With the anniversary of Houdini’s Death approaching, thought I would share a a 1926 Billboard newspaper page [from my W.W. Durbin archive] that includes tributes to Houdini.
It also includes the pallbearers, magicians in attendance, and tributes from Chas. J.Carter, Sevis LeRoy, Nicola, B.M.L. Ernst, Howard Thurston, and others.
“H. was buried like a king.”
Double-click image for better readability
“Long live the King!”
The Halloween Edition features over 100 pieces. And Houdini makes his debut. The base set features 92 cards with 3 Houdini cards. Below are examples of the Houdini Cards:
There are 5 parallet sets (1982, Bloody Nightmares, Ghoul, Monochrome and Grimly Golds) that are limited and numbered.
Below is an example of a Houdini 1982 parallel card:
Below is an example of a Houdini Ghoul paralled card:
Below are examples of the Houdini Grimly Golds:
There are also 7 Houdini Stickers of remastered Houdini posters. Below are examples:
Many of the above cards can be found on eBay.
Last known photograph of Tatler Cuff (May 18, 1933 Pittsburg Sun Telegraph) It shows the other side of cuff not shown in the famous photo from 1904.
Famous photo of Tatler Cuff (March 23, 1904)
In 2021, I did the following post:
It included the following:
In the 2021 post, we learned from the grandson of W.W. Durbin and the August 1994 Linking Ring article that there were additional owners (Tom and Bob Dowd) of the Egyptian Hall Museum prior to David Price. We also learned that “most likely[?]” the handcuffs and other paraphernalia along with Durbin’s apparatus and books were sold (possibly to Abbott’s) by his great grandmother after Durbin’s death (Feb 4,1937) and before Tom and Bob Dowd acquired the remnants of the magic theater.
So were the Tatler handcuffs sold to Abbott’s? Or is it possible the Dowd’s with IBM ties acquired them?
Mike Caveney wrote this on his website:
Two years after Durbin’s death in 1937 America’s Egyptian Hall was sold to Tom Dowd who remembered attending (with his younger brother Bob) the early magic conventions at Durbin’s home. The building was raised off its foundation and rolled two miles down the road to a spot next to the Dowd home.
Tom would eventually spend seventeen years as secretary/treasurer of the IBM, helping it grow into the largest magic organization in the world while his wife Mary worked as advertising manager of the Linking Ring.
Since the 2021 post, Leo Hevia and I have been in contact with Abbott’s and a relative of the Dowd’s, respectively.
Per a May 30, 2022 email from Leo Hevia to Me:
I did get a response from Abbott’s Magic. They don’t have anything that fits the description of any old handcuffs. I’m afraid we hit a dead end on the Tatler cuffs. Durbin’s widow sold his collection to the Dowd brothers, Tom, and Bob. After a few years they sold it to David Price and from there to Caveney and his pal George Daily. The collection exchanged hands three times. God knows where those cuffs are now.
In March, 2023, I had the following email exchange with Michael Lee, Grandson of Mary Dowd:
Mon, Mar 13, 6:53 PM to Me
Came across your posting of Egyptian Hall while researching my grandmother, Mary Dowd. I heard lots about the building growing up first hand from her as she helped her husband Tom perform. Sadly it was moved decades ago. It now sits on another farm outside, last I saw as a garage.
Tue, Mar 21, 10:10 PM to Michael
Wow, Mary Dowd is your grandmother, that is so cool the connection to Egyptian Hall. You don’t happen to have any additional info or leads on the Tatler Cuffs?
Wed, Mar 22, 2023 4:22 AM to Me
Thank you for the reply back! Unfortunately that story is probably lost to time. I remember my grandmother speaking of some Houdini books, however I believe those were sold or donated before she passed, and my great uncle, Bob Dowd, I believed he had a good collection upon his death, but the items went to a magic collection / auction, never got to see what all he had as I was out of state at the time.
When my mother passed, I inherited a trunk full of my grandfathers show materials and props, I saved a few pieces as they seemed original, early 1900’s. I’ll attach some photos, you may have seen these items before. Also going through boxes of old letters, I came across the sale paper for Egyptian Hall. It really put Kenton on the map back in the day, times were definitely different back then. I’m happy to have found this, it keeps their memory going, thank you.
In October, I shared with Leo Hevia my correspondence with Michael Lee, Grandson of Mary Dowd. Leo had this to say:
If Bob Dowd had the Tatler Cuffs and sold it off in his auction, then we’re screwed. The cuffs could be in the attic of somebody’s house in Ohio.
Addendum:
I find it interesting that after 1934, there is no mention [that I can find] of the Tatler Cuff owned by W.W. Durbin.
Houdini’s safe with Mirror Cuff that was opened by Charles Courtney for Bess Houdini in 1935
And that in 1935, the Mirror Cuff, now owned by David Copperfield is found in a safe [by Bess Houdini]. Coud it be, that once this Mirror Cuff appears for the fist time after Houdini’s death, that the Tatler Cuff needs to vanish.
If you have any additional info on where the Tatler Cuff may have gone, please provide in the comments or send me a private email.
On September 26, The Catalina Museum shared an instagram reel that showed their new Houdini “Terror Island” display that includes a couple lobby stills, the missing packing box escape footage, and a Did You Know question.
Below is QR code and link to the reel.
DID YOU KNOW?
MAGICIAN HARRY HOUDINI WAS CONNECTED TO CATALINA ISLAND BECAUSE…
HE MADE A FILM AT TOYON BAY BUT ALSO THROUGH A TUNA CLUB MEMBER AND STAGE MAGICIAN HARRY KELLAR.
Related:
In honor of Haldane of the Secret Service being released 100 years ago by the Film Bookers Office (F.B.O), thought I would share the following FBO ads:
Motion Picture News (Sep-Oct 1923)
What I love about the ad above, is that it mentions getting a copy of the big press book for Haldane of the Secret Service.
Moving Picture Workd (Nov-Dec 1923)
The above ad shows a few random pages from F.B.O press sheets. I particularly like the one in the lower left corner.
H A P P Y 1 0 0 TH A N N I V E R S A R Y ! !
Addendum:
Back in 2018, I had the rare opportunity to see this big press book during a trip to the east coast. Below is a snippet from the blog post about the trip.
Kevin [Connolly] had me sit at the dining room table, where he brought out the pressbook of all pressbooks. It was the Haldane of the Secret Service pressbook, which may be the only one in existence. It was about three times the size of any other Houdini Pressbook.
Besides my autographed book, “Houdini’s Schooldays” with limited edition bonus card, I hightly recommend “Magic Babylon, 1,001 Strange Conjuring Facts, Fallacies, and Tales” by Joe Hernandez. There is lots of Houdini in this book.
The author is currently offering these on eBay or you can pick up a copy on Amazon.
Below is the description:
CONJURING EVENTS THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED
Everything you need to know about odd, amusing, and little-known incidents of conjuring trivia but have yet to learn is within these pages. Here you will find 1,001 genuinely unpredictable collections of stories, history, and bizarre events that have taken place since the beginning of magic, demonstrating that reality can be stranger than anything we can imagine in a work of fiction. These short, thought provoking and anecdotal stories will pique your interest and have you reconsider much of what you thought was true or false about conjuring.
You will amaze your friends and become known as an undisputed master of conjuring trivia:
· — Bess Houdini falsely claimed in a newspaper interview to have had a daughter.
· — President Abraham Lincoln was an amateur magician.
· — The town of Faucett in Buchanan County, Missouri, is named after magician Faucett Ross’s grandfather.
· — Houdini authored articles for the magic publication, Mahatma, posing as a European correspondent using the pen name of Herr N. Osey.
· — Jimmy Grippo once managed the career of Mario Bettina, the light-heavyweight boxer. Under Grippo’s management, Bettina won the world championship and held the title for five months.
· — The 1908 Famous Tin Pan Alley song “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” was written by an amateur magician.
Joe Hernandez is the author of Conjurer’s Wisdom Vol 1 & 2 and Phonetastic. He frequently contributed to the magic journal Apocalypse and produced magic shows at the State Theatre in New Jersey. He was a consultant to the yearly NBC show “The World’s Greatest Magic.” Joe has collaborated in producing many magic videos, including DVDs from Rene Lavand, Harry Lorayne, Gene Maze, Mike Gallo, Sol Stone, and Herb Zarrow. He has appeared on numerous public television shows performing close-up magic, including a solo show on WABC. Joe is a member of the Society of American Magicians and the International Brotherhood of Magicians and a monthly columnist for M-U-M and The Linking Ring magazines.
Today, I share 3 of 4 Trade Press Notices mentioned in the February 20th Kinematograph & Lantern Weekly ad below:
The Kinematogragph Weekly Feb 13th, page 81:
The Bioscope February 13, 1919 pages 65 and 77:
The Era, February 12th, page 19:
Today, I continue my series where I share 4 page supplements that appeared in Kinematograph and Lantern Weekly and promoted Houdini’s movie serial, The Master Mystery, in the UK.
It appeared on supplement pages ix-xii of the February 13, 1919 Kinematograph and Lantern Weekly
BONUS
The following appeared on page 85 of the February 13, 1919 Kinematograph and Lantern Weekly:
“Houdini” – at Sing-Sing.
“The Master Mystery,” the big serial in which Houdini stars, has beewn a phenomenal success is the States-where big features are a common occurentces-and had had a queer and unique honour conferred on it. Under the auspices of the Mutual Welfare League the film is being shown to the convicts at Sing-Sing. The first episode was shown last Tuesday, and one episode a week is being given until the whole serial has been exhibited. Will any society arrange to get it shown over here at Dartmoor?
Today, I continue my series where I share 4 page supplements that appeared in Kinematograph and Lantern Weekly and promoted Houdini’s movie serial, The Master Mystery, in the UK.
It appeared on supplement pages i-iv of the January 30,1919 Kinematograph and Lantern Weekly
Today, I continue my series where I share 4 page supplements that appeared in Kinematograph and Lantern Weekly and promoted Houdini’s movie serial, The Master Mystery, in the UK.
It appeared on supllement pages xiii-xvi of the January 23, 1919 Kinematograph and Lantern Weekly
