In May of 1896, a young magician from New York City joined the cast of the Marco Magic Company and embarked on a summer-long tour of eastern Canada, including New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. It was during this excursion that Handcuff Harry AKA Harry Houdini first showcased the talent that transformed him from a small-time conjurer, who performed for pennies in dime museums, into the worlds most celebrated escape artist. When he wasnt performing on stage, Houdini was barnstorming through the streets of every town and city he visited, astounding onlookers in police stations, hardware stores and hospitals by freeing himself from the clutches of every restraining device strapped or wrapped around him. In this absorbing book, enriched by rare, period photographs, Bruce MacNab recounts a fascinating but shockingly untold chapter in the career of the man whose name is still synonymous with the word magic.
The Metamorphosis: The Apprenticeship of Harry Houdini will be published by Goose Lane Editions on September 28, 2012 and is available for pre-order on Amazon.com.
Perhaps this book will finally get down to the bottom of THIS.
Does anyone know where Houdini was in the Fall of 1896? AFter Canada, did they continue touring, coming back via Michigan? I'm particularly interested in October, 1896.
ReplyDeleteKoval shows him in Buffalo NY the week of Oct 19-24, 1896. He's in Chicago in November.
DeleteThanks, John, very helpful.
DeleteHoudini, the gift that keeps on giving. Thanks for alerting us to this. Always anxious for a new Houdini book!
ReplyDeleteAwesome! Should be a great read! :)
ReplyDelete