tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476836446638612873.post9124700506323467646..comments2024-03-27T02:30:04.482-05:00Comments on Carnegie: Magic Detective: Houdini in ChicagoCarnegiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10142955905272650610noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476836446638612873.post-64333218983333554422019-08-09T01:58:55.073-05:002019-08-09T01:58:55.073-05:00I know this is old, but the date does not look lik...I know this is old, but the date does not look like 93 to me. Is it possible that the year was 1880? And Jacob seems much older than Houdini which explains why he would be the lead in the partnership. What we know about Harry, he probably didn't take much to it. <br /><br />And one final observation, maybe the idea of the name "Houdini" was more of a joint name from the very beginning, never intending to be just Harry's name. <br /><br />The break up of the partnership meant to Harry that the "Houdini" name belonged to him. But, as we learned from Silverman's book, Jacob took exception to it. Maybe then the name was truly meant for the title of the act. Michael Pascoehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10314595383329719714noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476836446638612873.post-62929771472890053182015-11-25T16:45:55.045-06:002015-11-25T16:45:55.045-06:00I am publishing a board game set at the World'...I am publishing a board game set at the World's Columbian Exposition, and I am including Harry Houdini on a Midway attraction card in the game. I'd love this group's feedback on the card image and text. (I used the photo above as a reference for the card.) Here's a link:<br /><br />* https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/109385546/worldsfairgame/1893MidwayHoudini.png<br /> <br /> <br />For examples of other Midway attractions in the game, you can check out this blog post: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/foxtrotgames/worlds-fair-1893-board-game/posts/1393250Randy Hoythttp://foxtrotgames.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476836446638612873.post-74408750010377064502011-10-01T20:44:36.063-05:002011-10-01T20:44:36.063-05:00One other tidbit. That is definitely the Sub Trunk...One other tidbit. That is definitely the Sub Trunk Cabinet behind them. Houdini's cabinet was open at the top and had two flowers on the front of it, which this photo shows. There are three wonderful and much clearer photos if the cabinet on pages 44 and 46 of HOUDINI-The Key by Patrick Culliton.Carnegiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10142955905272650610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476836446638612873.post-45498287865095897162011-07-12T13:14:07.849-05:002011-07-12T13:14:07.849-05:00I'm not conviced that there's a flea circu...I'm not conviced that there's a flea circus in that second picture.FleaCircusDirectorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05558753239327193795noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476836446638612873.post-64139305881615195842011-06-05T21:18:25.484-05:002011-06-05T21:18:25.484-05:00Just amazing. This blog in less than a week has sh...Just amazing. This blog in less than a week has shot to the top 10 of my most read blogs. I just can never tell WHAT topic will take off from week to week, but am thrilled when they do! Thank you to all who have read this blog article!Carnegiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10142955905272650610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476836446638612873.post-34040972790634959592011-06-04T16:20:30.556-05:002011-06-04T16:20:30.556-05:00Spotted the rest of "Chicago" and update...Spotted the rest of "Chicago" and updated <a href="http://goo.gl/1v8Xp" rel="nofollow">the colored text</a> pic.dcbyronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02840304483560716664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476836446638612873.post-19354627479461372702011-06-04T02:32:52.958-05:002011-06-04T02:32:52.958-05:00I love the way this has just exploded overnight. ...I love the way this has just exploded overnight. Brilliant!melbohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14032793912135092967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476836446638612873.post-47076960422031605542011-06-02T21:34:16.711-05:002011-06-02T21:34:16.711-05:00I think I found some parts of the word "Museu...I think I found some parts of the word "Museum". Also, I now think that instead of "Kohl and Middleton's", it probably says "at Middleton's". I've revised the coloring.<br /><br />The full text would be <br />"Brothers H Houdiny<br />at Middleton's<br />Museum<br />Chicago, ILL 11/93"<br /><br />or something close to that.<br /><br />I think you're right! That sure looks like a sub trunk right next to the guy on the left (JH?) (who, by the way, appears to be the dominant figure here). And those could very well be tassels on the cabinets used for that illusion.<br /><br />This is definitely one of the most interesting Houdini photos I've seen in a good long while.dcbyronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02840304483560716664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476836446638612873.post-91906132363551095292011-06-02T21:24:50.945-05:002011-06-02T21:24:50.945-05:00Amazing. I just noticed something else about the p...Amazing. I just noticed something else about the photo. In between the two performers is the Substitution trunk! And I finally figured out what those three odd shapes are in the upper middle part of the picture. That is the edge of the curtained cabinet for the sub trunk. What do you think?<br /><br />I think you are right on with the letters though!Carnegiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10142955905272650610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476836446638612873.post-38911931526159884202011-06-02T21:18:17.489-05:002011-06-02T21:18:17.489-05:00One last observation: I've updated the colored...One last observation: I've updated the colored pic at <a href="http://goo.gl/1v8Xp" rel="nofollow">http://goo.gl/1v8Xp</a> to show what I think is going on with the date. It appears to give a month (namely, November) and a 2-digit year separated by a slash: "11/xx"dcbyronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02840304483560716664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476836446638612873.post-53337600076729700922011-06-02T20:47:27.198-05:002011-06-02T20:47:27.198-05:00Tending toward obsessive, I've spent a bit mor...Tending toward obsessive, I've spent a bit more time with this. What I thought was a "y" after the "Houd" is actually an "i" followed by an "n" that begins with a low flourish. The final letter, however, still appears to me to be a "y". Thus, "Bros. Houdiny"<br /><br />Before the "Middleton's", I think I can see a lower case "a" that might belong to an "and". Southwest of that letter, just above where Chicago's "ic" would be if it were visible, there's a capital "M" that descends artfully. Maybe "Museum"?<br /><br />Finally, and this is weird, it really looks as if the first line says "Bros H Houdiny"<br /><br />Here's how my eyes are seeing it at the moment:<br /><a href="http://goo.gl/1v8Xp" rel="nofollow">http://goo.gl/1v8Xp</a>. Perhaps they're deceiving me?dcbyronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02840304483560716664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476836446638612873.post-48684929816137807992011-06-02T20:19:52.409-05:002011-06-02T20:19:52.409-05:00Actually, it says "Middleton's"
The ...Actually, it says "Middleton's"<br />The third digit in the year has a lower loop, but I think it might be a hooked '9'.<br /><br />Here's the picture with text areas enhanced for greater legibility: <a href="http://goo.gl/x29Y8" rel="nofollow">http://goo.gl/x29Y8</a><br /><br />And here's the picture intact: <a href="http://goo.gl/6rypB" rel="nofollow">http://goo.gl/6rypB</a>dcbyronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02840304483560716664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476836446638612873.post-68313756759531613262011-06-02T20:12:09.463-05:002011-06-02T20:12:09.463-05:00dcbyron,
I played with that photo forever trying ...dcbyron,<br /><br />I played with that photo forever trying to enhance it, and only got so far. I couldn't make the center word out for anything. But I think you are right about it saying "Middletons". And it would be Kohl and Middletons because he played there right after the Chicago Expo.Carnegiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10142955905272650610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476836446638612873.post-3443711150870563302011-06-02T20:00:18.450-05:002011-06-02T20:00:18.450-05:00I've never seen that one.
I enhanced the full ...I've never seen that one.<br />I enhanced the full photo to see the text better.<br /><br />It appears to say:<br />"Bros Houdyny"<br />"*** Middleton"<br />"Chicago, Ill 18xx"<br /><br />The asterisks represent an uncountable number of characters. The spelling appears to be as shown.<br /><br />Puts in mind Kohl & Middleton's, no?dcbyronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02840304483560716664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476836446638612873.post-48297579221632426862011-06-02T19:24:21.975-05:002011-06-02T19:24:21.975-05:00WHOA! That's a pic I've never seen. That i...WHOA! That's a pic I've never seen. That is a VERY young professional shot of Houdini. Yes, that could be at the Chicago Exposition. Great find!John Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476836446638612873.post-13921846319095794682011-06-01T23:13:32.476-05:002011-06-01T23:13:32.476-05:00That's so cool - particularly the bit about wo...That's so cool - particularly the bit about working out what was written on the photo.<br /><br />You've just brought up flea circuses which I hadn't thought about for years. Just had to Google them because I didn't actually know if they featured real fleas or not.melbohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14032793912135092967noreply@blogger.com