The Bros Hernes, were none other than Jacob and Joseph Hyman.
Credit: Harry Ransom Center (HRC)
You may recall that Jacob and Joe Hyman both performed Metamorphosis with Houdini as The Brothers Houdini.
As Joe put it:
Things were not so good for the The Brother’s Houdini in those days. Bookings were few and money was scarce. Suddenly my brother Jack decided to give up show business [April 10, 1894], even though the boys had a few more weeks booked under the team name, so my Brother suggested that I play these weeks with Harry. I did and became the second member of the Hyman clan, who appeared under the magic name of Houdini. [SAS]
Once Joe and Harry were finished with their engagements, Jacob took the name Jack Hayman, and began practicing a song and dance act with his brother Joe. [SAS]
After a short while, Jacob left the act, with his brother, and took off on his own as, Houdini, Oriental Conjurer and Mysterious Juggler. [SAS]
Sometimes his billing name was JH Houdini, which stood for Jack Hayman Houdini. [SAS]
He also went by JH Herne, when his brother (now Jos Herne) rejoined the act (now called The Bros Herne direct from Europe). Robert Fulgora of Hopkins Trans-Oceanic Star Special Co first booked them for 1897-98 season. The brothers would present the startling theosophical illusion, Substitution, which was their name for The Metamorphosis. [HRC]
Later, the Substitution transformed from a box into the prison barrel escape performed by The Bros Herne. [P&P]
1902 Postcard (Potter & Potter Auction 2014)
And, Houdini would eventually acquire the barrel [1903] used in The Bros Herne act and perform the Prison Cell & Barrel Mystery [1904-1906].
References:
- SAS: The Brothers Houdini lecture notes by Stephen A. Sparks (HHCE Collection)
- HRC: Harry Ransom Center
- P&P: Potter & Potter
Related:
Great stuff Joe! Do you know where the barrel is these days? Is it considered a lost Houdini historical item like the Margery Box?
Great question Leo. I do not, but would love to know the answer.
According to John at Wild About Harry, the barrel, and other items like the prison cell are lost as far as he knows. Missing Houdini history.
There’s a possibility that the barrel survives, or at least it was still around in the 1970s as part of the Abb Dickson collection. I mentioned this in the talk I did on lost Houdini artifacts for the American Museum of Magic.
Thanks John! Sounds like I missed an excellent talk; so glad to know that the barrel may survive.
What happened to Abb Dickson’s collection?