Sunday, December 1, 2024

Houdini's grand finale at the Bardavon


Let's wrap up the story of Houdini's 1924 spirit lecture tours by marking his last stop (as far as I know) one hundred years ago today at the Bardavon in Poughkeepsie, New York. This was also Houdini's one and only appearance in the city. A fun detail is that magician John Mulholland attended the lecture as an "escort" to 18 Vassar College girls.

 Billboard Dec. 28 1924.

The Bardavon was named for William Shakespeare (the Bard of Avon). In 1924, the theater played a mix of vaudeville, silent movies, and stage plays. The theatre survived the wrecking ball in the 1970s and still stands today as a popular live performance venue. According to its history page, the Bardavon holds the distinction of being the oldest continuously operating theater in New York State and one of the oldest in the entire country.


Houdini's 1924 lecture tours covered almost 12,000 miles. Surprisingly, these tours barely warrant a mention in most Houdini biographies. But they were filled with interesting stories and took him to many places where he had never appeared before, and Houdini was very proud of his work.

Want more? You see all the stops on Houdini's tours as a member of my Patreon below. Heads up that this is the last day of my Black Friday sale, offering 10% off all new memberships with the promo code BESS.


3 comments:

  1. Was 1924 his final year lecture touring. Did it go into 25? His 3 in One was around the corner.

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    Replies
    1. Yes, it was his final year of touring with a lecture. But he would still give the occasional lecture at colleges, etc.

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    2. Thanks! And his last stop was close to home.

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