Houdini connection in this clipping from The Trenton Evening Times.

Trenton Evening Times, Nov. 7, 1952.

Joanne's career took off at this point, leading to some speculation that her part in Houdini might be cut. Check out the below.

Trenton Evening Times, Jan. 26, 1953.

Fortunately, the kid stayed in the picture.

Trenton Evening Times, Feb. 3, 1953.

But where is Joanne in the movie? That information was not part of any article, and IMDb simply credits her role as "Girl." However, I am fairly certain she is one of Bess's fellow classmates at the very beginning of the film. It's fun to think that audiences of 1953 would have recognized her in this scene. 

Joanne went on to have a successful career in film and television, but never became a big movie star. So her familiarity would have faded with later generations, including my own. But now we know. That's Joanne Gilbert back there!

Related:

• Houdini '53 at 70: The competition
• Houdini hopefuls of 1952

Las Mujeres de Houdini by Sonia Chocrón

Here's a new Spanish-language novel with a Houdini connection: Las Mujeres de Houdini (Houdini's Women) by Sonia Chocrón. Below is a plot summary (translation).

In Houdini's Women, Sonia Chocrón immerses us in the story of a Jewish-Venezuelan family, intertwined with the legacy of the famous illusionist Harry Houdini. The novel, narrated by Sara, a granddaughter of the family, reveals a web of secrets, lies, and complex family relationships that have been passed down from generation to generation.

Through Sara's eyes, we explore the lives of the women of the Brandao Maya family, who, like Houdini, seem to be masters of the art of illusion and evasion. Each of them hides secrets that have shaped their lives and those of their descendants. The novel becomes an introspective journey in which the characters try to unravel their past and build their own identity. 

You can purchase Las Mujeres de Houdini at Libros.cc.

Related:

• Major new Houdini biography released in Spanish and Portuguese
• Two new Spanish language Houdini books
• Spanish edition of The Right Way To Do Wrong

Houdini's secret leg braces?

Potter & Potter held their fourth auction of memorabilia from Ken Klosterman's The Salon de Magie yesterday. One lot that really captured my attention was a set of leather leg braces said to have been used by Houdini during his suspended straitjacket escapes. They sold for $6000 (including premium). This may seem low, but that's likely because there is no record of Houdini using such devices. However, I think these may be the real deal, and a long-concealed Houdini secret.

By my current count, Houdini did 78 suspended straitjacket escapes. It makes sense to me that at some point he would devise some kind of ankle protection, and I can see these coming from his inventive mind. (Can we now say Houdini invented gravity boots?)

The auction description states that Joseph Yadah acquired the braces from Hardeen. Yadah eventually sold them to The Salon de Magie. A letter of provenance was part of the lot, but not pictured. Coming from Hardeen is good. We know he inherited his brother's escape apparatus, and Hardeen himself never did a suspended straitjacket escape (as far as I can find).

Unfortunately, there are no known photos showing Houdini using these braces. But there are some photos that might. Below is a shot of Houdini doing a suspended straitjacket escape in Times Square in 1917. Note the unnatural sharp protrusions at the knees. This really looks like it could be the top edge of the braces. Also, bending at the waist as we see Houdini doing here would be far easier (and safer) if he were wearing braces like these.

Here's another shot from Houdini's famous 1918 Ladies Home Journal spread (How I Get Out Of A Strait-Jacket). Houdini's left pant leg is sliding down, giving a glimpse of his leg. That could just be his sock. But it looks a little thicker and sturdier to me. Could it be a brace?

Finally, there is a sentence from the November 6, 1916, Pittsburgh Sun describing Houdini's suspended straitjacket escape in that city. Could this "special appliance" be a reference to these braces?

Then Houdini's ankles were fastened to the rope by a special appliance that prevented injury, but insured safety.

Why wouldn't Houdini wear these on the outside of his pants? That I don't know. But I suspect he felt it was visually more appealing to conceal them. And why show this clever device to his competitors? Let them break their ankles! So, in their own way, these braces were a well-kept Houdini secret.

None of this is conclusive, but I will continue the search for evidence. In the meantime, congratulations to the winner. I think you might have landed a very special and unique piece of Houdini history.

Related:

• Houdini's greatest outdoor stunt determined!
• Suspended straitjacket escape in 1913, but it's not Houdini
• Guest blog: Houdini in Pittsburgh by Zabrecky

Those were the days

Here's an ad from 1980 for all old-time style Bell telephone that evokes nostalgia for 1913. They had me at "Ragtime," and sold me with "The Great Houdini."

The Houston Chronicle, Sept. 29, 1980.

My guess is this wasn't a great seller as it seems ill-timed. Nostalgia was big in the 1970s. I actually had an old-time phone. But a wave of modernity was about to hit the go-go '80s. Ah, those were the days.

Related:

• Calling Houdini...
• Houdini's London address and phone
• Houdini was a "wireless telephone" pioneer

Houdini-Hodgson Challenge Recreated by U.K.E.A

Here's a video of Robin Fox's recreation of the infamous Houdini-Hodgson challenge during the UKEA convention at Shrewsbury Prison last weekend. The purpose of my "challenge" was to gain a better understanding of exactly how Houdini was manacled, and they certainly did that! Enjoy.

Thanks to Dave Cox for the kind shoutout to my site. There are some excellent escape and Houdini-related videos on Dave's YouTube channel, CoxysPicks. I recommend having a browse. And a big congratulations to Robin Fox and the UKEA for successfully re-staging this historic escape. 

Related:

• Breaking news!
• "This is a contest, not a love match!"
• Guest Blog: A modern day Transport Cell challenge

Big Houdini news 100 years ago today

If you were a Houdini fan 100 years ago, you would have woken up to some big news this morning, as reported in The New York Daily News.

New York Daily News, June 16, 1925.

After a 3-day preview in Cumberland, Houdini did indeed open his "3 Shows on One" at the Alvin Theater in Pittsburgh on Labor Day. As promised, it was an "all-Houdini show." However, it did include some jazz tunes and bare legs, thanks to Dorothy Young's "Radio Girl."

Want more? You can see a photograph of Houdini taken on his last day at the Hippodrome as a member of my Patreon below.

Related:

• Houdini's "Triumphant Return" and farewell
• Houdini's grand finale: 3 Shows In One
• Dorothy Young remembers her days with Houdini

Breaking news!

Word is Robin Fox beat my challenge to recreate the infamous Houdini-Hodgson challenge at yesterday's UKEA convention at Shrewsbury Prison. DRAT! I am making inquiries. I hear his brother might have helped him. And what was with that glass of water being given to him during the challenge? Did anyone check those shackles for file marks!!??

Seriously, a massive congratulations to Robin and the UKEA for successfully re-staging this historic escape. I'm dying to hear what it felt like to be in Houdini's shoes and if Robin had any fresh insights about the original challenge.

Related:

• "This is a contest, not a love match!"
• Houdini vs. Hodgson in new book
• Guest Blog: A modern day Transport Cell challenge

VIDEO: Weird & Crazy Tales From The 1920s

One of my favorite YouTube channels is The1920sChannel. Founded in 2013, there are a wealth of videos related to the 1920s, and several related to Houdini. Below is a recent upload. This collects several "weird and crazy tales of the 1920s "and is pretty terrific. Houdini appears at 34:58, but I would recommend watching them all. The straw hat riot is especially wild, and maybe relevant as Houdini was known to wear a boater in the 1920s.

Related:

• Who Is Houdini? (Photoplay, June 1920)
• Houdini's boater floats in the 23rd Street subway
• The true story of Houdini & Doyle

Jen Silverman's "Untitled Houdini Project" reading in Portland

On Thursday, June 26, there will be a workshop reading of "Untitled Houdini Project" by Jen Silverman as part of the 2025 Profile Theatre Playwright Festival in Portland. Silverman is a playwright, novelist, and screenwriter with an impressive background and credits. It's exciting to see a new young voice taking on Houdini.

In the winter and spring of 1926, Harry Houdini was summoned to a hearing before the House of Representatives to testify on behalf of a new bill that would make acts of fortune telling illegal.

The newest project by playwright Jen Silverman takes as its starting point the exact transcript for these Congressional hearings, while weaving in thrilling theatrical séance sequences, and the growing complexity of Houdini's relationship with Rose Mackenberg, Houdini's chief investigator.

Are we to be a country of cold hard facts, scientific data, and honesty? Are we to be a country of comforting possibilities, where the boundary between the living and the dead is crossable if the right guides are permitted to take you? What does it mean to argue over the character of a nation in 1926 And, of course, what does it mean to do that right now?

You can buy tickets to the reading on Eventbrite.

Thanks to D.R. Schreiber, The Historical Conjurer, for the tip. 

Related:

• Guest blog: Mr. Houdini Goes to Washington, Part I
• A Rose by many names
• Houdini Plays