UPDATE: Reader Chuck Lyons offers up a wonderful contribution to this story. Forty years ago he visited the Library of Congress and got a copy of a Houdini letter on this very letterhead. What's amazing is the letter itself is about the letterhead! Houdini writes:
My 1909-10-11 Letter head. I never liked this one. I never had to write for work, but wanted a note head for general business. Harry Houdini, May 22/1916
Fantastic! Thank you Chuck.
I have a phot copy of this very letterhead that I recieved when I went to the library of Congress in Washington as a boy. The curator brought out several pieces and offered to copy them for me as a soviener. Mine has Houdinis signature on it. I wish I could have gotten the original.
ReplyDeleteChuck Lyons
Cool. Thanks, Chuck. So we know this is the real deal then.
DeleteYes it is originial.
ReplyDeleteChuck Lyons
I've seen this one too. The one that impressed me was the circus one that sold a few weeks ago. Although it was close to being a remnant, it was very interesting.
ReplyDeleteCircus stationary? Did I miss that?
DeleteThe letterhead is on Page 55 of the catalog for the Great Houdini Auction-Radner Collection, 2004.
ReplyDeleteAh, cool, there it is. You're amazing, Eric! Can't see that it's blue in this shot, however. Looks like it was smaller, personal stationary as opposed to letter size. That's a great letter, btw.
DeleteLooking back through this catalog... I wonder who got those two spears from Terror Island? I would have done everything I could to get those. I still kick myself for not attending this auction. But my head just wasn't in the Houdini game at the time.
I have an original piece of this stationery.
ReplyDeleteOh, by the way mine has a letter and signature!
BTW: 1912 is correct—the one I have HH notes, "April 6, 1912 (My birthday 38th today)"