September 22, 2011 | Houdini
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Houdini-in-chains
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Rare Publicity Photo of Houdini

This is a very rare publicity photo of Houdini. I find it inspiring how well, in a time when there wasn't internet and high tech methods of publicizing yourself, how Houdini did everything to market himself masterfully.

Almost 100 years later, his name is as well known as it was then. Amazing.

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September 22, 2011 | Houdini
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Houdini-Art-and-Magic
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Houdini: Art and Magic

Pictured here and a bit blurry (my camera didn't take a great shot), but you can read a great history about Houdini that was on display at the Skirball Museum this summer.

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August 29, 2011 | Houdini
1,107 views
 
Houdini-Museum-image
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Houdini Museum Online

I just found a Houdini Museum in Scranton, PA . Take a look around and enjoy! Click here to see the website.

 

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May 16, 2011 | Houdini, Latest News, Magical Movies
1,533 views
 
Dorothy-Young
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Houdini’s Last Assistant

Houdini's Assistant Dorothy Young Passes On.

 
Dorothy Young, who served as Houdini's stage assistant for one year on tour, passed on March 20, 2011 at the age of 103.
 
Dorothy Young was born on 3 May 1907 in Otisville, New York. Her father was a minister and her mother a church organist. In Manhattan, at only the age of 17 in 1925 she won an audition to be Houdini's stage assistant. Miss Young shared the stage with Houdini, possibly the most famous magician and escape artist of all time, and his wife Bess. Sadly, Houdini would pass in 1926.
 
In that year, however, people did take notice of Miss Young. A skilled dancer, she teamed up with Gilbert Kiamie and toured the country as a dancing team called Gilbert and Dorothy. She would later dance in a few movies, including Flying Down to Rio (1933).
 
Miss Young would outlive both Houdini and his wife Bess. Houdini died in 1926 of peritonitis. Bess Houdini died of a heart attack in 1943. Even decades after the death of Houdini and his wife, Dorothy Young would not reveal the secrets of how Houdini performed his illusions.
 
She said in an interview with the PBS series American Experience, "I was sworn to secrecy, never to divulge any of Houdini's secrets."
 
View a video of her wonderful life here.
 

100 Years of Dorothy Young from Veras Films on Vimeo.

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May 05, 2011 | Houdini, Rec. Reading
1,361 views
 
Houdini-&-Nate
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Danger in the Dark: A Houdini & Nate Mystery

What a great book. Perfect for the kids who love magic.  "When an unscrupulous man plots against his mother, a young boy gets help from the famous magician, Harry Houdini."

Pick up your copy at Amazon.com.

 

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May 05, 2011 | Houdini, Magic's Amazing Stories Book
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Houdini-in-Chains
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“Lock Picking” as Told by Avani Mehta

Here's a great story from my book about Harry Houdini. 

 
Without a doubt, Harry Houdini is the most famous escape artist in the history of magic. I’m not sure if the story I’m about to share with you is well known, but it surely is fascinating. Houdini was very confident in his talents. He claimed that he could escape from any jail cell in the world in less than an hour, provided he could go into the cell dressed in street clothes.
 
And every time he was given this challenge, he accepted and did just as he promised in a few short minutes. 

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May 05, 2011 | Houdini
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Houdini-in-Chains
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Houdini in Chains Promo Photo

More about Harry Houdini

Born Ehrich Weisz in Budapest, Harry Houdini was a Jewish immigrant to the United States. His first escape was with his family, when he was four, fleeing anti-Semitism in Central Europe and settling in Appleton, Wisconsin.

The young Weisz quickly found the bright lights of the stage more appealing than the dim synagogue of his father's rabbinic profession.

After running away to join the circus, he made his debut as trapeze artist "Ehrich, Prince of the Air" at age nine. The metaphor of escape is essential to Houdini's phenomenal success: resisting the title of magician, he favored "escape artist." At the height of his fame, Harry Houdini was a living icon.

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May 05, 2011 | Houdini
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water-torture-cell
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Houdini’s Water Torture Cell

Houdini died of peritonitis from a ruptured appendix at 1:26 p.m. in room 401at Detroit's Grace Hospital on October 31, aged 52.

Tony Curtis portrayed him in the movie Houdini (1953) and it was inaccurately portrayed that Houdini died while in his Water Torture Cell illusion.

The Chinese Water Torture Cell" or "The Water Torture Cell", Houdini always referred to it as "the Upside Down" or "USD". The first public performance of the USD was at the Circus Busch in Berlin, on September 21, 1912. Houdini continued to perform the escape until his death in 1926.

He could easily hold his breath for over two minutes and this illusion was one of his featured pieces in his theatrical show.

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May 05, 2011 | Houdini
1,324 views
 
Houdini King-of-Cards Poster
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Houdini King of Cards Poster

I have a replica of this poster in my office at home. I have had this poster since i was a kid. There were many other magicians at the time of Houdini that were much better with cards than Houdini. But be certain they were not better marketers than him. He was not only a great escape artist, but a marketing genius too. That is why we still know his name today almost a hundred years later.

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May 04, 2011 | Houdini
1,196 views
 
Houdini-into-Water
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Houdini Escapes Water Challenge

Houdini made famous most of the escapes that are still being performed today. He did this stunt on a very cold day and very cold water. One thing I have in common with this photo is that he did this stunt on July 20th which is the day I got married.

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May 04, 2011 | Houdini
1,264 views
 
Watching-Houdini
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Watching Houdini Escape

What  an amazing picture of the crowds Houdini could draw in to watch him do his stunts. This was in the day of no computers, internet or anything close to what we have today. He was a master of marketing for sure as well.

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