Wednesday, December 14, 2022

Hear Dunninger inventory his Houdini collection

David Muller, author of Growing Up With Houdini, recently sent me an extraordinary recording of Joseph Dunninger verbally cataloging his entire collection of magic and Houdini artifacts. Dunninger sold his collection to David's father, Henry Muller, in 1967. These rarities were displayed for many years at the Houdini Magical Hall of Fame in Niagara Falls, Canada. 

I shared Dunninger's 29-minute primary inventory for members of my Patreon on Monday. Today I'm posting his 8-minute "supplemental" list unlocked so anyone can listen for FREE. Just click below to go.

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3 comments:

  1. Leo HeviaDecember 15, 2022 at 10:26 AM

    Interesting that Dunninger points out the items are of little monetary value--only historical. Even by 1967 the magic world was still napping on the market value of those props.

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    1. John CoxDecember 15, 2022 at 10:41 AM

      That is interesting. It's really a bridge era. Up until then props from the old magicians were sold to be preformed. That was their value. Props that could be used in your own act. But now the props were too old fashioned or not in the best of working condition, so they only honest way to represent them were as historical pieces. But that was forward looking at the time and kudos to Dunninger for presenting these as historical relics. He was right!

      The big money market was still decades away. No one was really napping. More time needed to pass for that market to emerge. But it kinda started here with this sale and this museum.

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  2. Leo HeviaDecember 16, 2022 at 8:06 AM

    Yes more time needed to pass for that market to emerge. I wonder if the Houdini exhibit in Canada was the first magic museum.

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