On Monday, September 15^th, John Cox’s gave all his WILD ABOUT HARRY Patreon’s, a heads up, that The Art of Magic by Ken Trombly is available NOW:

I’ll be posting about this on the main blog tomorrow, but I wanted to give you all an early heads that our friend and fellow patron Ken Trombly’s lavish new book The Art of Magic has just been released by Vanishing Inc. You won’t see this in the sample images, but know the book contains two chapters showcasing Ken’s incredible Houdini collection.

The book is available in a Regular and Deluxe Edition. Only 200 Deluxe Editions are being offered so…you know what to do!

Congratulations Ken.

Right after John posted that, I immediately ordered a Deluxe Edition, which arrived on Thursday, September 19^th

I was amazed by the size of it. It is 12 inches by 16 inches and weighs 11 pounds in the slipcase. And I love the title, especially “A Lifetime of Collecting” part of the title. I wish Houdini was somewhere on the cover, but that is just me being selfish, the book really is The Art of Magic, with emphasis on the Art part as it is truly “a work of art” and well designed.

I opened the beautiful book up and discovered there are actually 300 numbered and signed copies of the Deluxe Edition and I got number 279 out of 300.

I wonder who got 278?  Not sure, how the numbers were distributed, but it looks like this will sell out if it hasn’t already. Suffice it to say, glad I didn’t wait.

Author Ken Trombly is one of the industry’s most fervent collectors of magic art: lithographs, posters, etchings–if it depicts a magician in history, Ken probably owns a copy in mint condition. His house is a wonderland from the golden age of magic. But few of us will ever get to see his collection in person. So…The Art of Magic brings that collection right to your fingertips.

I was fortunate enough to see some of this amazing collection in person during a trip to the east coast in 2018.

• Trip to East Coast is Extra Special, Day 4 (Ken Trombly)

And now I was about to relive that extra special day and see Houdini treasures I hadn’t seen in seven years, plus so many new treasures in this beautiful coffee table size book.

In the introduction of Ken’s book, Paul Kieve mentions the following:

Even if you don’t have the privilege of sifting through Ken’s amazing magical basement in person, you can now do so via the contents of this wonderful book. It’s incredibly generous of Ken to share his lifelong collecting passion, this way. Although vintage poster images have become more accessible via the internet, I promise you there are many examples contained within these pages that have never seen either online or in print before.

I echo Paul’s sentiments. The intro is followed by an essay on “The Making of a Collector” where Ken tells how he became a collector (which I love) and that his wish for anyone sifting through the book, “is that you encounter some things in these pages that you never seen before“. His wish came through in spades for me.

The first thing I did after reading the intro and Ken’s essay, was to bookmark the start of the Houdini material with the ribbon bookmark that was sewn into the spine (which was a nice touch.)  And then I started sifting through the two chapters on Houdini, which did not disappoint.

• Houdini Poster and Advertising
• Houdini Photos and Ephemera

Houdini is a focus of Ken’s and he shares some of his favorite pieces, which most have never been seen before.

These include posters like a relic from 1894, a small poster from a 1902 German tour, a letterpress poster from a 1902 performance in the UK, a letterpress poster for a music hall performance calling Houdini “the winner of the great handcuff contest“, a reference to the “mirror cuffs challenge“, a rare 1912 poster featuring the first performances of the Water Torture Cell, a portion of a poster displayed on the upper level of a double-decker bus when Houdini appeared at London’s Hippodrome.

Ken has also collected almost 100 different handbill challenges. Included in the book are challenges from a 1903 jail escape, 1911 escape from being strapped to the mouth of a canon, 1912 escape after being tied to a eight foot plank in sailor’s fashion, 1907 escape from a giant envelope, 1912 wet-sheet challenge, 1910 escape from a hamper, 1910 escape from a seabag, 1913 escape from a jail on The Convict Ship, and others.

And as Ken put it, “the only thing better than a chapter on collecting Houdini is a second chapter” that includes Houdini Photos and Ephemera.

Included is a 1894 program for The Houdini Bothers, 1897 receipt for magic props Houdini purchased from E.J. Dooley, a number of early cabinet photos of Houdini, a program for a talent show of passengers in a 1900 voyage, photos with a young Bess, early photos of Houdini’s parents, holiday cards, and post cards and photos depicting: his bust, Houdini holding the French Letter Cuffs misidentified as the mirror cuffs, various bridge jumps, and straitjacket escapes. Also included is a miss-dated announcement celebrating Australian aviators and Houdini’s first flight, material exposing fraudulent mediums, a 1924 artist’s rendering of Houdini’s shipboard performance for Teddy Roosevelt, and last but not least a cabinet photo of Houdini with the so-called Mirror Cuffs.

For me these two chapters on Houdini alone are worth getting the book, but there is so much more besides Houdini in this book:

So what are you waiting for, order your copy today and enjoy the journey.

On Sunday December 6, 1998 at 8pm, TNT aired the World Premiere of HOUDINI, starring Jonathan Schaech.

I am lucky enough to have in my collection, an original press kit and VHS tape for the this TNT original movie premier.

It includes eight color 35mm color slides, two 8×10 photos, production information, cast information, and director and cast Q&As (Part I and Part II).

Today, I share cast Q&A Part II with Jonathon Schaech (Houdini) and Stacy Edwards (Bess Houdini) from the press kit.

On Sunday December 6, 1998 at 8pm, TNT aired the World Premiere of HOUDINI, starring Jonathan Schaech.

I am lucky enough to have in my collection, an original press kit and VHS tape for the this TNT original movie premier.

It includes eight color 35mm color slides, two 8×10 photos, production information, cast information, and director and cast Q&As (Part I and Part II).

Today, I share cast Q&A Part I with Paul Sorvino (Blackburn), Rhea Perlman (Esther) and George Segal (Martin Beck) from the press kit.

On Sunday December 6, 1998 at 8pm, TNT aired the World Premiere of HOUDINI, starring Jonathan Schaech.

I am lucky enough to have in my collection, an original press kit and VHS tape for the this TNT original movie premier.

It includes eight color 35mm color slides, two 8×10 photos, production information, cast information, and director and cast Q&As.

Today, I share Q&A with Pen Densham (director) from the press kit.

The first 6 months of the third year (Kinema Comic 1922) of  the serial, The Amazing Exploits of HOUDINI, is now available on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk

Product Description:

The British Boys weekly “The Kinema Comic” ran a serial “The Amazing Exploits of HOUDINI” (“Written by Houdini Himself” – or so it says) from April 24, 1920 to November 27,1926.
In these yarns, which no one should miss, the Master of Mystery chronicles his most amazing exploits.
Surviving copies are almost impossible to come by these days.
Joe M. Notaro and Arthur Moses have been tracking down these rare issues and are making them available to you in a book series by year (and months).
In this offering, they have compiled the 1922 (Jan – Jun) weekly serials (25 issues) of “The Amazing Exploits of HOUDINI” into a single book (with original illustrations).

Related:

• First year (Kinema Comic 1920) of The Amazing Exploits of HOUDINI is now available

On Sunday December 6, 1998 at 8pm, TNT aired the World Premiere of HOUDINI, starring Jonathan Schaech.

I am lucky enough to have in my collection, an original press kit and VHS tape for the this TNT original movie premier.

It includes eight color 35mm color slides, two 8×10 photos, production information, cast information, and director and cast Q&As.

Today, I share cast information (credits and biographies) from the press kit.

On Sunday December 6, 1998 at 8pm, TNT aired the World Premiere of HOUDINI, starring Jonathan Schaech.

I am lucky enough to have in my collection, an original press kit and VHS tape for the this TNT original movie premier.

It includes eight color 35mm color slides, two 8×10 photos, production information, cast information, and director and cast Q&As.

Today, I share production information (credits and biographies) from the press kit.

Last week, Escaping Obscurity The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini 1897-1899 was published by Mike Caveney’s Magic Words, and I was pleased to get copy # 0028 of 150 numbered copies of the deluxe edition. The number 28 corresponds with day of the month I was born.

The deluxe edition comes with a slip case unlike any other: Per Mike Caveney: “It looks like a water-damaged box that has been abused over the course of 125 years, and that’s because it perfectly replicates the front and back covers of the original diary. A perfect reminder of the difficult life that this little diary experienced during the first three years of its life.”

The deluxe edition is also signed by the diary’s owner Bruce Averbook; author John Cox; designer Michael Albright; and publisher Mike Caveney. And comes with an original print of the first example of graphic advertising (The Houdini’s Metamorphosis exchange made in 3 seconds) used by Harry and Bess. The print was created using a Vandercook press and an 1894 block (generously made available by William Kalush of The Conjuring Arts Research Center). It also features a photograph of these prints being produced.

Per John Cox, “The Deluxe Edition has already sold out, making it the fastest selling Deluxe Edition in Mike Caveney’s Magic Words history. But there are still Regular Editions available. The print run is not huge, so it’s possible the book could sell out entirely. Just saying.”

Suffice to say, the book is a thing of beauty and must have by all. Like the Deluxe Editions, the Regular Editions will also sell out, so don’t wait to purchase. The unbelievable array of rare photographs alone is worth the investment; many of which have never appeared in print.

Right from the start, the title for the book (Escaping Obscurity The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini 1897-1899) and the classic B&W 1898 Welsh Bros. Circus image (with Harry and Bess colorized) on the front cover could not have been more perfect.

Followed by printed endsheets that depict the Welsh Bros. Circus.

Mike Caveney then kicks the book off with a heart-felt Publishers Note that begins, “The book represents an amazing confluence of special friends…”

This is followed by a Foreword from the owner of the diary, Dr. Bruce J Averbook where he answers, “Why procure probably the historically greatest, recognized magician’s earliest known diary? Why is this so important? And Why share with the world and publish this now?”

John Cox then does the Introduction where he shares his journey with the diary and ends with him saying: “I’m so excited for you to be holding this book in your hands and taking the journey yourself.” And what a journey it is.

John Cox then brilliantly deciphers and annotates every page of the diary with supporting images from major collections, which graphic designer Michael Albright beautifully assembles into a beautiful, full-color book of 373 pages measuring 9 by 12 inches. You can tell that this was a labor of love.

At the end of the book, there is an very informative essay, “The Restoration” by Jamye Jamison that describes the layout of the 5 ½ inches tall and 2 ½ inches wide diary and the restoration process it had to go through.

The Appendix section includes Houdini’s Performance Chronology from June 14, 1897 to July 9 1899.

The Acknowledgements section lists individuals and institutions who helped turn the diary into a proper book, with a special thanks to Patrick Culliton who gave the manuscript a thorough read and stress test, John T. Seyfried and ICA Art Conservation for providing the photos of the diary pages, and Dr. Bruce J. Averbrook gives a shout out to his own special collaborator, his wife Lorene.

A Sources section lists books and newspaper quotes used, along with a nice Index.

And the back cover sums it all up:

IN JUNE 1897, an itinerant young magician named Harry Houdini began to record his life on the road in a small travel diary. For the next two years, he painstakingly noted his daily struggles to find success in the rough and tumble worlds of dime museums, medicine shows, circuses, small-time vaudeville, and spritualist chambers.

Through the pages of Escaping Obscurity, Houdini cryptic entries have been fully annotated by Houdini expert John Cox, and illustrated with hundreds of rare photographs, allowing you to follow Harry and his young wife, Bess, as they travel across the United States, struggling to make ends meet.

There has never been a magician like Houdini, and there has never been a book about him like this one. Experience the evolution of a legend and read in Houdini’s own words how he successfully escaped…obscurity.

BRAVO to all involved!

On Sunday December 6, 1998 at 8pm, TNT aired the World Premiere of HOUDINI, starring Jonathan Schaech.

I am lucky enough to have in my collection, an original press kit and VHS tape for the this TNT original movie premier.

It includes eight color 35mm color slides, two 8×10 photos, production information, cast information, and director and cast Q&As.

Today, I share two 8×10 photos from the press kit.

On Sunday December 6, 1998 at 8pm, TNT aired the World Premiere of HOUDINI, starring Jonathan Schaech.

I am lucky enough to have in my collection, an original press kit and VHS tape for the this TNT original movie premier.

It includes eight color 35mm color slides, two 8×10 photos, production information, cast information, and director and cast Q&As.

Today, I share the eight color slides from the press kit.

Johnathan Schaech and Stacy Edwards. Photo by Doug Hyun (c) 1998 TBS, Inc.

Johnathan Schaech. Photo by Doug Hyun (c) 1998 TBS, Inc.

Stacy Edwards and Johnathan Schaech. Photo by Doug Hyun (c) 1998 TBS, Inc.

George Segal, Stacy Edwards and J. Schaech. Photo by Doug Hyun (c) 1998 TBS, Inc.

Johnathan Schaech. Photo by Doug Hyun (c) 1998 TBS, Inc.

Stacy Edwards and Johnathan Schaech. Photo by Doug Hyun (c) 1998 TBS, Inc.

Stacy Edwards and Johnathan Schaech. Photo by Doug Hyun (c) 1998 TBS, Inc.

Stacy Edwards, Rhea Perlman and Paul Sorvino. Photo by Doug Hyun (c) 1998 TBS, Inc.