Hardeen at the Prospect

Here's a nice shot of Hardeen with a challenge packing case from the March 24, 1933 Brooklyn Daily Eagle. This is when Hardeen was appearing at the RKO Prospect Theater in Brooklyn not too far from where he lived. I'm always surprised how tall these boxes were, and this image shows that clearly. Note the mention of a Houdini display in the theater lobby.

Houdini himself played the Prospect in November 1914 and April 1916 (accepting a beer challenge from the Interboro Brewing Co. on April 13). The theater was converted to retail space in 1967, but the building still stands today. In fact, remains of the theater can still be found inside.

Below are posts with some more images of challenge packing crates.

Related:

• Houdini goes into the Hamburger box
• Finding Houdini in Austin
• The Challenge Packing Case escape