The Historic 90th Houdini Seance at Sojourn Restaurant-The Site of Houdini’s First Home in NY Oct 31, 2016.

It will be headed up by world renowned female escape artist Dorothy Dietrich and Broadway mentalist Marc Salem, and begins at noon, close to the time Houdini died on Halloween.

The Houdini Seances were done by Ms. Dietrich many years at New York’s legendary Magic Towne House. Dietrich is the Director of The Houdini Museum in Scranton, PA, the only building in the world dedicated to Houdini. The Houdini Museum is under the close guidance of Houdini’s family. They have also asked the museum to do upkeep and repairs at the Houdini’s Grave. The not for profit 501 C-3 museum recently received world wide acclaim for replacing the bust of Houdini at his grave that had been destroyed by vandals 41 years ago, at a cost of $10,000, and for discovering and getting restored, by Turner Classic Movies, Houdini’s best and long lost feature film, “The Grim Game.

Also attending will be paranormalist Dick Brookz currently appearing on Travel Channels Mysteries At The Museum, and star of The Houdini Museum’s Haunted-Mysteries of the Beyond, the longest running paranormal and seance show in history. Several original Houdini items will be on display as part of the event, that is free and open to the pubic.  Reservations suggested

The Sojourn Restaurant  is located at 244  East  79 St,  NYC

HOUDINI SEANCE HISTORY
Each year since his death a tribute in the form of a seance has been conducted on that day. The first ten were done by his wife Bess as a tribute and test, each year after Houdini died. In his effort to challenge the crooked mystics and psychics who claim they can make contact with the dead. He told people to save their money and not be cheated by those who make such claims!  Houdini said if he, the greatest escape artist of all time, could not escape from the beyond and return, no one could. After ten years, Houdini’s wife passed on the legacy and tradition to Houdini biographer, friend and writer Walter B. Gibson. Gibson was the creator of “The Shadow” one of the most famous mystery series of all time that started out as a novel, a radio show, a television show and then a movie starring Alec Baldwin. The shows catch phrase, “The Shadow knows!” has been repeated thousands of times by comedians and others through the years. Gibson also helped Houdini in some of his literary projects, and after Houdini died Gibson wrote several biographies and magic secret books culled from Houdini’s private notes that Bess let Gibson use.  Before Mr. Gibson died he passed on the legacy and the tradition of the Houdini Seance to well known magic celebrity, Dorothy Dietrich.  http://DorothyDietrich.com

Walter B. Gibson – Dorothy Dietrich – Milbourne Christoper

Dorothy Dietrich has been named “one of the most noted magicians of the late 20th century” by Columbia Encyclopedia.  Dorothy Dietrich is one of the world’s best known magicians and has also been called “The First Lady of Magic and “The Female Houdini”. She has appeared in many television specials, and is the first and only woman in history to perform the death defying Bullet Catch in her mouth, that has killed 12 men.  It’s the “the stunt that scared Houdini” who  backed out after announcing he would attempt it.   She is also the first and only woman to perform a straitjacket escape from a parachute ride while suspended hundreds of feet in the air from a burning rope, as shown on the HBO special, The World’s Greatest Escapes, that she starred in. She is also known as “The first woman to saw a man in half!” She is considered a leading collector and expert on Houdini.  Recently, the Internet’s main site for Houdini news, WildAboutHoudini.com, heralded, “She’s not only a bonafide legend of magic, but she is a tireless and selfless promoter of Houdini’s history and legacy.  With her museum, radio show, TV appearances, and her continued upkeep of Houdini’s grave site, it could be said that no one is as devoted to preserving Houdini’s memory as Dorothy Dietrich.”  When not traveling, Dietrich performs at The Houdini Museum. The Houdini Museum has the largest display to the general public, anywhere, of artifacts, historical displays and information on Houdini. She is considered a leading expert and collector on Houdini. She has been featured on numerous television shows and channels world wide including the BBC, CBC, CBS, NBC, ABC, The Travel Channel, Biography Channel, History Channel, TV Land, “Mysteries at the Museum”, etc.

Marc Salem came to international prominence when he was featured on 60 Minutes by Mike Wallace and amazed Wallace and viewers around the world. He also had a feature story in the New York Times. His show MIND GAMES concluded two extended runs on BROADWAY to both critical and popular acclaim. The Sydney Opera House, the Edinburgh Festival and Singapore’s Esplanade have also hosted his extended runs. He has been featured on the The O’Reilly Factor, Montel, Maury, CNN, and is a regular guest on Court TV, and has had two network television specials. Salem was last on the New York stage with his show Mind over Manhattan in 2012, and, most recently, concluded a three month run in Chicago with his show Mind over Chicago.  He recently completed five sell out seasons in London, along with many theatres from Montreal to Capetown.  Marc Salem’s all new show “Haunted Mind” will play a special Halloween night event at The Gramercy Theatre at 127 E. 23rd Street in Manhattan onOctober 31st at 7pm. For more info, go to http://concerts.livenation.com/event/0000511CE8674890
or  http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Mentalist-Marc-Salem-to-Bring-New-Show-HAUNTED-MIND-to-the-Gramercy-for-Halloween-20161010

During the Fall and Winter months The Houdini Museum is open weekends for tours and a magic show, as well as being available any day of the week for school and bus groups, and magical parties.
For pictures and more information go to:
Houdini Seance web page http://Houdini.org/houdiniseance.html

For more information or to RSVP contact Penny Wilkes at
The Houdini Museum
1433 N. Main Ave, Scranton, PA 18447
(570) 383-1821 or (570) 342-5555.
magicus@comcast.net  http://Houdini.org

The poster above lists a third trial on Sept 26, 1902.

According to The Adventurous Life of a Versatile Artist:

It being a disgrace for Schutzman Werner Graff to have this punishment on him, with the assistance of the police, he took it to the highest court in Germany, ” Oberlandesgericht, ” and there [Third Trial] the learned judges again gave Houdini the verdict from which there is no appeal.

According to Kellock:

Werner Graff took an appeal to the highest court.  There was much legal argument.  Houdini, the Schutzmann admitted, had indeed opened certain cell doors and handcuffs, but Houdini advertised also that he could open safes, and he had not opened a single safe in Germany.  Therefore, Werner Graff contented, the libel should be dismissed.  Houdini’s attorney ridiculed this argument.  Houdini, he said, had opened all of the Werner Graff’s locks, and he could open safes as well.

Finally the justice wearied of the argument.  He declared that he had a safe in his chambers, which offered an easy means of settling the dispute.  If Houdini could open it, obviously Werner Graff had lost his case.  If Houdini failed to open it, there was merit to the Schutzmann’s contention.

Houdini was in a dilemma.  He had never tackled a German safe, and he suspected that this untested strongbox might have a secret in its combination that would prove beyond his skill.  There was nothing to do, though, but accept the test.  He requested that he be permitted to work at the safe alone, and this plea was granted.

The justice himself led the way to his chamber, and indicated a heavy steel chest of German make against the wall.

Glancing significantly at his watch, he said: “You will summon the court as soon as you are ready.” Then he closed the door as soon as you are ready.” Then he closed the door and Houdini was alone in the room.

For a minute or so, Houdini dared not take a step toward the formidable box.  Was his continental career to end ignominiously in that room? He forced himself to cross the room, and he gave a vicious yank at the safe door.  It swung open — it had not been locked.

After a decent interval he called in the court to reveal his task completed.

Werner Graff was fined thirty marks, as well as all costs of the three trials, but most humiliating of all, he was compelled to publish a public apology, “in the name of the Kaiser,” in all the principal German newspapers, and Houdini was permitted to insert notices of the verdict in all the newspapers in Cologne at Graff’s expense.  German judges had a sense of the realities.

Thereafter in Germany Houdini was more than a handcuff king and distinguished Ausbrecher.  He was the young man who had actually whipped the Polizei in a court of law.

So was there a third trial and did it include an escape from a safe?

FWIW: Silverman does not mention the third trial with the safe.

That said, the definitive answer is most likely in the Houdini’s German Slander Trial Archive, 1902 that sold for $26,000 at the Potter and Potter auction on Aug 23, 2014.

No Houdini biographer to date (which includes Silverman) has had access to this folio.  Hopefully the next major Bio will include any new information from this folio and answer any unanswered questions.

Related:

• German Berliner Handcuffs used during trial?

According to The Great Houdini Handcuffs and Legirons:

These are the cuffs [lock?] that Houdini had to open during his trial in Klon, Germany, February 19, 1902 [July 26, 1902].  After Houdini escaped he handed them to the judge.  One of Houdini’s assistants, Franz Kukol, managed to get hold of them and passed them back to Houdini who fleeced them out of the court room.  Kaiser Bill’s best policemen never knew what became of them. The cuffs got locked again in all of the excitement and have never been opened since.  Houdini said there was not another set like these in the world because the Supreme Court of Germany had these custom built for the trial.

Is the German Berliner Handcuffs really the “special lock” that got built [used] for the trial on July 26, 1902, that after it was once locked, no key would open it?

The story of the trial(s) appears in The Adventurous Life of a Versatile Artist – Houdini. Below is the text:

OFFICIAL POLICE NEWS FROM GERMANY!

HARRY HOUDINI, THE AMERICAN HANDCUFF KING, SUES

THE COLOGNE POLICE FOR LIBEL, AND WINS! ! !

A Condensed History of the Lawsuit Against the Cologne Police!

The police of Germany are very strict in matters of false billing or misrepresenting exhibitions to the public, and the case of the well-known Dr. Slade, also a well-known American ” thaumaturgic” performer, as also an equally familiar “magnetic ” woman, and several others who have clashed with the German police will probably also call in mind the latest case of the flower medium, Mrs. Rothe, who was sentenced to two years in prison and 500 marks fine.

What for? Well, she deceived the public in telling them that she could obtain communications from the spirit world.

This the police claim was obtaining money under false pretense, and there you are.

The Cologne police claimed that Houdini was also traveling about misrepresenting, and that all he did was “swindle.” The chief one was Schutzmann Werner Graff, who openly published a false story in the Rheinische Zeitung, which put Houdini in a very bad light, and, as a man of honor, Houdini could not overlook the insult.

He claimed that he had been slandered, and asked an apology, also a retraction of the false stories, which all the press of Germany had copied; but was simply laughed at for his trouble.

Engaging the best lawyer of Cologne, Herr Rechtsantwalt Dr. Schreiber, Louisenstrasse 17, this able lawyer defended Houdini in all three instances.

 

The first trial occurred in Cologne, Feb. 19, 1902; in this trial Houdini charged the Schutzman Werner Graff for publicly slandering him, whereupon, as answer, Herr Graff told the judge and jury that he was willing to prove that Houdini was misrepresenting, that he could chain Houdini so that he could not release himself. Houdini permitted himself to be chained by Herr Transport Police Lott, and to show how easy it was he willfully showed to the judge and jury how he opened [“escaped”] the chain and [“opened”] lock. [Note: “Escaping” the chain and “opening” the lock were two separate demonstrations during the first trial according to Silverman]

After a four days’ trial, Houdini won the lawsuit, and the Cologne police were fined, and were to publicly apologize to Houdini, “In the Name of the Kaiser.”

Instead of so doing, they took it to the higher court, ” Strafkammer” [where again the court put Houdini to the test of opening one of Graff’s prepared locks]. At this trial they had specially manufactured a lock, which was made by Master Mechanic Kroch, a lock that when once locked nothing would open it; even the key could not open the lock.

The police asked that Houdini should show his ability by opening this lock after it had once been locked.

The following is a free translation of what the press had to say at the second trial.

In the highest court (Strafkammer zu Koln Yuli 26, 1902) [July 26, 1902] Police Officer Werner Graf! Was found guilty of Slandering Harry Houdini, heavily fined, he must pay all costs, and insert an advertisement in all of the Cologne newspapers, proclaiming his punishment, at the same time, ” IN THE NAME OF THE KING,” openly apologize to Houdini for insulting him.

This open apology is the severest punishment that can be given to a royal official, and as the lawsuit has been running over a year, the costs will run into the thousands of marks.

The case was first tried in the Schoffengericht Koln, Feb, 19, 1902, and Werner Graff was found guilty, but he took it to the highest court, and again Houdini won.

The Cologne police claimed that all Houdini advertised to do was misrepresentation (this was the cause of the lawsuit); for the trial they had a special lock made that, after it was once locked, no key would open it.

This lock they challenged Houdini to open, to prove that he was not misrepresenting.

Houdini accepts the challenge, walks into the room selected by the jury where he could work unhindered. In four minutes, with a quiet smile, reenters the court room, and hands the judges the prepared lock opened.

Among the thirty police officials that testified against Houdini were some of the highest officials of Cologne, but Houdini won; in fact, he was “one ” too many for them.

It being a disgrace for Schutzman Werner Graff to have this punishment on him, with the assistance of the police, he took it to the highest court in Germany, ” Oberlandesgericht, ” and there [Third Trial] the learned judges again gave Houdini the verdict from which there is no appeal.

According to Kalush:

One of the Cologne papers covering the sensational trial indicated that Houdini “had brought an entire suitcase filled with cuffs and locks and made all sorts of experiments to prove his skill.”

…

On March 1, 1902 Houdini wrote Bard again to crow about the verdict.  “I win my case hands down… [Graff] swore to a whole pack of lies, and when the other witness [Lott] came in, why I made him look like a dummy, and he gave the whole plot away.”  After some self-righteous indignation over his honor, Houdini admitted how he came out on top.  “What really saved my cas[e], was that I showed the judge how I opened my cuffs, and that was really the best thing that I could have done.”

According to a snippet of the Aug 23, 2014 Potter and Potter auction description for Houdini’s German Slander Trial Archive, 1902 (sold for $26,000):

“These reproduce the handwritten account and detail the proceedings, which included escapes by Houdini from locks and chains, as well as a demonstration of how to escape handcuffs.”

So I will ask the question again:

Is the German Berliner Handcuffs really the special lock that got built [used] for the trial on July 26, 1902, that after it was once locked, no key would open it?

Or could the German Berliner Handcuffs be a Houdini creation?

According to a comment on Handcuffs.org regarding some thoughts on the Houdini Berliner:

I was at one of the Cannon Conventions and got to handle the cuff.  We are talking about the Houdini cuff.  There is a magazine called the Virginia State Trooper (or close to that) and Hardeen was interviewed.  I believe this is 1949.  In the discussion, Hardeen asked Houdini what is the cuff and why does it not have a key? Houdini replies, this is the only cuff like it in the world and I had to pick it open in the court room in Cologne in front of the judge.  This quote is not perfectly quoted and is from memory. I can quote this accurately if desired. At some time after this went to press a key was made for these cuffs [and it worked perfectly].

Next week we will explore the third trial.

I recently acquired this Rare NYPD 104th Precinct Detective Squad Houdini’s Final Rest Challenge Coin.

And it made me reflect on the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks of 2001 that caused more law enforcement line of duty deaths than any single incident in American history.

It also got me thinking about Houdini’s Connection with the Police.

Bob Loomis new book, Houdini’s Final Incredible Secret (which I highly recommend) has a section titled, Using the Police, that references a number of sources that document Houdini’s Connection with the Police.  Below are a couple of the sources:

• In their book, Ernst and Carrington tell us that Harry always worked hand-in-glove with the police, and they availed themselves of his expert knowledge on more than one occasion.  Houdini’s police connection was confirmed in a July 4, 1925 letter he wrote to fellow psychic researcher Harry Price.  The letter (from the files of The Harry Price Library at The Univerisity of London) states:

“You know I am instructor here to the Police Academy to about hundred and fifty detectives.

 

• Silverman said Houdini cultivated lawmen and stayed abreast of their affairs. He bought tickets to the Policeman’s Ball; and, as President of the Society of American Magicians, he arranged a benefit dinner for the widows and orphans of slain policeman. The Commissioner of Police attended that meal.  Houdini even owned a New York City Police Department pass that authorized him to cross “all police lines”.  My favorite quote from Silverman is the statement: “He of course knew his way around police and other law enforcement agencies and was able to enlist their help.”

Image courtesy of Library of Congress

Our friend, David Saltman at Houdinifile.com did a nice post that also references a number of sources that document Houdini’s Connection with the Police.

• HOUDINI, DETECTIVE

In the 1920’s, Houdini wanted to write three books of magic for beginners. Each book would be dedicated to clearly demonstrating simple magic tricks that the reader could do. Magician Walter Gibson collaborated on the project.

Gibson had just done research on such tricks for Howard Thurston for the ghost-written book 200 Tricks You Can Do and had literally hundreds of extra tricks as a result of his research: thus there would be no duplication in Houdini’s books.

The first book was to be composed of simple card tricks that could be done with an ordinary pack. The second book was to contain tricks with special packs of cards.  The third book was to cover simple tricks of various types. By early October, Gibson had the first book complete and was ready to deliver it when news came of Houdini’s sudden death in Detroit, on October 31, 1926.

Later, the book was published by the E.I. Company under Gibson’s own name, with the title Popular Card Tricks. This forty-eight page book included 91 various card tricks with suggestion on presentation.

The material for the second was all outlined and twenty years later, Gibson wrote up many of the tricks for a series of articles in a revival of Houdini’s old Conjurer’s Magazine, which he edited, with Hardeen as Emeritus.

The third was published in 1927 by Houdini’s wife who found the manuscript among his papers. It was titled, Houdini’s Book of Magic And Party Pastimes.

Later, another publisher, Whitman obtained rights to the manuscript in 1933 and arranged to print it in the Big Little Book (BLB) format but the material proved insufficient to fill the required number of pages. So, the first 114 pages are from the Houdini manuscript.  The added tricks and puzzles are from other magicians.  The BLB title page retains the original 1927 copyright date.

UPDATE:

Published during the “Houdini renaissance” of 1976, there is also the paperback edition of Houdini’s Book of Magic with a great cover (above) and intro by Gibson in which he tells the story of how the book came to be.  It also carries the 1927 copyright.

Source:

• eBay listing for Houdini Big Little Book of Magic
• The Great Houdini’s Book of Magic with Introduction by Walter B. Gibson [1976]
• Walter B. Gibson and the Shadow by Thomas J. Shimeld

To answer that, we first need to know when Houdini legally changed his name from Ehrich Weiss to Harry Houdini.

He petitioned the courts for a name change, which would go into effect during his Atlantic crossing.

July 5, 1913 The Billboard page 13

On July 8^th, 1913, he departed NYC on the Kronprinzessin Cecilie (after giving his mother a farewell kiss) and landed in Hamburg about a week later, where he and Bess took a midnight train to Copenhagen.

Now, we just need evidence of his first performance. According to a number of sources, Houdini opened at the Cirkus Beketow in Copenhagen.

16 July 1913 Ad promoting Houdini (Copenhagen newspaper Ekstrabladet)

At 8 pm (CET), Jul 16^th, 1913 Houdini performed in Danish, before a circus audience at the Circus Beketow in Copenhagen that included the princes of the royal family.

And then at noon (CET), the next day at a Press reception, Houdini received news of his Mother’s Death, who had passed away 15 minutes passed midnight in Asbury Park NJ, which was 6:15 am (CET) in Copenhagen.  The shock of Houdini’s mother death had been followed with an attack of a “chronic kidney disease”  and Houdini was released from his contract and returned to the states.

However, the performance in Copenhagen was not his first appearance with the legal name of Harry Houdini.  You see, he performed at Sea on July 12^th 1913 at 9 pm as evidenced by the following program:

Swann 2006 Catalog Lot 166 – Program for a performance by Houdini onboard the Kronprinzessin Cecilie.

For reference and additional information, please refer to the following sources used in this post:

• Houdini: the Copenhagen Affair by Johan Ahlberg (courtesy of Handcuffs.org)
• Houdini The Career of Ehrich Weiss by Silverman, pages 179-180
• Houdini The Untold Story by Christopher page 132

According to Margery, the Witch of Lime Street:

During the magician’s last visit to Lime Street the two of them sat briefly alone in her son’s room, where she suggested that he, clearly exhausted, could take a nap prior their final Charlesgate séance.  While reclining on John’s bed, Houdini told her about his most wondrous effect.  It had occurred, he recalled, on the Fourth of July at Seacliffe, Long Island – when rain began to fall just as his nephew and other children were preparing to set off fireworks.

See my post from last fourth of July to read about Houdini’s most wondrous effect:

• The so-call miracle of July 4, 1922

H A P P Y  4 T H  O F  J U L Y  !

Source:

• The Witch of Lime Street (page 412), by David Jaher

In July of 2002, the Society celebrated its Centennial Year in New York City and issued a collectible Houdini Card.  The back of the card reads as follows:

The man who would become “Houdini” was born in Budapest, Hungary, and immigrated to Appleton, Wisconsin as an infant.  He later moved to New York. Early on, he was inspired by Robert-Houdin books (he took his stage name from Houdin). He worked his way up as a Vaudeville entertainer.  His accomplishments included: highly successful overseas and American tours; crusades against spiritualists; developed and named the tenth branch of magic–“escapology”; starred as a movie actor and owned a movie company; and wrote many books and articles.  As National President (1917-1926), he promoted the S.A.M. and encouraged local clubs to affiliate.  He was elected to the S.A.M. Hall of Fame.

Also in July of 2002, on the 3^rd, the US Postal Service issued a Houdini Commemorative Stamp during the Centennial Celebration.  The Houdini postage stamp contains a hidden image (4 chains wrapped around Houdini’s body) that can only be seen with a special stamp decoder the United States Postal Service sells.

Above is an amazing framed photo of Harry Houdini’s father that I got to see in person during my special visit with my friends Dorothy Dietrich (foreground) and Dick Brookz (background) at the Houdini Museum in Scranton, PA.

This picture of his father, along with the one of his mother (pictured above) hung on the wall of Houdini’s New York home at 278 West 113^th Street in Harlem.

H A P P Y  F A T H E R ‘ S  D A Y !

In May, I shared an ad for Houdini’s Grand Magical Review that shared 6 effects.  The above ad from 102 years ago today shares the same 6 effects plus two additional effects, Lady Godiva and DeKolta’s Marvelous Cube.

• Lady Godiva – A lady and pony disappear.
• DeKolta’s Marvelous Cube – A large black die, about eight inches square, with white spots painted on it expands in a fraction of a second to a giant die about a cubic yard.

This appearance at the Empire Theatre in Nottingham was most likely the last time Houdini presented his Grand Magical Review.

Some of the other places he presented it were at Tivoli Theatre Barrow-in-Furness, Empire Theatre Leeds, Empire Theatre Bristol, Palace Theatre Oldham, Palace Theatre Hull, and King’s Hall Dover.

Source:

• The Repro 71 Harry Houdini Portfolio
• Hiding The Elephant by Jim Steinmeyer
• The Illustrated Houdini Research Diary Part 4: 1911 to 1915 by Frank Koval
• Houdini The British Tours by Derek Tait, 2011