Friday, July 5, 2019

LINK: Ottawa organ linked to famed magician Harry Houdini

The Times of Ottawa has a well-researched article by Charles Stanley about the antique organ that sits in the Houdini Seance Room at the Magic Castle.

Could the legendary magician and escape artist Harry Houdini (1874-1926) have owned and touched the keys of an organ built in Ottawa? 
It is a tantalizing thought — but undocumented. The provenance chain for the organ since leaving the Ottawa factory is missing crucial links. It is likely the possibility may, in fact, just be an illusion.

Click the headline to read the full article (which includes a quote from yours truly) at The Times.

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3 comments:

  1. YipsJuly 6, 2019 at 7:48 AM

    Is that organ a Wurlitzer?

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    Replies
    1. John CoxJuly 6, 2019 at 10:10 AM

      No, this was made by the Western Cottage Organ & Piano Company of Ottawa.

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  2. Leo HeviaJuly 6, 2019 at 12:45 PM

    Even if the organ once belonged to Bess, I doubt that Harry ever saw it. The organ would have had to have been in 278. Then after selling off the townhouse, she would have had to lug it to Peyton Place, and finally to the West Coast. Not likely.

    And was she a keyboardist? I've never seen a photo of Bess at an organ or piano. We do know that Gladys might have been a piano player.

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