Magic Detective Updates and NEW Content for 2026

 

2026 is fast approaching and its going to be quite the year for The Magic Detective and me personally. Ive only shared this with a few people, but Im planning some new things for 2026. Now, Im always planning things, and some of them never come into being, some just get delayed, and a few happen, lol. 

There will be a new addition to The Magic Detective content next year. Right now there is the blog and the podcast. The blog seems like its lagged behind for a while and the podcast, it does well, when I can get an episode out. Its just that each episode is so time consuming to do the research. I dont use Ai, as Ive seen other sites use for their content. I break out physical books and magazines and do the hard research. I will of course use ask alexander and other online databases like newspapers.com and ancestry.com on occasion. But Im doing all the work. So with all that, imagine how crazy I am to add to my plate, lol.

There will be new content in 2026 strictly devoted to Houdini. It is the 100th Anniversary of his passing. And technically, it could have begun on Nov 1st of this year. But Im holding out till Jan 2026. I won't yet reveal what the content will be. Will it be a book? Will it be another podcast, Hmm, Im not saying, but it will be 100% Houdini. Dont worry, I'll still have the podcast where I cover other magic history figures. And I still plan to get the Harry Anderson podcast out before the end of the year. In fact, I hope to have 2 more episodes out before the year is up, so that my total is 10 for the season, the same as last year. 

Because there will be a big influx of content, Im also planning on starting a patreon page for anyone who would like to support the Magic Detective sites. I have some really incredible behind the scenes content to share with folks. Some big time bonuses for supporters. More on that later. More on all this later, lol. 

But for now get ready for more HOUDINI in 2026!!!!!

Houdini Documentary with Transcript

 

There have been a host of Houdini documentaries over the years. This one is a fun documentary because it features Doug Henning and Harry Blackstone Jr.. I'm sure it's somewhere on youtube, but I didn't see it. Granted I didn't look through all the pages of documentaries.

This one is kind of unique because you can watch it on the site but you can also read the transcript, which is not something that most sites offer. It's a pretty standard documentary for the most part, no big revelations or anything. But as I said, some great footage of two of the recent masters of the art besides ton of Houdini stuff. This was originally shot for the Wisconsin Public Television out of Madison WI. It originally aired in April of 1987. 

Here is the link to the website. https://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-526-9882j69777

Houdini's Final Days in the Hospital - A Revelation

 

Note: I have made a couple updates since the original post. Turns out Dr. Lefevre who is mentioned in the Kalush bio did not create the serum, but was there to report on the findings. This was uncovered in Oct 2022 by John Cox. So I have rewritten his section. And there are a couple other minot adjustments.

If you're at all familiar with Houdini, you know the story of the 'punch' in the stomach by Gordon Whitehead. You also know that Houdini died on Halloween in 1926. Let's take a deeper look into the mysterious moments during that in between time that has always remained unknown, until now.

Houdini and company boarded a train bound for Detroit following their last performance in Montreal Canada, Oct 23rd. He was due to open at at the Garrick Theater in Detroit Oct 24th. On the train, he is in a lot of pain. He is suffering from both a broken ankle and an appendicitis. They forward a telegram letting them know to have the best doctor in town waiting for Houdini at the hotel so he can be checked out prior to the show. Except, the train is running behind. Houdini chooses to go straight to the theater and bypass the hotel. 

The doctor has been waiting at the hotel. They phone the theater and find out Houdini is there, so they, Dr. Leo Dretzka and Houdini's advance man, head to the Garrick. Houdini is in bad shape. Upon examining him, the Doctor says they need to call an ambulance immediately, this man has acute appendicitis. Around this time, the theater manager comes in an tells Houdini they have a sold out house. Houdini, ever the showman, stays to do the show.

It was torture for the 52 year old magician. He suffered greatly during the show, needing the help of Jim Collins on more than one occasion. During intermission, Houdini's temperature was taken and it was 104. Miraculously, he finished the show. And did he go to the hospital at this point? NO! He opted instead to head to his hotel. Bess had the hotel Doctor meet them there. This doctor called a surgeon, Dr. Charles Kennedy. He told Houdini, you must go to the hospital. Houdini refused, he would only go if his own doctor told him so. They called Houdini's NY Doctor who immediately got Houdini on the phone. Whatever was said is not known, but Houdini at this point relented and was taken to Grace Hospital in Detroit. 

Grace Hospital Ambulance 

Houdini was operated on the following afternoon. It was said, his appendix had been so enlarged that is started on his right side and ran across his midsection into the left side of his abdomen! And it had ruptured so peritonitis had set in, a poison was seeping into his system for three days. Then, according to the Ken Silverman biography, "in trying to check the peritonitis, physicians at the hospital dosed him with an experimental serum recently developed in a Detroit laboratory." I should point out, this 'experimental serum' was first mentioned on Nov 1st, 1926 in Houdini's obituary in the New York Times. In addition, the Kalush book on Houdini gives a slightly altered version, "On Tuesday, a post-operative specialist named Dr. George LeFevre was brought to Detroit from Montreal, where he had been attending a conference. LeFevre was a homeopathist who had devised an experimental serum to combat the poison circulating through Houdini's G.I. tract." That statement is not correct. Dr. Lefevre only arrived after the serum was given and was there to report on the results. This information provided by John Cox.

FULL STOP

No one, has known what this 'experimental serum' was. The records from that time have long been destroyed. No record remained of this so called experimental serum. No one knew what it was. Until NOW.

Recently, I too went through an ordeal with a ruptured appendix. It was near the exact same time as Houdini's only 99 years later. So I was acutely aware of what he might have gone through and how he was feeling. After I got home, I did some research. I know in Houdini's case had there been antibiotics he likely would have survived. However, antibiotics were not discovered until 1928 and weren't put into affect until the late 1930s. So what did they do? Well before I tell you, let me share what this experimental serum did for Houdini.

Grace Hospital Detroit

According the Ken Silverman in his book on Houdini, "it (the serum) brought his temperature down to 101 and let him spend a fairly comfortable night, although his pulse and respiration rate remained high. The following day his temperature came down to near normal." So whatever they gave him, along with his unusual physical strength had a huge impact. 

On Friday, October 29th, Houdini had to be operated on again. The peritonitis though slowed down, had not stopped doing damage, he had paralysis of the bowels. His temperature shot up to 103, his heart rate doubled. Any progress had stopped and he was going down hill fast. As we know, 1:26pm on Oct 31st, Houdini breathed his final breath from Room 401 at Grace Hospital.

So what was this experimental serum? I discovered in the 1920s an experimental treatment was devised to combat peritonitis. It was called 'bacteriophage therapy'. Bacteriophages are viruses that infect and kill bacteria. The therapy involved administering preparations containing specific phages (sometimes referred to as a "serum" in lay terms) to patients. Major pharmaceutical companies like Eli Lily, Abbott Labs, and Parke-Davis all had their own versions. I believe it was Parke-Davis, which was located in Detroit, that created the 'experimental serum' for Houdini. 

According to the National Institute of Health, the reason this was considered experimental was because they never were fully put through clinical trials. They had positive results on some patients, but not on others. It also was being used as a cure-all when it was not intended that way. But the most specific way it was used was to combat the symptoms resulting from peritonitis! BINGO. It would help to bring down the fever and give the patient a fighting chance to live, when it worked. This is exactly what happened to Houdini, at least initially. But he was truly too far gone. Had he not ignored his pain while he was in Montreal, he may have lived a much longer life. He delayed and delayed and delayed until it was frankly too late. 

If you're wondering why no one discovered this info before? Well, when antibiotics became all the rage, and worked, in the late 1930s, the United States all but abandoned bacteriophage therapy. It was still being used in some European countries, but in the 1990s when Ken Silverman first mentions this 'experimental serum' no one remembered it. It had been out of use for 60 years. I had been scouring sources online trying to discover treatments in the 1920s when it finally came up and revealed itself. When I read the information, I knew it was the serum. And frankly, I think the only reason it came up in searches is because there is now a renewed interest in exploring bacteriophage therapies due to many bacteria today that are anti-biotic resistant. I could find no other serum treatments, and other than surgery, which was the first step, there was little that could be done in the 1920s.

Further Update: Dr. Larrain Gillespie has a different theory. I was unaware of her work on the subject and have since read through several of her articles. It does appear, as I've stated above, John Cox was actually the first to reveal the true nature of Dr. Lefevre's involvement. But Dr. Gillespie has an alternative theory on the serum which she will reveal in her upcoming book, Houdini: The Man Who Died Twice, which will come out in July 2026. I am sticking with my theory for now, but I am excited to read her book. And frankly, if nothing else we know the serum came from Parke-Davis labs in Detroit. Win win for everyone.

The Lost Episode - Houdini in Congress Part 2....still missing.

 

While reading Brad Riccas new book,  Lincolns Ghost, I had a strange feeling that I had read it before. In fact, the further I delved into the book, the more it all was coming back. It wasnt that I had read it before, its that I had been down this same research road before. It was similar to Part 2 of my  Houdini In Congress Episode from way back in Season 1. I had forgotten about it completely. In the first episode, I only covered the first meetings with Houdini in Congress, not the later incident. Part 2 was to cover the later testimonies, as well as a bit more information on the various mediums that Houdini encountered.

Try as I might, I cant locate it. I wrote the script. I thought I recorded it but I may not have. But I did write the script. So, Ive been going through countless files trying to locate it. I still have not come across it. 

But here is a a twist to the story. Fellow magic historian, Chuck Romano has written a book on Houdinis time before Congress. Apparently, also covered the mediums as well. The book comes out tomorrow. Here is a link to where you can purchase his book: Houdini vs. The Spiritualists. 

I will put up my episode at some point in 2026, once I locate the script. But I encourage you to get Chucks book, as he always does a fantastic job in his research. He also recently put out books on Bert Allerton, and a second book on Paul Rosini called Reworking Rosini. I have his first book, The House of Cards on the life of Paul Rosini. He also has a book, now in its third version, The Art of Deception. This is my favorite book by Chuck Romano, because Im in it, lol!!! I forget if one or two of my paintings are featured in there, I know its at least one. 

At any rate, I shall be exploring Houdini and the Congress and the Spiritualists more in 2026. If you'd like a bit of a preview, you can check out Episode 83 of the podcast, where I talk about the strange friendship between Houdini and Ira Davenport. http://magicdetectivepodcast.com/e/ep-83-the-strange-friendship-of-houdini-ira-davenport/ And then Episode 84 goes into Houdini and the Spiritualists to a small degree. http://magicdetectivepodcast.com/e/ep-84-a-magician-among-the-spiritualists/

Rob Lake and the Muppets Closing...and fast!

 

I just heard that Rob Lake and the Muppets was closing on November 16th. What? They just opened on Oct 28th. How can this be? Then I read a review of the show and it points out two glaring problems. One, there was no director for this production. Two, there was no real story or through line for this production. Im sure there was more to pan than that. Ok, I'll do it. How do you go to Broadway with run of the mill illusions? Now, granted, I didn't see the show but the reviewer points out the standard illusions that have everyone has been doing since the days of Thurston. 

I LOVE illusions! I even think you can get by with a few standards. I mean look what the Pendragons did with standard illusions. You can breath new life into them. But that said, Johnathan and his wife Charlotte were more than their props. David Copperfield was more than his props. Doug Henning was more than his props. They all had charisma. 

Let's look at the last time Muppets were in a magic show? That was Doug Henning's last tour. He had a couple illusions with a Muppet like character, one used a mis-made lady illusion. The other was a big illusion that I saw at the Warner Theater in DC but I honestly do not recall the effect, only that it was big and used life sized muppets. Did Rob have something like that in the show? I don't know.

Also, no offense, Rob Lake is not a household name. Doug Henning wasn't a household name either when he first went to Broadway. He also couldn't act, sing, or dance. But he could MAGIC better than anyone. And it was THAT quality that stole the show. Plus his show was called THE MAGIC SHOW and it didn't rely upon star power. It relied upon a story. 

When David Copperfield went to Broadway his show was called Dreams and Nightmares and he brought in Francis Ford Coppola to direct the show. I never say that show and Im honestly not sure if that show really had a story either. BUT it had star power, because at the time David was the most popular magician on the planet.

This production sounded like a good idea, but it appears they botched it. Im not sure the Muppets are the draw they once were either. Maybe the show could have been called KERMIT & His Magical Friends. And Rob Lake could have been THE guy to bring the magic. And then the other Muppets could make appearances. I mean, Andy Griffiths character of the sheriff began as a skit on the Danny Thomas Show. THEN it became its own show. 

I don't know. I wasn't there. Im only going by what Ive read. But its gotta hurt. I know if the show is closing this fast, they weren't selling tickets and they didnt have enough faith in the production to keep it running over the holidays. All I can say is, my best to Rob Lake on his future projects. He's a nice guy. 

Book Review: Lincoln's Ghost by Brad Ricca

 

Lincoln's Ghost -A Book Review

There is a new book out this October on Houdini, it's called Lincoln's Ghost by Brad Ricca. It has a picture of Houdini shaking hands with a shadowed figure, presumably Abe Lincoln. In truth, the photo was originally Houdini and Conan Doyle shaking hands. But I digress. One thing I noticed about this book was it was awfully familiar. Almost as if I had read it before. And the truth is, I did. I've gone down those paths that the author did to write the book. He did a lot of research I shall say. Sorry he didnt' choose this blog among his sources, but oh well.

Let's get to the book. I really enjoyed the book. I enjoyed reliving the interactions of Houdini and members of Congress. My initial research on this gave me the distinct impression that most of the Congressmen had no idea who Houdini was. And many took what he had to say rather lightly. Ricca does a fine job of sharing this story with the reader. 

I will admit for many years, the Spiritualism or Anti-Spiritualist part of Houdini's life was the least interesting to me. But now that I have lost friends and family members, it seems that this part of his life is actually incredibly fascinating. I like how Brad weaves the various stories together into one cohesive narrative. 

The introduction of Houdini's boyhood idol LINCOLN is quite good. We forget that Lincoln died only 9 years before Houdini was born, so it makes perfect sense that such a man would be an inspiration for the great magician. 

I did have my qualms with the book, in one part the author refers to the mediums as right-wingers. Though they were religious in nature, it's not an accurate description. Most main stream religions did not agree with Spiritualism, it was very much a fringe belief. And there clearly were Democrats and Republicans in this time period, but it's  hard to say there were left wing and right wing groups. There were certainly anarchists and progressives, but those affiliations were not the same as today. I wouldn't' label the mediums by today's political standards, other than to say they were mostly crooks, which was Houdini's belief as well.

An interesting point is the contention that there were mediums alive in Houdini's day who actually performed Seances at the White House during Lincoln's term in office. A book by Nettie Maynard is referenced as the source for this information. Ms. Maynard allegedly being the medium for the Lincoln's. This is highly interesting to me and something I wish to look into further. I do not know if Lincoln himself was into such things, but there is no question that Mrs. Lincoln was a firm believer in seances and mediums. 

As I mentioned earlier, I enjoyed the book. I won't nitpick it apart because overall the story is quite fascinating. As a Houdini historian, it's much easier for me to point out what I think are errors or misinterpretations. But the average reader is not interested in this, rather they want a good story and this comes across as a well researched and fascinating story about two of histories most iconic individuals.

The book is published by St. Martin's Press. It is available through Amazon.com, BooksAMillion and all the places fine books are sold. Get your copy today!!!!

Penn & Teller Have Road Named In Their Honor

 

The Comedy Magic Duo of Penn and Teller have just been bestowed a new honor, they have a road named after them. The road formally known as Viking Street will forever be known as Penn & Teller Court. 

Currently, Penn and Teller are on their 50th Anniversary Tour of the WORLD. I don't think there is any other comedy duo that lasted 50 years and I doubt their going to stop when the tour is over. They have a hugely successful TV show, FOOL-US, which is popular among laypeople as well as magicians. Once known as the Bad Boys of Magic, they are now more like Ambassadors of Magic. They put magic in such a great light that everyone that appears on that show looks like a million dollars. It doesn't matter if you fool them, what matters is you share incredible magic with an enormously large viewing audience!

According to media reports, Penn is 70 and Teller is 77. They certainly have much to be proud of. They could have retired years ago and they would have had a wonderful career to look back upon. But they are doing what they love. And WE LOVE THEM For IT!!!

New Magician Figurine

 

I love figurines, statues, sculptures of magicians. They are few and far between compared to clowns, angels, kids, pretty much anything else. And when I see a cool one, I try to get it. Here is one, made of acrylic that comes in 2 styles and various sizes. I love the fact that it has a stained glass look, as this is something I'm working on currently and will reveal later. Seems it would make a great gift for a fellow magician as well. Not keen on the custom printing at the bottom, but that's just me.

To get your cool stained glass magic figurine, here is the link: https://www.coenk.com/3612?ads=C1005A-C1005A%E7%BB%841-p_3612_1129451&fbclid=IwY2xjawNVSdVleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFTZnAzUEpLdG5ZdDIyeHB5AR4nTVuUKPu5tlDNdQ7YT1BPXu8FUjALr5Pp4fyGMQRTJfA3ItE6KlkmA7VLTQ_aem_nCCqIMGudICWSWSDfQl7Ug

Tommy Cooper Biography - A Must Read & Still Available

 

In 2007, John Fisher wrote a book called Tommy Cooper -Always Leave Them Laughing. And it further says, 'The Definitive Biography of a Comedy Legend'.  I only learned of this book fairly recently. It was also the basis for most of my research for Episode 113 of my podcast. I did have other sources, but the majority came from the Fisher book, and even those other sources, I found the same information eventually within the pages of the Tommy Fisher biography.

I was able to find a copy of the book on eBay. I can tell you, there were a bunch of other copies there as well. And it is also available on Amazon.com as well. So there is no excuse not to get a copy. The next question is, why? Well for one, Tommy truly was a magician through and through. His delivery was comedy, but in his heart that man was a magician. In fact, I learned from the book that his greatest trick was making us think his act was haphazardly presented. Everything he did was calculated, down to the pauses in his patter, and his facial expressions and where he stood. He made it seem like he was just grabbing random objects off a table and messing with them. That's why when he did succeed in his attempts at magic, everyone was so surprised.

In addition, he was very thoughtful and careful with his exposures. He gets a lot of flack from people who think all he did was expose things. But he was careful to only do that with things that had already been exposed many times before. AND, this is my theory, take it for what it's worth, I don't think any lay person paid any attention to how tricks were done. They were busy laughing at the big and lovable buffoon. I hardly think they thought what Tommy Cooper was doing were the actual tricks used by other magicians.

John Fisher explores everything you can imagine about Tommy Cooper. From his parents, his upbringing, the various places he lived. He explores his early fascination with magic, as well as sharing how he developed his comedic persona. You'll discover where that crazy red Fez came from. You'll also learn about the origins of some of his most popular effects. Did you know Tommy Cooper used comedy writers? Sure did. Not his entire career, but once TV came calling, he needed more material than any one person could come up with. He also borrowed, with permission, bits and ideas from other magicians. 

I do mention that at one point Tommy owned a magic shop in England. His wife ran it behind the scenes and Alan Alan the escape artist was their chief demonstrator. Eventually Alan Alan went off and started his own magic shop. But one thing I didn't mention, was Tommy's younger brother also had a magic shop of his own as well.

I also didn't cover some of the more personal things in Tommy's life. These are addressed in the book. It covers the good and the bad. It doesn't white wash anything. You'll even learn how much money Tommy made in various years, sometimes it's how little he made and other years how well he did. Then there is the long standing feud with Tommy and his manager that is covered in depth. 

Do yourself a favor. If you like magic,  comedy, or just Tommy Cooper, go find one of these books on eBay or Amazon and enjoy reading about the wild life of a comedy magic legend. While your at it, go listen to episode 113 of my podcast!

The Great Nicola's Iron Maiden Illusion

 

I've suddenly become enamored with illusions again. After doing the research on Ep 112 of my podcast, on the life of William Mozart Nicol, better known as NICOLA, my fire was lit! The first illusion to catch my eye was his Iron Maiden, which you can see above.

In truth, this was one of several illusions Nicola purchased from a British Illusionist. His name was P.T. Selbit and he was the father of mutilation type of illusions. He created, sawing, stretching, crushing, spiking, and all manner of illusions that would seemingly wreak havoc on the human body, only to find no harm was done to it.

This illusion by Selbit, was known as The Pin Cushion Illusion, and it's impressive. Selbit debuted the illusion in 1923. This thing resembles a real like medieval torture device. It has a giant crank on the side or back. It can be examined before and after. And the illusion is near perfection. It truly appears that 80 some steel spikes are shoved through the body of another human being.

Over time it's mostly become associated with Nicola. However, Thurston had one, I'm sure Carter likely had one, a European illusionist Carrerre had one. I found a photo of Jasper Maskylene performing one. And I wouldn't be surprised if there were others. The Pin Cushion Illusion gave way to  different illusions using spikes. The Table of Death sure looks like The Pin Cushion illusion laying on it's side, but that's where the comparisons end. In some cases, the spikes were replaced with light bulbs as in the version that Blackstone used. And there was a version created by Alan Wakeling the uses neon lights. Slightly different methods to these various things, but all great mysteries.

The most non threatening version I would say is the Cane Cabinet by Jim Steinmeyer. It's actually more like a vertical sword cabinet done with canes. Of course, all of these things are distant cousins to a lot of Selbit ideas. This was featured by both Doug Henning and Lance Burton. Henning's cabinet no longer exists. It was originally purchased by a friend of mine at the first Doug Henning auction. Then he sold it to another magician, with the exception of the canes, which my friend kept. The new owner stored the illusion outside under a carport. And eventually the elements got the better of it.  Incidentally, the canes from Henning's Cane Cabinet are now in my collection. 

Below is Simon Drake performing the Nicola Iron Maiden, during an Iron Maiden rock concert. The trick begins at 5:14, so I would fast forward to that section. 

Missing Magic Detective Podcast Episodes FIXED!

 

It was brought to my attention some months ago that the first 8 episodes were missing on my ApplePodcasts page. I thought it was just a glitch with Apple. Turns out it was a setting issue within my own podcast provider. There was a default setting of 100, so anything more than that didn't show. Or in this case, they began to remove the older episodes so that total would remain at 100.  I've not adjusted that so hopefully within a few days this missing episodes, which actually now are 12 episodes, will show up. 

Sorry for the confusion. AND Keep watch for new episodes. #112 will be The Great Nicola. Then #113 will be on comedy magician Tommy Cooper. Usually, I end the season in October. But this time around I will be extending Season 7 till the end of the year. I have something special in store for Season 8. More on that later.

The Incredible Joseffy

 

I just finished Ep. 111 of my podcast, and this time I covered Josef Freud, better known as Joseffy. What an amazing character. I mentioned on the podcast the delay of this episode and how it predated the Bamberg and Velma episodes. Here is why.

When I discovered the Letter to the Editor by Montraville Wood in the Conjurer's Monthly Magazine, regarding a possible 'theft' of one of Wood's creations, and that thief being Joseffy, I had to dig deeper. I was sure I would uncover something else, somewhere. I went through every book I had and went through AskAlexander.org and came up with nothing else.

I really do not think Joseffy stole Wood's trick. I think he might have upgraded it, and or improved it. And sure, he might have asked Wood. But As I point out on the podcast, there is a clear difference between the two hands, Woods and Joseffys. And I do not believe in anyway, that Wood can claim the Talking Skull as being his. That device was extremely complex and Wood never made a Talking Skull. So his claim is invalid.

I can't help but wonder if there is a letter or two between Houdini and Montraville Wood describing the situation. The original letter to the editor was in The Conjurers Monthly Magazine after all. BUT alas, I do not have access to such things. IF there is one, it's in someone's collection.

One thing I did do, was a very brief bio on Montraville Wood, the inventor of Houdini's Milk Can escape, among other smaller props. And I found his grave, so you can check that out on http://deadconjurers.blogspot.com/2025/08/the-grave-of-montraville-wood.html

Montraville Wood

A Peek Into the Life of Kreskin

 

Recently, the Amazing Kreskin passed away. This is a man who, in public, always balked when someone referred to him as a magician. He stayed away from the idea of a magic, though that is what he was, a specialized magician, known as a mentalist. Conversely, he also did not like to be known as a psychic.

I'm old enough to have seen Kreskin on TV and in person numerous times. I always found him quite remarkable. There were times I found him quite brazen in his methods knowing full well what he was doing, but his approach was different. And I found him far more entertaining than most mentalist. (Modern mentalists, please don't take offense in that, we have MARVELOUS Mental performers today) In fact, I was led to believe that he stole his act from Dunninger. I few pages from Stewart James first opus had a list of Dunningers routine's and they matched up pretty close to Kreskin's set list.

I had assumed that Kreskin started in the late 60's early 1970s maybe. But he was already a house hold name by the 1970s. He had his own TV show. He definitely took Dunninger's mantel away, which explains the animosity towards Kreskin from the Dunninger family. I don't know what Dunninger himself thought, but I can't imagine it was good.

But if we are honest, we must bring up another name, Robert Nelson. He was a magic shop owner and publisher of many many books and booklets on Mentalism. He also sold mental gadgets and gimmicks. Nelson Enterprises began in 1921 and his first book on mentalism, Sensational Effects, was published in 1928. Kreskin, whose real name was George Joseph Kresge, was not even born yet. So basically, all the information that would have explained Dunninger's act was already published long before Kreskin came around.

And if I might add to this, I have personally seen part of Joe Dunninger's collection of apparatus and I can attest to the fact that he purchased items from Robert Nelson! So I'm not sure it's fair to say Kreskin stole Dunninger's act.  I have seen video of Dunninger and his personality and Kreskin's are very very different. (though I did see a post on Facebook that said Dunninger did the crazy handshake long before Kreskin....that I have NOT verified yet)

What I have learned recently was that Kreskin began around age 19 or 20, in the 1950s to perform his mental act! He certainly took a page from the Dunninger career by appearing on TV and radio, but you can't fault him for that. 

On August 16th Potter Auctions is going to have an auction of items belonging to Kreskin. Looking over the lots it's clear that he had an interest in magic and magic history. I know he used magic props on occasion on TV, but NEVER presented them as magic tricks, he always used the mental angle. 

He was truly amazing in many ways. I'll be bidding on the auction. Later this year I'll reveal the new Kreskin painting which will be for sale.

Velma Queen of Illusion

 

Episode 110 of the Magic Detective Podcast features the lady above, Velma Nahum. What a charming story she has. And what a wonderful career she had. She was a fearless innovator. The only female magician in her area (NYC) at the time. And she made the most of it. She was on To Tell the Truth, What's My Line, The Merv Griffin Show, The Mike Douglas Show, Conan' Obrien, David Letterman and many other talk shows in the United States and in Canada.

I encourage you to listen to the podcast, because you can hear Velma tell many of the stories herself. She had quite a few stories, some of which I couldn't repeat, lol. Not because they were bad, but just, well, might ruffle some feathers. One I did let slip through was her opinion of Kuda Bux, who she thought was full of it. What a faker! lol. Clearly she was not fooled by him in any way shape or form. 

She was doing trade show work in the late 1960s and 70s. And she was very popular. Plus, as she said, she was the only one. I don't want to give away here whole story here. I just wanted you to see some photos of her in action.

She's a good example of adapting to the times. She developed several acts in order to stay busy. And she was in demand during her time. She certainly deserves a place among the pioneering females in magic!

Newest Houdini Bust by Spectral Motion

 

I just love the work that Spectral Motion does. I love their movie work. But especially, love their magic work. They have a collection of very high end busts of various magicians. Kellar, Thurston, Houdini, Houdin, Dante and more. But now they are offering a smaller bust of Houdini, at a price that is a bit more affordable in these tough times.

He is a 6.4 inch resin 3-D printed HOUDINI. He looks exactly like the larger version. It's a young Houdini, ready to burst forth on the show biz scene. You can get them from the Spectral Motions Etsy site. Here is the link...

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1877602279/harry-houdini-mini-bust-by-spectral?ref=shop_home_active_2&logging_key=4c2b96730f6054995b17a34dbe5d960a7cfe5705%3A1877602279

A REAL Houdini Secret Revealed and Going To Auction

 

Magicians want to pride themselves on knowing 'all' of Houdini's secrets. Frankly, that's a delusional approach. Houdini had so many secrets and methods to his various effects, it's impossible to nail them all down. I love however, when a secret comes along that wasn't known or at least wasn't well known. And normally, I would never reveal a secret, but in this case, it is NOT a secret that has anything to do with methods.

This secret involved his upside down straitjacket escape. The device in question, two ankle/leg straps, which were hidden underneath the pant legs which  protected his legs and ankles.  In early photos Houdini might have cloth around his ankles to protect them, but this leather brace device was far more safe and secure.

On first glance, they look to be in great condition. But upon closer inspection you can see the corrosion on all the metal buckle parts. And the leather straps look quite brittle. The ends of the straps look to be dry rotted, so I wouldn't unbuckle them just out of precaution. 

I first saw these in 2011, when I visited Ken Klosterman. I was beyond thrilled to see such a thing. And now, this unique piece of Houdini's life can be yours, because they are listed next Potter and Potter Auction. This is lot #176 and has a starting bid of $1000.  If the Houdini Trunk from the last Potter Auction is any indication, these leather leg braces could go quite high. 

Here is a link to the actual item. https://auctions.potterauctions.com/__HOUDINI___Houdini_s_Leather_Upside_Down_Straitja-LOT94103.aspx

Houdini and The Welsh Brothers Circus

 

I saw this posted on Facebook and took a look. It's from 2002, and is a wonderful article about Houdini and his time with the Welsh Brothers Circus. This comes from BANDWAGON The Journal of the Circus Historical Society.  The article is very well researched. Many wonderful Welsh Brothers Images. Nothing new in regards to Houdini photos. I imagine, somewhere out there are a few Houdini images while working the circus, yet to be discovered.

The article is posted on the Archive pages, so it should be up for a long long time. Check it out for yourself. https://archive.org/details/chs-bandwagon-v-66-n-1-for-website/CHS%20-%20Bandwagon%20v66%20n1%20for%20Website/page/6/mode/2up

The Anniversary of Doug Henning's Birth, Happy 78th!!!

 

Today marks the 78th birthday of illusionist Doug Henning. Born May 3rd, 1947 in Winnipeg Canada. He was an icon in magic. Credited with really giving magic a rebirth in the 1970s, he had a remarkably short career. But during the time he performed, he was simply amazing.

Below is a video of Doug Henning presenting the Origami Box illusion. Historically, Doug was the very first person to present the Origami Box. You'll note a great difference between his presentation as opposed to most others. I don't recall another 'talking' presentation. Most of the presentations are done to music. And probably the greatest rendition following Henning's was the very dramatic David Copperfield version. 

But this version, shows you how charming this effect could be. I saw Doug Henning perform this illusion on stage in person at the Warner Theater in Washington DC. I remember sitting only a few rows from the stage and being completely baffled by this illusion when it first came out. It is of course, the creation of Jim Steinmeyer who would go on to contribute a number of illusions to Doug. Another of my favorites was Walking Through A Mirror.

New Houdini Musical To debut in Italy

 

We've been hearing about this project for a very long time. I think originally it was supposed to star Hugh Jackman or perhaps that was different Houdini musical. Anyway,  time kept ticking by, covid came and went, and only just now do we see this project emerge. It will debut in Italy, it appears to be an Italian production. I just don't know the logistics of what it takes to bring a show to Broadway, so perhaps, these are test runs or trial runs before they take the musical to Broadway or to London's West End. And to be honest, I don't know if they even intend to bring it to Broadway, just speculating.

From a magic historical view point, I don't like the inclusion of modern day illusions. From what I've seen it had Clearly Impossible which was Jonathan Pendragon's version of the Thin Model Sawing, and there was Interlude, which was a Jim Steinmeyer creation. Just not accurate. Great illusions. But Houdini didn't do them.

Houdini's effects stand on their own. Water Torture Cell, Milk Can, Metamorphosis, all of which are in the musical. But also Walking Thru a Brick Wall, Vanishing Elephant (which might be in the musical because it's on the poster!) The NEEDLES one his standards, Card Manipulations Houdini Style, Hello Winter, that John Gaughan has recreated, The Radio Illusion...shall I go on? Come on, if you're going to do Houdini do the REAL HOUDINI!!!! Plus he was mainly an escape artist, Challenge escapes, rope escapes,  handcuffs, straitjackets, so many other devices. 

There appears to be one or two, if not more, lines from the 1953 Houdini movie used in this production. I hope they don't kill off Houdini in the USD, as in the Tony Curtis version. And Houdini walking on stage with a top hat and cane, did make me throw up in my throat a little. But hey, realistically it looks real fun and entertaining. I'm just being uber critical from a magic perspective. From a lay person's perspective it could be wonderful. After all, they ARE the buying public.

Ok, in all honesty, I'm thrilled to see this. If it promotes magic and Houdini in a positive light, I'm all for it. Hey, if they want someone who can  consult with them on Houdini's actual illusions, I know a guy, lol (info@carnegiemagic.com)  But truly, it's wonderful to see this finally about to happen. I hope it's a real success. 

Watch the videos below and catch a glimpse of what is to come!

Carnegie Paintings of Various Magicians Available for Sale in April

 

This month I have two new wonderful paintings for sale, as well as several others that were listed last month. The new one is a very large painting of Alexander Herrmann painted in acrylics on finished edge stretched canvas. The size is 24x30. It was part of a series of paintings of magicians wearing hats. It was painted in 2007, and this is the first time I've ever offered it for sale.

The next is Harry Kellar wearing a hat, also in acrylics on stretched canvas. This is slightly smaller size at 20x24. The next painting of Dante in a Hat, is also 20x24 and is also acrylics on stretched canvas.

The bottom row of caricatures starts with a new reveal, Cesareo or Marco The Magi from Le Grand David Show in Beverly MA.  The second is a Houdini caricature. This is called Houdini Blue, for obvious reasons. There is a much larger version in different color scheme if anyone is interested. Finally, the last is Herrmann As The Devil/Herrmann the Great. All three are the same size at 16x20 on stretched canvas.

If you are interested in any of these, contact me at info@CarnegieMagic.com and please put 'paintings' in the subject heading. Serious inquiries only. These are not prints, these are originals.  

I have more in my collection. I will probably offer one or two new ones next month. In June, I will likely discontinue offering any original artwork.