tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47327215534188785472026-10-01T21:29:53.935-07:00WILD ABOUT HARRYWhere Houdini LivesJohn Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260[email protected]Blogger6070125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-52133325868582412092026-10-01T21:27:10.535-07:002026-10-01T21:27:10.535-07:00A rundown of October Houdini events 🎃It's October, and you know what that means. It's séance season! But as this year marks the centenary of Houdini's death on Halloween, there are A LOT of events. Too many to do individual posts about. So instead, here is a list of all the Houdini-themed events I know of this month. Find one nearest to you and Believe!October 2The Magic of Houdini with Kent Cummins (Georgetown, TX)Harry Houdini John Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260[email protected]0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-34098324273941669432026-09-30T07:00:00.000-07:002026-10-01T07:08:33.718-07:00Dr. Larrian Gillespie absolves J. Gordon WhiteheadI was hoping Genii magazine would do something special on Houdini in its October issue, but this one took me by surprise. The issue contains a story by George Hardeen about how Dr. Larrian Gillespie, author of provocative Houdini: The Man Who Died Twice, recently connected with a relative of J. Gordon Whitehead, the McGill University student who punched Houdini, and arranged to have a new marker John Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260[email protected]29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-35297366549171872412026-09-29T06:51:38.370-07:002026-09-29T06:51:38.370-07:00Abracadabra: Mysteries from Houdini to Hans KlokA new exhibition, Abracadabra: Mysteries from Houdini to Hans Klok, has opened at the Jewish Museum in Amsterdam. Houdini is well represented in the exhibit that focuses on Jewish magicians of magic's Golden Age. Dr. Bruce Averbook loaned 47 pieces for the exhibit, including many of his Houdini treasures, and attended the Sept. 24 opening.Abracadabra: Mysteries from Houdini to Hans John Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260[email protected]0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-74512402604586119752026-09-28T06:52:19.878-07:002026-09-28T09:28:11.458-07:00Escaping Obscurity Deluxe Edition No. 68 at auctionAs a rule, I don't post about auction lots before an auction, but this one I can't resist. The upcoming Haversat & Ewing Auction #54 includes a Deluxe Edition of Escaping Obscuring: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini, 1897–1899. This is the first time I've seen one of these at auction, and I'm curious to see what it sells for. (To be clear, this is not a copy owned by me or anyone I know.John Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260[email protected]1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-29853068885570234222026-09-28T06:50:00.000-07:002026-09-28T09:25:33.974-07:00LINK: Catch Me or I Go Houdini: Elaborate escapes kept prestidigitation pro bound to KCHere's an excellent article in The Pitch about the recent Kansas City Houdini events by River Louraine, a sharp young writer. Click the headline or the image below to read.
Related:
Connecting with Houdini in Kansas City (and St. Joe)New Kansas City Houdini historical marker revealedThe week Kansas City is Wild About Harry!
John Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260[email protected]0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-5402056457134501782026-09-26T08:10:40.721-07:002026-09-26T09:03:39.773-07:00Bond breakThis weekend, Houdini takes a back seat to Bond, James Bond. That's because I just got my copy of KING ZERO by Charlie Higson, the new James Bond novel.
As a long-time fan of 007, I've been especially drawn to the Bond books, both the originals by Ian Fleming and the many continuation novels that have followed. I've read them all. (John Gardner, who penned 13 Bond novels, was a magic buff and a John Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260[email protected]2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-20481751707991633492026-09-25T12:06:41.042-07:002026-09-25T12:06:41.042-07:00Harry Houdini in Hull by Roger K. NobleHere's a surprise entrant into the 2026 Houdini book sweepstakes. The Houdini Research Files and other magical anecdotes: The definitive story of Harry Houdini in Hull, 1903 - 1920, by Roger K. Noble, has just been published by the Carnegie Heritage Center. I love specialized works like this.The book is listed on Amazon.co.uk with an April 2027 release date. But the Carnegie Heritage Center John Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260[email protected]2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-1564768663197229442026-09-24T07:38:03.200-07:002026-09-24T12:11:52.628-07:00Cover reveal postcard has arrived and it's a beautyMy new Handcuff King: The Conquests of Harry Houdini 1900–1909 cover reveal promo card (Style C) has arrived, and it's a beauty. The cover art color reproduction is perfect. Let's hope the real cover looks as good!CLICK TO PURCHASEIf you preordered, your card shipped yesterday (and you should have received an email notice). Thank you for helping me test my Shopify preorder system. It seems to John Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260[email protected]7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-47068282430959903172026-09-23T07:30:11.392-07:002026-09-23T07:45:56.334-07:00Celebrate Houdini's 100th in Riverside, CaliforniaThere is no shortage of ways to mark the 100th anniversary of Houdini's death this Halloween, but this is the one that I think surprises me the most. The Mission Inn in Riverside, California, where Houdini shot underwater scenes for Terror Island, is presenting a special Halloween celebration at Loft 84. Below are details.
Sat, 31 Oct 2026 • 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM (GMT-07:00) Loft 84 John Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260[email protected]4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-49458411601684181022026-09-22T08:05:12.668-07:002026-09-22T08:28:51.844-07:00LINK: How Houdini made Croydon churn with his staged escape actNice article at Inside Croydon about Houdini's appearances in Croydon in 1909 and 1910. The central mystery is where exactly Houdini appeared, but I can tell you it was at the Empire Theater of Varieties on North End Street (later the Eros Cinema). You can see I added a comment to the article.I would still like to nail down the date of this challenge from Hooker's Dairy, even though it's too lateJohn Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260[email protected]0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-40621381961281565102026-09-21T06:47:53.516-07:002026-09-21T11:22:42.695-07:00Houdini's Library hits #1 on AmazonHere's the kind of news we love to see. Over the weekend, our friend Eric Colleary's new book, Houdini's Library, ranked as Amazon's #1 new release in Performing Arts History & Criticism. It's also currently the #1 New Release in Magic & Illusion.This is well deserved. As many of you are discovering, Houdini's Library is a meticulously researched, extremely John Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260[email protected]5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-63210118013811384472026-09-18T16:51:00.793-07:002026-09-20T21:46:15.741-07:00Connecting with Houdini in Kansas City (and St. Joe)Last week I was invited to Kansas City, Missouri, to participate in the events commemorating a new Houdini historical marker. I had an amazing time thanks to the incredible generosity of all the members of IBM Ring 129 and SAM Assembly 38. I also saw a heck of a lot of historic Houdini locations, because Kansas City has many Houdini connections.DAY 1My primary task this trip was to deliver a talkJohn Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260[email protected]4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-15450241016017309072026-09-16T07:26:26.118-07:002026-09-23T09:00:41.751-07:00Handcuff King cover reveal postcard preorderWould you like to see the cover of Handcuff King: The Conquests of Harry Houdini, 1900–1909, and help me out with the book launch? Here's how you can do both.My Handcuff King signed promo cards have been surprisingly popular and are now sold out. So I've created a new (Style C) card. This one shows the book's final cover art on the front and has book details on the back. This John Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260[email protected]2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-28886667201783453742026-09-15T06:46:02.127-07:002026-09-15T06:46:02.127-07:00Eric Colleary on The Magic Detective PodcastThis is a must-listen interview with Dr. Eric Colleary on Dean Carnegie's The Magic Detective Podcast, talking about his new book, Houdini's Library, which is released TODAY. If you've ever wondered how Houdini's collection was dispersed after his death, Eric lays it all out here, and it's fascinating.
You can buy Houdini's Library on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk, where the book is John Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260[email protected]7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-13932539159797997212026-09-14T06:16:00.052-07:002026-09-14T06:16:00.052-07:00Mario Carrandi passes away at 84William Rauscher and Mario in 2000.Sad news in the magic collecting world this week. Mario Carrandi passed away on Friday at age 84. Mario was a major magic collector and dealer, and a true Houdini insider. Dr. Bruce Averbook says, "He was a real force in the collecting world and helped establish Magic items as important, prominent pieces to collect and preserve."Mario sold me some of my John Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260[email protected]7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-70899620174326199552026-09-12T07:21:53.613-07:002026-09-12T09:16:19.014-07:00New Kansas City Houdini historical marker revealedHere's the magnificent new Houdini historical marker unveiled yesterday at the corner of 10th and Main in Kansas City, MO. This commemorates Houdini's very first suspended straitjacket escape at this site on September 8, 1915.This historic marker was the brainchild of Dennis Burks, who organized with his local IBM Ring 129 and local SAM Assembly 38 to make this a reality. Funding for the marker John Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260[email protected]1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-56695280094266776582026-09-11T05:18:53.288-07:002026-09-11T05:22:55.325-07:00Reading and discussion of 'Houdini's Library' Sep 17Our good friend Dr. Eric Colleary will have a reading and discussion of his new book, Houdini's Library, at the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas in Austin, next Thursday, Sept 17 at 6 PM. Below are details.Join Dr. Eric Colleary, the Harry Ransom Center’s Cline Curator of Theatre and Performing Arts, for a special reading and discussion of his book Houdini's John Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260[email protected]3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-56985171287064585042026-09-07T10:58:05.961-07:002026-09-12T06:34:26.945-07:00The week Kansas City is Wild About Harry!This week, Kansas City and the local chapters of the SAM and the IBM are celebrating Houdini and his very first suspended straitjacket escape. In fact, September 2026 is officially "Harry Houdini Month" in Kansas City! The upcoming events have already received some nice publicity from KCUR, the Kansas City Star, and an especially good piece at News Press NOW. Here's a rundown:Wednesday,John Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260[email protected]5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-67746059959306800522026-09-07T10:30:00.000-07:002026-09-07T12:33:04.959-07:00LINK: St. Joseph magician steps into Houdini’s history with upcoming Kansas City escape attemptThis is a standout article about the upcoming Kansas City Houdini events, Houdini in St. Joseph, MO, and our friend Lance Rich, who plans to recreate Houdini's suspended straitjacket escape on the exact site of Houdini's historic 1915 escape. Click the headline to have a read at News-Press NOW.
Related:
The week Kansas City is Wild About Harry!
Next stop: Kansas City
Houdini's nights in a John Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260[email protected]0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-71273651845480408132026-09-06T07:36:45.002-07:002026-09-06T16:01:49.287-07:00Last call for signed Handcuff King promo cardsIf you are interested in grabbing one of my signed promo cards for Handcuff King: The Conquests of Harry Houdini, 1900–1909, this might be your last chance. I plan to bring my remaining stock to Kansas City this week, where I will likely hand them all out. I won't be printing any more cards in these styles.The cards are $5 each with FREE shipping in the U.S. Only the cards I'm offering here are John Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260[email protected]1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-49472761002054739082026-09-05T07:04:30.428-07:002026-09-05T07:04:30.428-07:00Charles Greene III on The Magic Detective PodcastThis is a must-listen podcast with our friends Charles Greene III and Dean Carnegie. By now, I'm sure everyone's aware of Charles's book, Exposing Houdini, in which he shares a collection of rare glass negatives that seemed to appear like magic. Now Charles believes he's traced the origin of the negatives to a man named Richard Silmser. You can listen to the full tale below.At the end of this John Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260[email protected]9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-43716684570241225822026-09-04T07:27:38.939-07:002026-09-04T07:28:18.572-07:00LINK: 120 years ago, Harry Houdini and a pair of handcuffs created controversy in SalemA nice article here by Oliva Deng about Houdini's 1906 visit to Salem and the handcuffs that caused a bit of controversy at the Peabody Academy of Science (today the PEM). Click the headline or the handcuffs below to read.You can view the Houdini handcuffs at the PEM's special exhibition, Houdini on Salem, on show now. The museum will also host a special "Houdini Halloween Magic Show and Curator John Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260[email protected]4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-33340806212782472392026-09-02T08:05:51.571-07:002026-09-02T10:06:34.466-07:00Houdini began his final tour 100 years ago todayIt was 100 years ago today, on September 2, 1926, that Houdini began his 1926-27 "Coast to Coast" tour of 3 Shows in One at the Lyceum Theater in Paterson, New Jersey. The show featured some new illusions during the Magic section. In fact, advertisements emphasized the magic, stating: "As a MAGICIAN Houdini Starts where others leave off." Papers also noted that this was Houdini's first John Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260[email protected]2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-46289687972767791282026-09-01T11:23:21.395-07:002026-09-01T11:23:21.395-07:00The spirit in Room 467In 1937, a mystery guest at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles claimed she had a coded message from Houdini, and even caught the attention of Bess Houdini. I've shared the details for this little curiosity with my Scholar patrons. If you're a member, click the image below to go. If not, feel free to join us!Speaking of Patreon, as a perk for being a member, every month I give a special reward. John Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260[email protected]1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-23142572574151804892026-08-31T06:47:35.472-07:002026-08-31T06:47:35.472-07:00LINK: Harry Houdini: Keeping the Legend AliveHere's a nice article about our friends Jeff and Debbie Blood, Houdini's grandnephew and grandniece. Jeff and Debbie are working to get a historic marker erected at the site of Houdini's 1907 leap from the Weighlock Bridge into the Erie Canal in Rochester. That sounds like a great idea to me!Click here or on the headline above to read at 55 Plus.
Related:
Houdini's Rochester bridge jump
News 10John Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260[email protected]2