Wednesday, March 14, 2018

Finding Houdini in Austin

I've just completed my 1923 chronology and was rewarded with the discovery of a photo I've not seen before. This is from Houdini's two day engagement (Nov. 16-17) at the Hancock Opera House in Austin, Texas. A challenge packing crate escape was the big attraction. Did he make it? What do you think.


While in Austin, Houdini spoke to the Young Men's Business League at the Driskill Hotel (before heading out to do a suspended straitjacket escape from the Littlefield bldg.). He told them, "I have almost come to the point of adopting Texas for my home. Here in Texas you have not yet got the big-town heartlessness and hurry and mistrust of your neighbor. You are quite friendly and make one feel you are glad to see him."

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4 comments:

  1. Leo HeviaMarch 14, 2018 at 6:55 PM

    Harry is holding a cane in this photo. I wonder if he had suffered an ankle injury from a previous suspended straitjacket escape.

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    1. John CoxMarch 14, 2018 at 7:21 PM

      I didn't even notice that. I think he sometimes carried a cane just as an accessory. He was doing suspended jacket escapes every week of this tour.

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  2. Michael GriffinMarch 31, 2018 at 9:12 AM

    Was Houdini placed into something else and then sealed in the box pictured? maybe a dumb question, but this box is huge

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    1. John CoxFebruary 10, 2019 at 9:46 AM

      Not as far as I know. The box is very tall, but this is in line with other photos of other challenge packing boxes I've seen. They are tall and narrow.

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