The blog is a bit of a tangle of unclear dates and confused interpretations of the "water escape," but the basic story is that in 1911 Carleete toured Britain with an underwater barrel escape similar to Houdini's Milk Can (which Houdini invented in 1908). When Houdini was in Bradford, he paid Carleete to challenge him with his apparatus. When Houdini later introduced his Water Torture Cell, the idea that he had purchased his "water escape" from Carleete was born.
Of course, the USD and Carleete's barrel are hardly similar, but this claim dogged Houdini for years, and even gets a mention in Houdini The Untold Story.
The blog also includes a reprint of a terrific article by David De-Val from the April 1986 Escapism about Houdini's meeting with Carleete as recalled by his son Osmond (pictured above). It contains a wealth of interesting details -- including Houdini introducing himself as Mr. Harry Weiss -- and it offers one of the few eyewitness accounts of Houdini conspiring to set-up a challenge.
So click on over to Carleete and check out the post and David De-Val's must-read "Houdini & Carleete." You can also view a video on YouTube of Carleete's other son, Bayne Howes, telling an entirely different (barrel free) version of events.
Thanks to "Jack" of Houdini & Hardeen for the tip.
Related:
First I find out about the scientist in Chicago who invented the Milk Can escape and gave it to Harry. Then I read about the teenage British kid who gave Harry the idea for the suspended upside down straitjacket escape.
ReplyDeleteNow this...
Haha. Not to mention every Australian who claims to have flown first.
DeleteRemember that we might have called Randini's claim into question by finding an escape artist who did a suspended jacket escape in 1913. Certainly Houdini was aware of that.
For me the big take away is Houdini calling himself Harry Weiss. I've never heard that before. But it could have been something he did whenever he didn't want to draw attention to himself. It's a great detail.
Great I was hoping you would write something about this! Even De-Val concluded at the end if his article that Houdini and Carleete meeting in 1914 was after the fact. I noticed someone penciled in "1911" under it! Regardless the first hand account of Harry "Weiss" dropping by Carleete's to arrange a challenge is pretty interesting!
ReplyDeleteJack
CARLEETE AND HOUDINI MEETING WAS IN JANUARY 1911 AGAIN IN JANUARY 1914. H.HOWES
ReplyDeleteDo you happen to know the exact days or locations?
Deletethe meeting was around 25-1-1911 /27-1-1911 AT SALT ST. BRADFORD AND 23- 1 -1914 AT HOUNDINI'S ACCOMMODATIONAT BRADFORD AT NIGHT EMPIRE THEATRE BRADFORD
DeleteThank you. :)
DeleteI've been down the rabbit hole on this for the past few days, and here's my take. I think what HH purchased from Carleete in Jan. 1911 was something to do with the way Carleete's barrel lid was gaffed. Houdini used this gaff in his Double-Fold Milk Can escape, which he debuted in Sept. 1911. The 1914 meeting was, as described by his son, all about cooking up a challenge for the Bedford Empire on Dec. 23. This challenge is documented and came off without a hitch.
ReplyDeleteHOUDINI DID SENT CHALLENGES VIA THE LOCAL NEWPAPERS WEEKS BEFORE APPEARING BEFORE THE SHOWES. H.HOWES GRANDSON OF CARLEETE.
ReplyDeleteIT WAS BRADFORD NOT BEDFORD EMPIRE.
ReplyDeleteSorry. A mistake in my above comment. It's correct in the story.
DeleteBTW, a poster for this very challenge is currently on display at the SAM Hall of Fame in Whittier, CA,
ReplyDelete