Vanishing Inc. co-founder Joshua Jay tells me they have not yet been able to access the section of the warehouse that held the collection, so there's still a chance some items could be recovered. But I have also heard it is a total loss. The fire occurred on June 6, 2024, at their Sacramento warehouse, which had been the company’s retail headquarters for over a decade. Fortunately, no one was hurt.
The company's computers were also casualties of the fire, so it's unclear if even an inventory of the collection survived. However, the good news is Geno professionally photographed and documented every item, so there is a complete record of what went to Vanishing Inc. This means the vital history contained in the collection is retrievable, even if the artifacts themselves are now lost.
ShareMagic, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, had planned to use the collection to create "an unparalleled exhibition that will bring Houdini's legacy to life for generations to come." Instead, this may turn out to be the single largest loss of Houdini history ever.
You can read Vanishing Inc.'s account of the fire on their blog and find additional details at One Ahead.
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My goodness! Do we know what Houdini props were within that collection?
ReplyDeleteThis breaks my heart! 😭
ReplyDeleteThat's bad news. The Hall of Fame blaze was bad enough. Let's wait and see what's left in that warehouse.
ReplyDeleteVery sad loss to magic history. Not to point fingers , but I really think a collection of that importance should have been kept in fire-proof storage facility , not a warehouse.
ReplyDeleteThat would apply to the many of us who have their collections at home who don't have the logistics or money to do that. Although a small fireproof box to hold valuable documents, autographs, 1st edtions etc. might be feasible depending on the size/value of a collection.
DeleteRegardless sorry to learn of the loss, but grateful it was digitally preserved.
Diego Domingo
Houdini said let it burn….
ReplyDeleteIt’s absolutely ridiculous this collection was not protected…..
ReplyDeleteBurned for the insurance money
ReplyDeleteThis is a disaster and disgrace to store irreplaceable HH items in a shoddy warehouse without fire sprinklers, it’s almost a crime.
ReplyDeleteNot going to say it makes HH even more valuable…..