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| McCord-Stewart Museum Collection |
Red Magic was basically a collection of puzzles and simple magic tricks using home objects. Houdini did take a little heat for publishing "exposures," but this seems silly when viewing what these actually contained. Each issue featured a banner crediting Houdini as the editor. The style of the banner and photo of Houdini could be different from paper to paper. I've included a selection below. After Houdini's death, "Edited by" was changed to "Founded by."
I would love it if someone published a complete facsimile collection of Red Magic, ideally from the New York Sunday World, which appears to have published the most complete issues. I think that would make a terrific Houdini/magic book.
Want more? I've collected several issues of Red Magic into a PDF "sampler pack" that I'm offering as this month's free Patreon member reward. Lucky patrons!
I remember decades ago someone (maybe Repro71?) sold reproductions of, "Red Magic". How many issues can't remember.
ReplyDeleteDiego Domingo
Oh wow, I didn't know anyone had ever done repros.
DeletePuzzles, optical illusions, and simple tricks with matchsticks and handkerchiefs. And the SAM jumped on Harry for that?
ReplyDeleteThe Society of American Magicians? Why?
DeleteWell… I guess the whole “A magician never reveals their secrets.” thing.
What else was in these fun red pages?
DeleteI took a quick look at the Red Magic controversy in MUM. I haven’t gone too deep, but it seems the criticism was more about the potential of Red Magic to become a source for exposure. Houdini published his correspondence with the New York World, showing how he had enacted a promise that he and the SAM exposure committee would be able to review all tricks before publication to ensure no exposures were printed. This seemed to calm everyone down.
DeleteBit more on this. Sounds like the major objector was Harry Leat who put out a magic circular in England called Leat's Leaflet. He was a real crusader again exposures, and in issue No. 4 he voiced his displeasure with HH in a piece called "The Unmasking of Harry Houdini." Unfortunately, I can't seem to find this issue (or any issue of Leat's Leaflet) on Ask Alexander.
DeleteMan I'd love to read Leaflet #4. Clinton Burgess was another one not fond of HH. He called HH The Hog because of his magic book hoarding in 278.
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