Thursday, December 30, 2010

Who Was Houdini's Boyhood Hero?


The first thought that comes to mind was Robert Houdin the french magician who Houdini acquired his name from. But actually if that was your guess, you'd be wrong (well you'd also be right, but I'm going after someone else). You might want to say, Dr. Lynn or Harry Kellar or any number of magicians who were performing back then, but his hero was not a magician. Houdini's boyhood hero was none other than the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln.


According to the Silverman Biography Houdini referred to Lincoln as "my hero of hereos."Houdini claimed to have read all the books about Lincoln when he was a kid. In the Kalush biography there is a story of young Houdini attending a seance and the medium was relaying a message from Lincoln. Houdini knowing everything there was to know about Lincoln asked a question to Lincoln via the medium and was puzzled when the answer that came back was not correct. This led to his early discovery that most Spiritualists were fake.

Later in life Houdini would collect letters and autographs by Lincoln. He also collected letters by every member of the assassin John Wilkes Booths family. There was a biography written called "The Life and Death of John Wilkes Booth" in which Houdini purchased almost every available copy, few copies remain today. I recently saw a History Channel Show that speculated on John Wilkes Booth not being killed by Union Soldiers but instead having escaped the barn where he had been shot and lived to a ripe old age. IF that is true (which it's still only speculation) I wonder if Booth could have seen Houdini perform!? (probably not)


Houdini also had associations with Abraham Lincoln's son Robert Todd Lincoln. Apparently a medium claimed to have authentic spirit photos of Abraham Lincoln. These photos were actually the creation of William Mumler, the man who is credited with creating the first Spirit Photos.  Houdini sent copies of these to Robert Todd Lincoln and he confirmed that these images were from photos of his father taken at much earlier time period. Houdini often would produce 'fake spirit messages' from Lincoln during his lectures and exposures on spiritualism and even produced his own fake spirit photo with Lincoln. Many spiritualists were claiming that Lincoln was in fact a devote spiritualist and had held seances in the White House. Actually it was Mary Lincoln who actively sought help from mediums to try and contact their dead son Willie. Houdini naturally fought against any idea that Abraham Lincoln was a Spiritualist.


During the promotion of the movie The Master Mystery, it was revealed that Houdini's pet eagle, was named 'Josephus Daniel Abraham Lincoln'. The 'stage name' of the bird was "Miss Liberty" however. Houdini produced the bird at the end of his Whirlwind of Colors routine (the production of scarves and other fabric from a small container). Incidentally, there are photos of The Whirlwind of Colors props in Patrick Culliton's book The Key. I never realized this but the routine that Tony Curtis does early in the HOUDINI movie when he and Bess are onstage doing magic in some small West Virginia Vaudeville theater is a version of the Whirlwind of Colors. Although in the movie they end with the production of a stack of goldfish bowls, Houdini in real life produced the eagle.

Signor Blitz
This next connection is more a Lincoln and magic connection, and it has to do with a graveyard.  Not far from the graveyard where Houdini is buried, Machpelah Cemetery, is Cypress Hills Cemetery and here you'll find the grave of Signor Blitz, also a magician. Blitz is said to have performed at a function where Lincoln and his son Tad were present. There is a famous exchange between the two men. Lincoln asks Blitz how many children he has made happy. Blitz replies that it must be thousands. President Lincoln follows that with “I fear that I have made thousands and tens of thousands unhappy.” This exchange took place as the Battle of Gettysburg raged.  Of course, Houdini was keenly aware of the connection between Blitz and Lincoln.


The last interesting piece of history was discovered by Mark Cannon the escape artist and escape historian. He is currently writing a book on the life of Harry Cooke. It is possible that Cooke was the first escape artist in America. Cooke also worked directly for Abraham Lincoln as a Spy for the Union Army. Harry Cooke had shown Lincoln an escape from a piece of rope and Lincoln was so impressed he put him to work.  It just so happens that Harry Cooke (Horatio Green Cooke) and Houdini knew each other and Cooke's daughter told Mark Cannon that her father was a mentor of sorts to Houdini! There is more to the Cooke/Lincoln story, and you can read that here: https://www.themagicdetective.com/2017/04/the-magician-who-met-abraham-lincoln.html




UPDATE: This article originally appeared on my blog Dec 30, 2010. It had a slight error in the information, and I corrected that. I also discovered if you type in 'Houdini Lincoln' in a Google search you end up at this site...http://weeklyview.net/2017/06/15/harry-houdini-and-abraham-lincoln/.  The author should have given me credit as it appears the bulk of his article came right out of my blog, including an error that I fixed and a section I removed on a letter by Houdini concerning Lincoln Letters.

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Chung Ling Soo's House

According to the The Glorious Deception, by Jim Steinmeyer, he gives an address for the house that William Ellsworth Robinson owned when he lived in London. In the back yard is his workshop. I have no photo of the workshop, but I do have a picture of the house and WOW what a house it is! I'm really glad it's this house too because most of the houses on this street are obstructed from view by the many trees and shrubs. Not to say that this house has a clear view but you can make it out, many of the other homes can't be seen at all due to the trees. The book says that he lived in a 3 story mansion and indeed that is exactly what we have here, at the exact address from the book.

As you may know, William Ellsworth Robinson was the real name for the Chinese Conjurer Chung Ling Soo. He was American, not Chinese. On March 23rd, 1918 while performing the dangerous Bullet Catching Feat on the stage at the Wood Green Empire Theatre in London, Soo was shot to death. There was a great deal of controversy following the death, some people thought it was murder, others thought it might be a clever method of suicide. But in the end, a faulty gimmicked rifle seemed to reveal the truth, it was an accident. Houdini at one time wanted to perform the Bullet Catching Feat and was persuaded not to by the beloved Dean of Magicians Harry Kellar. Houdini listened to Kellar and decided not to attempt the stunt. The Bullet Catch has a history of killing it's performers. Some 12 people have died presenting this stunt and so far only Penn & Teller have presented it on a continuous basis without being harmed.

Here is a photo of the Wood Green Empire Theatre in London. Sadly, the only thing that remains of the theatre is the facade. The theatre itself was turned into a Television studio in the 1950s and then in the 60s it was demolished to make way for a parking garage and stores. There must be a law in England that says if you have an old theatre it must be torn down to make way for a freaking parking garage! That's frustrating to hear and to continually find out. The building that says 'Halifax' on it is the site of the Wood Green Empire.

I will say that for a magician any books on Chung Ling Soo are required reading. He worked for both Alexander Herrmann and Harry Kellar. He was such an iconic performer that he is the only REAL magician mentioned in the movie 'The Prestige' with Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman. His posters today are some of the most highly prized. I'll be focusing on one of his illusion creations in a later blog to show you his creativity.


Soo/Robinson is buried in East Sheen Cemetery, Section B, grave number 219/220/221 London. Here is a photo of the cemetery entrance. Here is a picture of the grave from Genii Magazine courtesy of MagicPedia.net
IF you have a color photo of the grave, would you please send it to me so that I can post it on the blog. Thanks! carnegiemagic@me.com

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Houdini FONT


This is minor, but thought you folks might enjoy this. I found a HOUDINI font, which is basically the same font that appears on the 'Handcuffs' poster.

Here is the font and the link.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

The Heart of Houdini's Magic


It's right there in that poster, the secret. Whether you call it magic or escapes, it's impossible to deny the impact the Handcuff Escapes had in Houdini's career. In fact, they made his career. When Martin Beck saw Houdini at the PalmGarden in St. Paul MN, he thought the act was awful with the exception of the Handcuff bits. I'm not totally sure what handcuff routines he was even doing but whatever it was that alone impressed Martin Beck. From that point Houdini changed his act to all escapes and history was made.

We know he had been using handcuffs early in his career. The famous photograph of a very young Houdini surrounded by standard magic props of the day also shows a pair of handcuffs to the very far left of the photo. In the photo is a pair of Bean Giant Handcuffs, impossible to get out of by yourself even with the key. But Houdini devised a method to escape from the Bean Giants, as well as hundreds of other pairs of cuffs.

The handcuff act has been copied many times since Houdini's time. Truth be told, Houdini did not originate the Handcuff Act either, but he did popularize it. I don't think anyone since Houdini's time has gotten the real notoriety from the Handcuff Act that Houdini did. I know a lot of escape artists. Everyone of them can get out of cuffs. Is it that the Handcuff act doesn't impress people? Perhaps. I don't mean to say that escape artists cannot entertain, as I know they can. My point is that Houdini used it to launch himself into stardom, while all others may have had success, even very profitable success, but none has achieved the lasting acclaim in the eye of the public.

Houdini also added the element of the CHALLENGE to the handcuff act. Anyone could bring a pair of regulation handcuffs that were in working order and challenge him. He of course had the choice to decline the challenges at anytime. One of the challenges he accepted was with the infamous Mirror Cuffs. History has opened the door on this mystery and it appears that Houdini probably set this up from the beginning. But still, the story of the Mirror Cuff Challenge and Houdini's attempt to escape was simply incredible. Even within the midst of the story there was something that happened that almost trumps his actual escape. Houdini had asked to have the cuffs removed so that he could take off his jacket. The officials said that could not do it unless Houdini admitted defeat. So Houdini somehow reaches into his jacket, removes a pocket knife and proceeds to CUT the jacket to shreds right there in front of the crowd. That's worth the price of admission right there! But I've always wondered, how did they let him get a pocket knife into his jacket, didn't anyone examine him for tools?

The Challenge Handcuff Act morphed into the Challenge Escape Act. This too was a Houdini innovation and again, though people have used the concept since Houdini, I don't think anyone has ever gained the fame that Houdini achieved. I tend to think that the idea works best when you are already famous, but it doesn't work so well as a method to become famous. That's just my opinion.
 
Did you figure out yet that the secret in that poster is not the handcuffs? The secret to the Heart of Houdini's Magic was "Nothing On Earth Can Hold Houdini A Prisoner". The perception that nothing could hold Houdini was the allure and the appeal to his act. He was someone who could do the impossible. Which I think has something to do with why his straight magic wasn't always the strongest because audiences knew those things were tricks. They wanted to see him do the impossible, which is what he was known for.  Frankly, if you go back and read the 'Borrowing From Houdin' blog, you'll see that Robert-Houdin's version of the Crystal Cashbox was MORE Houdini than Houdini's version. Robert Houdin borrowed normal objects, had them marked, did the impossible with them and then returned them. Houdini missed the mark with that straight magic trick by not being true to his challenge like nature.

Houdini took ordinary objects, chains, ropes, wooden boxes, locks handcuffs and did the impossible. But when he brought out something that was clearly not ordinary, in other words a magic prop, then it diminished the power. When he stuck with ordinary objects he excelled, like the Needle Trick, like Walking Through A Brick Wall, and to some degree even the Vanishing Elephant because the emphasis was more on the Elephant than anything. He used the ordinary to become extra-ordinary, so it appeared he could do his style of magic with anything.

There were other factors that made Houdini famous not the least of which was the time in history. Time seems to play a major role in a number of artists who excel, Elvis Presley for example or The Beatles are surely examples of artists who were talented but the time in history that they appeared also made a huge difference.

One other thing about Houdini. If he was such a bad magician, why has every major magical name in the last 30 years borrowed from him? Perhaps if you think Houdini was a bad magician, well then he fooled you yet again! Man that Houdini is tricky!

I hope you've enjoyed my little blogs on Houdini. I'm going to take a break for the rest of the year (at least that's the plan, I might change my mind). I'll be back in January with more Houdini stuff and more magic history blogs! Until then Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

Monday, December 13, 2010

Houdini's Magic, The Best for Last

I saved the best for last. But when I finish this, I'm going to ADD to the list on another blog. First, as Houdini presented these two effects, they were escapes. But both can be done as a straight escape or as magic.

The Straight Jacket Escape: This is pure Houdini. He came up with the method, the idea and the delivery. It was his brother Hardeen however who took it up a notch.
Houdini claims he got the idea after seeing an inmate in an insane asylum struggling inside a straight jacket.

Houdini went about devising a method of escaping from one and sure enough he discovered it. In his original routine he would be strapped into the jacket by members of the audience and then step behind a curtained cabinet. The reaction was not quite as strong as he expected.

His brother Theo Hardeen, stumbled upon the idea of presenting it without the curtain. Hardeen would present the escape in full view for all to see. It was a hit. Houdini adopted the same idea and it became a hit for him as well.
His most amazing adaptation was hanging upside down from a building in the straightjacket. This idea of hanging upside down was not Houdini's however, he got the idea from a young fan from Sheffield England. The story is told in full in the Patrick Culliton book, Houdini The Key. (click the link and order the book if any are left)

His ultimate trick has become legend. The Chinese Water Torture Cell. Many people still think that Houdini died in the WTC because that was the Hollywood ending in the Tony Curtis HOUDINI movie. But Houdini presented the trick probably hundreds of times if not more. He ALWAYS escaped!
It's kind of a combination of his previous effects. You've got the water element from the Milk Can and the upside down element from the StraightJacket escape but the enclosed element from another of his previous effects the Glass Box Escape. All together it made a frightening effect. There were several different posters for this Houdini effect. The most famous one is on the right.


There is a fantastic article on John Cox's Blog about 'The Two Water Torture Cells'. This is a must read. Now, as to the effectiveness of the WTC today, let's put it like this, it's still being used by magicians. Doug Henning solidified his star on TV by using it on his first special in the 70s. David Copperfield presented an unusual version of it in the 80s. Criss Angel also used the WTC early in his TV career to make a name for himself. But to my mind the most effective presentation I've seen of the Water Torture Cell was presented by Steve Baker, also known as Mr. Escape. The video above is of one of Steve.

Sadly, both the Straightjacket escape and the Water Torture Cell have been overdone by magicians, so much so that they no longer seem to hold the impact that they once had. Now there are exceptions to the rule. One exception I can think of is from the couple Ridgeway and Johnson also known as Living Illusions. In their version of the WTC, the cell is cylindrical and completely see through. Also, their version features a female, Kristen Johnson as the escape artist rather than the male. And finally, they do it in full view. These alterations to the escape have made their routine unique to them.

The straightjacket has been done right into the ground. It is rarely presented as an escape anymore, most of the acts use it as a comedy piece, thus diminishing the allure of the effect even more. The Upside Down Straight Jacket Escape surely seems to thrill, but it doesn't draw the crowds anymore that Houdini did in his day.

The material from Houdini's act was powerful in his time and as you can see, is just as powerful today which is why entertainers still use his material almost 85 years after his death. He obviously presented it as the true showman he was. Even Dai Vernon who disliked Houdini admitted his Needle Trick was well done. Houdini may not have been a general practitioner but with the effects in his regular act he became a legend.

Tomorrow, a slightly different take on the MAGIC of Houdini...

More Houdini's Real Magic


To dispell the rumor that Houdini wasn't a very good magician, I'm showcasing some of Houdini's greatest effects and posting videos of them being performed. Most of the videos are modern day performers doing the effects however. But this also goes to show the solid entertainment value in the routines and how they stand the test of time.

Walking Through a Brick Wall. This is clearly not an escape. For the time it's also more than a magic trick. It seems to be an impossible feat of super human ability. The brick wall is built on the stage by brick layers. Members of the audience check out the brick wall themselves to be sure it's legit.  The audience members stand in the back and around the sides. Houdini stands against one side of the wall and a partition or cover is placed over him and over the exact same area on the opposite side of the wall.
A short time later, Houdini steps out from the partition and is on the other side! Billboard Magazine said that the audience was often so spellbound that sat silent for two whole minutes, they were so astonished they forgot to applaud! This was one Houdini effect that warranted it's own poster but never got one.

The Walking Through a Brick Wall was not without controversy. Houdini purchased the rights to it from Sidney Josolyne. But P.T. Selbit claimed the trick was his and was stolen by Josolyne and Houdini. In "Houdini-The Key" by Patrick Culliton this story is brought to light in a way I've never heard before. It's fantastic. Regardless of the controversy, it's now history and Houdini did Walk Through A Brick Wall!

The video above of Walking Through A Brick Wall is done by the Spensers who are fantastic. However, it is VERY different from Houdini's version.  Both Doug Henning and David Copperfield presented versions of this effect on their TV Specials. Copperfield walked through the ultimate brick wall, The Great Wall of China.

The Vanishing Elephant. An incredible illusion that not many people saw, even those in the audience. But what a reputation maker! Houdini appeared in the newspapers with this elephant saying he would make it vanish on the enormous stage of the Hippodrome Theatre. The elephant stepped inside a very large box. The magic words were spoken (probably) and the front door and back door were opened to show that the elephant was GONE! From what I understand it was a killer effect if you were in the middle of the audience! The people on the sides were unable to see inside the box.

Since then, a number of methods have been developed to make an elephant vanish, but Houdini was the first. The video is of Doug Henning making an elephant vanish on Broadway. I think the best version was done by Siegfried and Roy and their method was created by Guy Jarrett.

As you can see, these effects made popular by Houdini, still hold up today. Magicians know the publicity value of these effects, which again shows that Houdini too knew which was why he used them. Still think he was a bad magician? More to come...

Houdini's Real Magic

I’ve heard it said that Houdini was not a very good magician. It always amazes me that people can come to this conclusion. I think when he did standard tricks he might not have been a very good magician, but look at his contributions to the art:


The Metamorphosis: Here was a trick trunk invented my John Nevil Maskelyne. But Houdini did something with it that made it far more amazing than any performer before him. He added the element of speed. Even in his advertisements it says "Exchanging Places In Three Seconds". Plus in Houdini's hands this effect was truly impossible. First his hands were tied behind his back, then placed a sack was lifted over his head and tied shut, then he was put in a trunk and locked and roped that shut. It seemed totally impossible, yet three seconds later there he was and Bess was gone. She ended up in the exact position he had been in, tied up inside the sack, inside the trunk. He made that trick his own and no one today calls it the Maskelyne Trunk trick, it's always associated with Houdini.

Interestingly, the next couple to modernize the Metamorphosis, were the Pendragons. How exactly did they make it more modern? They did the same thing Houdini did and made it even faster!

The East Indian Needle Trick: Here is a small trick that takes guts to do. Forget about jumping off bridges handcuffed, in this you've got to put needles into your MOUTH! Of course, after Houdini apparently swallows the needles, he also swallows some thread. Moments later the thread is pulled from the mouth and there threaded on the thread are the previously swallowed needles. Houdini didn't invent this one either but he sure made it his own. In fact, he apparently either patented or copyrighted the routine thus preventing others from performing it. This fact was brought up to Long Tack Sam, by Houdini when Sam wanted to do the trick which he had performed many times before. Houdini stopped his competition cold on this one. 

One of the best Needle stories I've ever read comes from the book "Illusion Show" by FuManchu/David Bamberg. When David was a young boy he would often play at the Houdini's house on 278 W 113th St. in NYC. One day while playing or snooping around as it were, he discovered a packet of needles and the secret to the trick. He never told Houdini that he found them, but always remembered that moment. Fast forward a couple years and Bamberg is about to join a Magic Club (I forget exactly where, I don't have the book handy) and he decides he'll do the Needle Trick as his initiation trick. As he is getting ready he hears Houdini coming in. Holy crap! What is David Bamberg to do??? You can just imagine the thoughts going through his head. Well, Houdini heads straight for the Great Raymond, the Illusionist and the two of them get into a huge argument that broke into a fistfight. Fortunately, the two resolve their issues and everyone forgets about David's initiation, so he is off the hook! Funny Stuff.

Next we have The Milk Can Escape. This is a Houdini original, though according to the Patrick Culliton Book "Houdini-The Key" the method was invented by someone else. In 1908 Houdini was having trouble selling his Handcuff Challenge Act. All the bookers 'had seen it' or seen someone else do it. It had also been exposed in the papers. So in St. Louis Houdini debuted his latest sensation with the tag line "Failure Means A Drowing Death". The escape was promoted with a slightly deceiving poster. The locks were not down on the body of the can but on the neck. Still, that hardly mattered, the dramatic routine that Houdini presented captivated his audiences. He always escaped (and probably much sooner than most of the audience realized).

The video link above is of Dean Gunnerson the escape artist presenting the Milk Can. The actual escape begins about 2 minutes in to the video.

These are just a three of Houdini's feats. Given the fact that they are still staples of modern day performers acts, I'd say Houdini' magic was rather strong. And there is more to come...


(click the name of the trick to see it being performed)

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Borrowing From Houdin


It is ironic that the man who took his name from Robert-Houdin and then later wrote a book slamming his former idol would use a routine of Robert-Houdin's in his very own show.

In Chapter 9 of The Unmasking of Robert-Houdin, Houdini writes “Supreme egotism and utter disregard for the truth may be traced in all of Robert Houdin’s writings…”. I really couldn’t contain my laughter reading that line because the very same thing could be said of Houdini. On top of that Houdini referred to his former idol as ‘The Prince of Pilferers’.

Books have been written about why Houdini was wrong, and it surely wasn’t his best moment to say the least. However, we should be thankful that Houdini chose to recreate a piece from RH because that piece still survives today.

In 1913-14 Houdini was in Europe and along with performing he was buying lots of magic. One of the things he purchased was from a Parisian magic dealer, Charles DeVere. The item was a replica of The Transparent Cashbox used by RH. Houdini called it The Crystal Casket.

In Robert Houdin’s show he referred to the routine as ‘The Traveling Coins’. The routine began with Houdin borrowing eight coins from members of the audience and he made sure each person marked their coin for later identification. The coins were dropped into a glass vase that he was holding. On the stage was a second glass or crystal vase. RH would tap his wand against the vase he was holding and a coin could be heard to drop into the vase on the stage.

This continued until the eighth coin which RH apparently gave to a woman to hold, yet when he tapped her hand that coin too vanished and ended up inside the crystal vase.
At this point, RH hung a crystal cashbox, about the size of a cigar box, on two ribbons and then swung it back and forth. When the box was furthest away RH would toss the eight coins in his hand and they could be heard to appear all together inside the crystal cashbox. The coins were then removed and given to their owners.

Houdini’s routine was different. In Houdini’s routine, he would first show the cashbox empty. I’m pretty sure the crystal box would already be hanging by the ribbons on the stage as he showed it and then he swung the empty cashbox in the same way the RH had done. On a table downstage was a stand holding eight coins, no doubt what we know today as a Vanishing Coin Stand. Houdini would remove the eight coins and toss them all at once towards the Crystal Casket and the audience could hear the clinking of coins as they appeared at once inside the crystal clear box.

More than one book I read said the coins appeared one at a time inside the box, but I am not sure this is accurate. Houdini did pick up the coins ‘one at a time’ but he tossed the supposed handful at the box.

This is a beautiful piece of Victorian Age magic. The Houdini Crystal Cashbox went to Dash upon Houdini’s death and later found it’s way into the McManus Collection. From their it found it’s way in 1974 into the Salon DeMagie, better known as The Ken Klosterman Collection.

I had the good fortune to see the Crystal Cashbox live and in person. It’s a beautiful piece and coincidentally it’s surrounded by other incredibly beautiful pieces of apparatus made by Robert-Houdin. It may be the only crystal cashbox that survives because in the book “The Magic of Robert Houdin-An Artist’s Life” by Christian Fechner they use a photo of Klosterman’s Crystal Cashbox/Casket. It's a breathtaking piece of apparatus.




Saturday, December 11, 2010

Unusual Gifts for the Magic Fan

Here is a list of gift ideas for the Magician or fan of Magic from those of you that are none magicians.

Conjuring Lights is an interesting site. Inside their gift shop you'll find a number of unique Magic related Greeting Cards.
http://www.conjuringlights.com/CL/CL%20Limited%20Editions/CL_Limited_Editions_CARDS.htm

This is an ornament. I collect magic related figurines and they aren't always easy to find. This one is an ideal one to start a collection or add to an existing one.
http://www.ornamentshop.com/order.asp?ProductKey=3301&cat=42

What magician doesn't need a magic wand?
http://www.stevensmagic.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=103_39&products_id=111571

This might be the ultimate in Geeked out magic wand stuff! A remote Control Magic Wand
http://www.reevoo.com/decidewhattobuy/2009/12/gadget-watch-magic-wand-remote/

Magic Poster Reproductions. These are not cheapo versions, these are high quality versions of many classic magic posters.
http://nnmagic.com/posters_magicrepros/magicrepros1.htm

This might be the ultimate gift for the magician or fan of magic, a bust of a famous magician. There are several in the line; Kellar, Thurston, Chung Ling Soo, Houdini and Robert Houdin.
http://spectralmotion.com/merchandise/merchandise.html


T-shirts with a magic slant to them.
http://www.zazzle.com/do_you_believe_in_magic_gifts_tshirt-235535602772305853

This was one of my personal favorite gifts, the book MAGIC. WARNING: It's gigantic! It weighs 20 lbs and is 20x12x3 in size. But it's super cool
http://www.amazon.com/Magic-1400s-1950s-Mike-Caveney/dp/3836509776/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1292085502&sr=8-14

I'm not sure this next one is for sale, but it's a wonderfully quirky concept. It's a portable closet designed after a magic illusion.
http://www.rafaelmorgan.com/2009/03/deadly-multipurpose-closet.html


Another cool Magic Book gift would be the new Jim Steinmeyer book on Howard Thurston. One problem, it doesn't come out till February. But you can order it now!
http://www.amazon.com/Last-Greatest-Magician-World-Thurston/dp/1585428450/ref=pd_sim_b_49


Here's one, a one of a kind personalized piece of artwork. That's right, you can get a commissioned piece of artwork by none other than ME. It's not cheap, I only take a couple commissions so it's first come first serve. You can email me at carnegiemagic@me.com for more info.

Can't afford a customized painting. Why not try one of my artwork tshirts. There is only one right now, the Dante. On one side is a picture of Dante, the other side has his slogan 'Sim Sala Bim'.
http://www.cafepress.com/CarnegieArt.4858517#

IF you really want to give a magician a gift, consider a photo shoot. Often overlooked by magicians, but a good quality photo can do wonders for your career. Finding a good photographer for a magician is another thing. I'm going to give you several selections depending upon your part of the world. These are not the only photographers around but check them out, do your own homework and see if they'll work for you.

In England...
http://www.photographyformagicians.co.uk/About.html

In France...
http://illu-coower.com/zakarybelamy/

In USA
http://www.beckettstudios.com/

Finally, this set of books should be in every magicians library. The Tarbell Course. Get them from my friend Denny.
http://dennymagic.com/products/?view_type=grid&product_search=tarbell&search_in=All

Disclaimer: Other than my two products, the only products here I can actually endorse are the photography of Beckett Studios because that's where I had my photos done, and The Tarbell Course from Denny's Magic Shop. Denny is a straight up magic dealer and you can't go wrong buying from him.

I'm not saying there is anything wrong with anything else, but you should check them out yourself and see if the product or service meets your needs.

What To Get A Houdini Fan For The Holidays


It's kind of weird, yet I actually like it. A tie inspired by the Great Houdini. Unusual for sure, but very interesting to say the least. Here is the link to the site http://cyberoptix.com/escape-artist.php

Or How about a set of Houdini Buttons/Magnets http://rarebirdfinds.typepad.com/rare_bird_finds/2008/03/houdini-buttons.html


Hey, this mug is awfully cool, and he disappears from the mug!  http://www.dannabananas.com/escaping-houdini-mug.html



Not sure this one deserves a comment. But here it is, a Houdini Finger Puppet!
http://www.neatoshop.com/product/Houdini-Finger-Puppet-and-Magnet


Here is a winner. How can you go wrong with your very own Houdini License Plate!
http://entertainmentearthin.tarazz.com/prodinfo.asp?number=RPHDN01

My personal favorite, Houdini Wines from Smidge Wines. Love the label, it's very cool.
http://www.smidgewines.com/

Not to be outdone, More Houdini Wine from a different winery.
http://www.houdiniwines.com/

Ok, this one is total junk, but hey, it says Houdini.
http://www.happypuzzle.co.uk/acatalog/info_TBHCG.html


This next one isn't bad. Cool t-shirt with not your everyday design.
http://www.redbubble.com/products/configure/6295671-t-shirt


Finally, a deal for you. Overstock has the Houdini book.
NO! Not the Culliton book, the other one.
http://www.overstock.com/Books-Movies-Music-Games/Houdini-Hardcover/4811832/product.html

For those with LOTS of money.
http://www.millionairememorabilia.com/historic/historic_memorabilia_harry_houdini.htm

When you are in a jam, use some of this
http://www.monstermarketplace.com/lock-and-safe-products/item-houdini-houdini-spray-lock-lubricant

I keep finding MORE. This one is kinda cool actually.
http://www.pinkpigwestport.com/item_796/Houdini-Advertisement-Art.htm

I'm not sure about this one, but it does say "Houdini Gut Punch"
http://www.amazon.com/Houdini-Gut-Punch-Jonathan-Moon/dp/1456333496/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1290228577&sr=8-1

Yeah, yeah, I know, this one is a big stretch, buy hey
http://deseretbook.com/Zucchini-Houdini-Brenda-Stanley/i/5049480

An Oldie But a Goodie (actually I never liked it myself)
http://www.airlineintl.com/product/krone-houdini

Another Pen. The Houdini WTC Pen
http://shop.thejewishmuseum.org/jmuseum/product.asp?prod_name=Houdini+Floaty+Pen&pf_id=PAMDICIICADNIKIL&dept_id=8910&s_id=0&

This is 30% off. I think it's a good deal, in my opinion. 
http://miraclefactory.net/zenstore/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2_34&products_id=44

Houdini Jewelry
http://www.edelight.de/i/houdini-the-handcuff-king-von-dielinserin

Houdini Puzzle Locks, there are a couple versions.
http://www.mindgamesdirect.co.uk/metal-puzzles/ace-of-hearts