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| Boston Post May 1, 1908. |
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| Houdini (left) and Robert Kennedy (right)? |
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| G, Z, A, H, S, F, H, Sh, D |
P. S. We are surely going east, and I just set my mind on it that I will work three times as hard to make a star out of you since the "knockers" have been at work. What others can be the knockers than our magical friends, G, Z, A, H, S, F, H, Sh, D, and other loafers? I have it as a positive fact.
This discussion is the last in a series sponsored by Ashland Chautauqua based on the theme “History’s Real Action Figures.” Bounds will portray Houdini at the Ashland Chautauqua festival in July.
The Life and Afterlife of Harry Houdini is a book I highly recommend. You can purchase it on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.
Related:
Vanishing Inc. Magic Fund Receives Donation ofApproximately $750,000 in Rare Houdini Memorabilia from Geno MunariCollection contains Houdini’s handcuffs, straightjacket, posters, photos, props, and more.SACRAMENTO, Calif (April 3, 2023) - The Vanishing Inc. Magic Fund, a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization also known as ShareMagic, is pleased to announce that Geno Munari, the well-known magic historian and collector, donated a collection of rare Harry Houdini artifacts to the organization in December 2022. The donation has since been valued to be worth nearly $750,000 and will eventually be used to create a special exhibition.
The donated items include Houdini's personal letters, Houdini “challenge” leaflets, posters, and other one-of-a-kind memorabilia. One of the most noteworthy pieces are the remnants of Houdini’s Water Torture Cell (which was nearly completely destroyed by a fire). This prop was used in one of the most iconic and dangerous stunts in magic history, in which Houdini would suspend himself upside down and escape from a locked cabinet filled with water before drowning.
Andi Gladwin and Joshua Jay, cofounders of Vanishing Inc. and the Vanishing Inc. Magic Fund expressed their excitement and gratitude for the donation. "We are thrilled to receive such a significant donation from Geno Munari. Houdini's legacy is an important part of magic history, and having access to these iconic props and photos will allow magicians everywhere to learn from them and appreciate them,” said Gladwin.
Jay added, "As magicians and magic history enthusiasts ourselves, we are honored to be entrusted with these invaluable artifacts. Geno's generosity will eventually allow us to create an unparalleled exhibition that will bring Houdini's legacy to life for generations to come."
Started by Vanishing Inc., the world’s largest magic shop, the Vanishing Inc. Magic Fund is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of magic history and culture. The organization provides support and resources to magicians and magic enthusiasts around the world through its educational programs, publications, and exhibitions.
For more information on Vanishing Inc. Magic Fund or to learn how you can support its mission, visit www.sharemagic.org.
“When this was over, he did my old trunk trick, the one I did for many years with Mrs Houdini, and which Delprade brought to America.”
"The great event of the week was, without a doubt, the passage of Mr. Delprade. Very appreciated in his imitations of birds, Mr. Delprade then invited us to a brand-new attraction with which he has just made all of Paris run - It is a question of substituting, in three seconds, a lady for a gentleman in a bag and in a hermetically sealed trunk. This exercise, of great originality, is carried out with such speed that it becomes a real puzzle. We can only urge all our fellow citizens to realize, by themselves, this strange curiosity."
I'm an ultrarunner, Race Director and public relations executive living in New York City. Uniquely, as a 'historical ultrarunner', I run long distances to trace the lives of famous New Yorkers, and well known historical events in NYC. Here's a story from Runner's World that traces my many historical ultras, over many years (as far as I know, I'm the only person running like this).I approach my subjects with extraordinary care, and only start running after consuming huge doses of historical information; stated another way, after my mind is loaded with history, I set off on foot to examine that history, and consider my own place in it. For my Houdini series, I've read five books, though your site is my primary source for information (I've discovered that the Houdini biographies often contradict one another, so it often takes a John Cox to sort it all out!). The books I've read include: The Witch of Lime Street, Gresham's Houdini, Gibson's Houdini's Escapes and Magic, Gibson/Young's Houdini's Fabulous Magic and Silverman's Houdini.
For most of my historical running series, I embark on a broad range of shorter runs first -- typically 5 miles to 15 miles -- over weeks and months, wherein I visit key sites I've been reading about, while documenting everything on my IG @toddaydelotte. At the conclusion of a series, I then design a 30-100+ mile 'Historical UltraRun' (any run in excess of 26.2 miles is considered an 'ultra' distance), where I string all the sites together, and seek to create a unique historical tapestry for me to run across over a 24-48 hr period -- and hopefully, plunge myself into a heightened state of consciousness.
BIG PICTURE
As any ultrarunner will tell you, at long distances big things happen in the mind. As the body breaks, the mind expands and ultrarunners experience heightened states of consciousness, moments of clarity, and hallucinations. And into this sacred space is where I inject history -- and try to catalyze unique experiences. By running this way, I've discovered I can engage dynamically with the subject matter, fostering a deep connection to the person/events I'm to.
If you visit the link in my bio on IG, it will take you past the paywall at UltraRunning Magazine, where you will find a story on my last historical ultra -- The Howl UltraRun, a 93-miler I worked on with Allen Ginsberg Estate.
OVER THE SPRING
For the next few months I'll be tracing Harry's history across NYC... his teen years on the Upper east Side... his early performances on Coney Island and in the dime museums on 14th Street... his battle against the surge in Spiritualism... his many escapes and shows throughout NYC... his family and key addresses in NYC... What I love about Harry's history is that it intersects with so many broader historical trends and unique events in the City... ie, the death of Vaudeville... the 1st World War & so many people embracing Spiritualism in a desperate attempt to connect with the lost... NYC's transition to a fully electrified world, and the rise of automobiles...
And into all of this comes Harry's story, a story rooted in courage, ambition, creativity and confidence. I've been fascinated by Harry throughout my life, and this is a series that really excites me, especially given Harry's love of endurance and running.
For the final "Houdini UltraRun", I'm still putting it all together. However, if I stay injury free, it may ultimately look something like this. I will start running at Midnight on a Friday, and will run a 30+ mile route that covers Harry's entire life, all the sites I've covered in the series, spanning his teenage years on the Upper east Side to his shows on Coney Island and to his grave in Queens, and all points in between. My goal is to enter Central Park at 4 AM the next morning, at the conclusion of 30+miles of Houdini historical sights -- and this is where the tribute to Harry's endurance begins! The run is not over -- it's only just begun. I will then attempt to run non-stop 'Central Park Loops' -- Harry's favorite training route, a 6 mile loop around the Park -- from 4 AM (when the Park opens) till 2 AM the next day (when the Park closes). This will certainly be 100+ miles of running, and I'm doing that to honor Harry's super human endurance.
Todd has already completed one of his preliminary runs, which you can see on his Instagram below. There will be more to come, so be sure and follow him. I'll also be providing updates here on WILD ABOUT HARRY.
Go Todd!
