I thought I would share a tricked photograph of Houdini that I came across recently.
To debunk the “spirit photographs” that mediums were claiming as proof of their communication with the dead, Houdini manufactured his own.
I wasn’t sure if I had ever seen this tricked photo before. I searched my library of Houdini books and found similar but different photos of Houdini with the same “Spirit Extras”.
- Christopher’s Houdini a Pictorial Life p 177
- Kalush’s The Secret Life of Houdini Laid Bare p 248
Neither Christopher nor Kalush identify the so-called “Spirit Extras”.
Christopher refers to it as the last tricked “spirit” photograph of Houdini in 1926.
Who are the spirit extras? Feel free to guess. Bragging rights for the first one to get it correct in the comments.
I’ll be darned. It’s President Harding and the First Lady. You know, I’ve looked the Christopher book pic 100 times and never realized this. Good work. And a great image. Clear and uncropped.
Congratulations John! That is absolutely correct; it is a photograph of Houdini showing so-called “Spirit Extras” of President and Mrs. Harding. This photo, which is different than the Christopher photo and Kalush photo, but taken at the same time, was presented to Professor Carl Murchison by Mr. Houdini before the latter’s death. You can find the image in The Case For And Against Psychical Belief, 1927.
Great find Joe! This photo session was also, I believe, HH’s last set of studio shots. At least that’s what Christopher thought in the Pictorial Life.
Thanks Leo! Last photos are kind of fun. You got to love Christopher; The Untold Story and A Pictorial Life are two of my favorite books on Houdini.
Ditto, Christopher’s two books on HH are at the central core of my HH collection. Remember the first time you opened Pictorial and went “Oh my God!” when you saw the incredible array of HH photos? When I first saw these spiritual/studio shots in Pictorial, I realized that HH did not age well. He looked more like 62 years of age. His “firing on all cylinders” lifestyle seems to have caught up with him.
Pingback: Lovecraft, Eddy and possibly Houdini’s Last Letter | harryhoudinicircumstantialevidence.com