In 2007, the above photo was listed on eBay with a starting price of $1,250 and ended with no bids. The auction described the photo as taken in a “University area in Canada” shortly before Houdini gave a lecture there. But we know the photo is actually Houdini posing outside the White House in Washington D.C. [Source: WAH]
I recently saw this photo during my trip to the McCord Museum. So, technically, the photo is in the “University area in Canada”, lol.
In addition to its location, I can also add that this International Newsreel photo was used 10-25-26 with the caption, HOUDINI: NEAR DEATH:
So, one can see how you could be misled that this was his last photo.
He has a folded piece of paper in the left pocket of his coat. I wonder what it was.
I would love to know. He also has a folded piece of paper in the checkered flag photo that I will be doing a future post about.
Think it’s a newspaper or magazine. You’ll see this in a lot of pics.
Nice work, Joe. Always wondered why that eBay seller credited this pic the way they did.
Thanks John! It makes sense now. I would say newspaper.
It does look like a newspaper. It would be high enough to stick out of the coat pocket. I’m looking forward to new info on that checkered flag photo. Didn’t Silverman believe it was the last photo of HH?