Below are B&W and color images of the “Apology in the Name of the Kaiser” poster that we are most familar with:
In 2018, our friend John Cox at Wild About Houdini, did a post on a poster variant:
Variant #1 tipped in a “Unmasking” book and also found on p8 of Houdini on Magic by Walter B. Gibson
Well, I recently came across another variant:
Variant #2 from Museum of the City of New York (MCNY)
Bonus:
Undated placemat (?) from Alexander’s Restaurant & Bar (HHCE Collection)
Library of Congress (LoC)
We are all familiar with the famous “doctored” photo of Houdini and Theodore Roosevelt originally taken of a group by Franz Kukol
Repro
And many of us have seen the group photo that actually shows 7 people in the photo: Wm. H Childs, Houdini, J.C. Platt, Theodore Roosevelt, A.W. Erickson, Philip Roosevelt, and L.F. Abbott
LoC
But have you seen the photo with 8 people?
Theodore Roosevelt Collection (TRC)
And anyone know who that 8th person is on the far right of the photo?
Could it be Mr. Ridgeway mentioned in the letter (first posted by our friend, David Saltman on his Houdini File site) from William Hamlin Child’s about the “fake picture” of Houdini and Roosevelt.
TRC
Related:
Harry Houdini wrote a short novel in 1925, a romantic detective thriller, called The Zanetti Mystery (ghostwritten of course).
Houdini builds his story about the monstrous figure of Zanetti — genius faker, and arch rogue; he shows the methods by which even profound scientists have been hoodwinked by prophets of the occult and materializers of demons and spirits, and tells of the private lives often rivaling Babylon in abandon and luxury– of those who strip both rich and poor by mystery and mummery.
Through the whole fabric of the story there move the amazing characters of the half-world and underworld spies “snowbirds”, “lobby gows”, “stoppers”, “floppers”, “controls”, and “falls”, whom only Houdini can write about, because his special investigations have made him know them all and how they work as links in a chain system which is one of the weirdest forces for fraud and evil in the world. [The Journal]
The short novel (8 Chapters) was serialized over eight weeks in various Newspapers.
This week, I share Chapter 8 (Prologue) of 8:
CHAPTER VIII
Prologue:
HERMAN STEINWAY, an aged millionaire, is being victimized in his belief in spirits by a most notorious faker, Zanetti, who agrees to produce the spirit of the millionaire’s deceased wife, in the flesh, for one million dollars. Van Haarlem, Zanetti’s chief detective, is put on the job. He induces the Gopher, an ex-convict to break into Steinway’s home for a photograph of the dead woman. With this in hand, Van Haarlem sets out to find a girl who tallies with the description of this woman.
Meanwhile, the District Attorney has been cleaning up the spiritualistic fakers. Wallace Haines, Assistant District Attorney, is given the assignment. Wallace has just become engaged to marry Lucile Linton, an ex-chorus girl now doing charity work in the slums. She promises to help Haines in his work. Van Haarlem finally appeals to the Gopher to help him locate a girl for the illusion, and Lucile, who has been visiting the Gopher’s crippled child, offers herself, in the guise of a charity. Van Haarlem takes Lucille to see Zanetti.
Lucille is accepted for the role and the seance is staged. Haines conducts a raid on the place at Lucile’s signal but Lucile discovers, a moment too late, that the old man is her own father. She tries to keep out the raiders while her father is dying of heart failure. Haines believes she has tricked him and he denounces her. Meanwhile while Zanetti and his men escape.
Lucile is held for murder. Haines, realizing his hasty judgment, makes amends by resigning his desk and preparing Lucile’s defense.
Yesterday, the Los Angeles Times, had a nice article on the infamous Cahuenga alley used by Chaplin, Keaton, Lloyd, Houdini and others.
You may recall that our friend John Bengtson who runs the excellent blog Silent Locations, discovered Houdini used the Cahuenga alley in The Grim Game and launched a campaign to change the name of the alley to Chaplin-Keaton-Lloyd alley.
Thanks to Dorothy Dietrich and Dick Brookz of the Houdini Museum in Scranton for the Los Angeles Times link.
Harry Houdini wrote a short novel in 1925, a romantic detective thriller, called The Zanetti Mystery (ghostwritten of course).
Houdini builds his story about the monstrous figure of Zanetti — genius faker, and arch rogue; he shows the methods by which even profound scientists have been hoodwinked by prophets of the occult and materializers of demons and spirits, and tells of the private lives often rivaling Babylon in abandon and luxury– of those who strip both rich and poor by mystery and mummery.
Through the whole fabric of the story there move the amazing characters of the half-world and underworld spies “snowbirds”, “lobby gows”, “stoppers”, “floppers”, “controls”, and “falls”, whom only Houdini can write about, because his special investigations have made him know them all and how they work as links in a chain system which is one of the weirdest forces for fraud and evil in the world. [The Journal]
The short novel (8 Chapters) was serialized over eight weeks in various Newspapers.
This week, I share Chapter 7 (Prologue) of 8:
CHAPTER VII
Prologue:
HERMAN STEINWAY, an aged millionaire, is being victimized in his belief in spirits by the notorious fake medium, Zanetti, who agrees to produce the spirit of the millionaire’s deceased wife, in the flesh, for one million dollars. Van Haarlem, Zanetti’s chief detective, is put on the job. He induces the Gopher, an ex-convict, to break into Steinway’s home for a photograph of the dead woman. With this in hand, Van Haarlem sets out to find a girl who tallies with the description of this woman.
Meanwhile, the District Attorney has been cleaning up the spiritualistic fakers. Wallace Haines, Assistant District Attorney, is given this assignment. Wallace has just become engaged to marry Lucile Linton, an ex-chorus girl now doing charity work in the slums. She promises to help Haines in his work. Van Haarlem appeals finally to the Gopher to help him locate a girl for the illusion, and Lucile, who has been visiting the Gopher’s crippled child, offers herself, in the guise of a charity worker. Van Haarlem takes Lucille to see Zanetti.
Lucille is accepted for the role and the seance is staged. Haines conducts a raid on the place at Lucile’s signal; but Lucile discovers, a moment too late, that the old man is her own father. She tries to keep out the raiders while her father is dying of heart failure. Haines believes she has tricked him and he denounces her. Meanwhile, Zanetti and his men escape.
Harry Houdini wrote a short novel in 1925, a romantic detective thriller, called The Zanetti Mystery (ghostwritten of course).
Houdini builds his story about the monstrous figure of Zanetti — genius faker, and arch rogue; he shows the methods by which even profound scientists have been hoodwinked by prophets of the occult and materializers of demons and spirits, and tells of the private lives often rivaling Babylon in abandon and luxury– of those who strip both rich and poor by mystery and mummery.
Through the whole fabric of the story there move the amazing characters of the half-world and underworld spies “snowbirds”, “lobby gows”, “stoppers”, “floppers”, “controls”, and “falls”, whom only Houdini can write about, because his special investigations have made him know them all and how they work as links in a chain system which is one of the weirdest forces for fraud and evil in the world. [The Journal]
The short novel (8 Chapters) was serialized over eight weeks in various Newspapers.
This week, I share Chapter 6 (Prologue) of 8:
CHAPTER VI
Prologue:
HERMAN STEINWAY, an aged millionaire, is being victimized in his belief in spirits by the notorious faker, Zanetti, who agrees to produce the spirit of the millionaire’s deceased wife in the flesh, for one million dollars. Van Haarlem, Zanetti’s chief detective, is put on the job. He induces the Gopher, an ex-convict, to break into Steinway’s home for a photograph of the dead woman. With this in hand, Van Haarlem sets out to find a girl who tallies with the description of this woman.
Meanwhile, the District Attorney has been cleaning up the spiritualistic fakers. Wallace Haines, Assistant District Attorney, is given this assignment. Haines has just become engaged to marry Lucile Linton, an ex-chorus girl now doing charity work in the slums. She promises to help Haines in his work. Van Haarlem appeals finally to the Gopher to help him locate a girl for the illusion, and Lucile who has been visiting the Gopher’s crippled child, offers herself under the guise of charity. Van Haarlem takes Lucille to see Zanetti.
Harry Houdini wrote a short novel in 1925, a romantic detective thriller, called The Zanetti Mystery (ghostwritten of course).
Houdini builds his story about the monstrous figure of Zanetti — genius faker, and arch rogue; he shows the methods by which even profound scientists have been hoodwinked by prophets of the occult and materializers of demons and spirits, and tells of the private lives often rivaling Babylon in abandon and luxury– of those who strip both rich and poor by mystery and mummery.
Through the whole fabric of the story there move the amazing characters of the half-world and underworld spies “snowbirds”, “lobby gows”, “stoppers”, “floppers”, “controls”, and “falls”, whom only Houdini can write about, because his special investigations have made him know them all and how they work as links in a chain system which is one of the weirdest forces for fraud and evil in the world. [The Journal]
The short novel (8 Chapters) was serialized over eight weeks in various Newspapers.
This week, I share Chapter 5 (Prologue) of 8:
CHAPTER V
Prologue:
HERMAN STEINWAY, an aged millionaire, is being victimized in his belief in spirits by the notorious faker, Zanetti, who agrees to produce the spirit of the millionaire’s deceased wife, in the flesh, for one million dollars. Van Haarlem, Zanetti’s chief detective, is put on the job. He induces the Gopher, an ex-convict, to break into Steinway’s home for a photograph of the dead woman. With this in hand, Van Haarlem sets out to find a girl who tallies with the description of this woman.
Meanwhile, the District Attorney has been cleaning up the spiritualistic fakers. Wallace Haines, an assistant district attorney is given this assignment. Wallace has just become engaged to marry Lucile Linton, an ex-chorus girl now doing charity work in the slums. She promises to help Haines in his task.
Harry Houdini wrote a short novel in 1925, a romantic detective thriller, called The Zanetti Mystery (ghostwritten of course).
Houdini builds his story about the monstrous figure of Zanetti — genius faker, and arch rogue; he shows the methods by which even profound scientists have been hoodwinked by prophets of the occult and materializers of demons and spirits, and tells of the private lives often rivaling Babylon in abandon and luxury– of those who strip both rich and poor by mystery and mummery.
Through the whole fabric of the story there move the amazing characters of the half-world and underworld spies “snowbirds”, “lobby gows”, “stoppers”, “floppers”, “controls”, and “falls”, whom only Houdini can write about, because his special investigations have made him know them all and how they work as links in a chain system which is one of the weirdest forces for fraud and evil in the world. [The Journal]
The short novel (8 Chapters) was serialized over eight weeks in various Newspapers.
This week, I share Chapter 4 (Prologue) of 8:
CHAPTER IV
Prologue:
HERMAN STEINWAY, an aged millionaire, is being victimized in his belief in the spiritualistic powers of Zanetti, notorious fake medium.
Zanetti works a few tricks of psychology on the old man and establishes his faith. Herman Steinway offers Zanetti one million dollars if the medium will produce the millionaire’s deceased wife, in the flesh, for just a few moments. Steinway explains that he must beg her forgiveness and hear her voice.
Zanetti sends out his chief detective, Van Haarlem, on this job. Meanwhile, Wallace Haines, a young assistant district attorney, is making strenuous efforts to round up Zanetti as a faker. Lucile Linton, to whom Haines has just become engaged, has been doing social service work. In her acquaintance with an ex-convict, the Gopher, she comes upon a valuable clue which she reports to her sweetheart.
Harry Houdini wrote a short novel in 1925, a romantic detective thriller, called The Zanetti Mystery (ghostwritten of course).
Houdini builds his story about the monstrous figure of Zanetti — genius faker, and arch rogue; he shows the methods by which even profound scientists have been hoodwinked by prophets of the occult and materializers of demons and spirits, and tells of the private lives often rivaling Babylon in abandon and luxury– of those who strip both rich and poor by mystery and mummery.
Through the whole fabric of the story there move the amazing characters of the half-world and underworld spies “snowbirds”, “lobby gows”, “stoppers”, “floppers”, “controls”, and “falls”, whom only Houdini can write about, because his special investigations have made him know them all and how they work as links in a chain system which is one of the weirdest forces for fraud and evil in the world. [The Journal]
The short novel (8 Chapters) was serialized over eight weeks in various Newspapers.
This week, I share Chapter 3 (Prologue) of 8:
CHAPTER III
Prologue:
HERMAN STEINWAY, an aged millionaire, is being victimized in his belief in the spiritualistic powers of Zanetti, notorious fake medium.
Zanetti works a trip of psychology on the old man and establishes his faith. Herman Steinway offers Zanetti one million dollars if he will produce his deceased wife, in the flesh, for just a few moments. Steinway explains that he must beg her forgiveness and hear her voice.
Zanetti sends out his chief detective, Van Haarlem, on this job. Meanwhile, Wallace Haines, a young assistant district attorney is making every effort to round up Zanetti as a faker. Lucile Linton, a social worker with whom Haines is in love, finds a clue for her sweetheart when she calls on the “Gopher” who is an ex-convict.
“Light the candles!”
Make a wish and blow them out!
“H A P P Y 1 4 7 TH B I R T H D A Y !