Mystery Houdini Handcuff

I came across this article dated May 7, 1908 in which the photo above appears. I can't exactly recall seeing this particular cuff before. I've scoured the Houdini books and searched through a number of handcuff related sites and I've come up empty.

The handcuffs were a special creation specifically designed to challenge Houdini. They were designed by Captain Edward Bean, the original creator of the Bean Giant Handcuffs. This is the name given in the article, but at least two of the Houdini biographies say the creator of the Bean Giants was Captain Charles Bean. I'm settling with Captain Edward Bean because Handcuffs.org has the name as Captain E. Bean and those guys know their stuff.

According to the newspaper account, "the new cuffs look like an oxen yoke, are a foot long and weight ten pounds, and were designed to succeed the 'giants' as the best made handcuff...There is a separate key for each side, with the locks particularly inaccessible to the persons reach who has them on."  The newspaper refers to them as 'Trick Handcuffs' in the title, but there is no indication that they were actually 'tricked or gaffed' rather they were made to 'trick' Houdini.

Unfortunately for history, this seems to be Houdini's final night of a run in Boston. I can't locate a newspaper account for the following day which describes the nights challenge. Though, we can assume that Houdini freed himself or that surely would have been written up in a lot of newspapers. The next newspaper which carries news on Houdini is three days later and he is in Pennsylvania at that time.

The Bean Giants Handcuffs were once thought to be the toughest handcuff out there. Captain Bean offered an award to anyone who could get out of the handcuffs. Houdini took on the challenge and won, to the amazement of Captain Bean.

Captain Edward Bean invented the Bean Giants (1887), Bean Patrolman Cuffs(1882), Bean Prison Cuffs (1882) and a variant of the Bean design known as the Bean-Cobb was invented by Lyman Cobb in 1899.

The photo to the left shows Houdini with a number of different handcuffs on. The pair closest to his body are Bean-Cobbs, a popular handcuff with Houdini. I can't quite make it out but I think there might be a pair of Bean Patrolman cuffs in that mix as well, or it could just be another pair of Bean-Cobbs.

The famous Houdini handcuff poster below has Houdini wearing all sorts of interesting cuffs. He has on one pair of Bean Giant cuffs and  a pair of the Bean-Cobbs. The Bean Giants are on the right hand column at the top, the Bean-Cobbs are in the center image in the same location as the photo, closest to his body.

If anyone has information on the Mystery Bean Cuff shown at the top of the page, please let me know either in the remarks below or by email carnegiemagic@me.com

UPDATE: The cuffs were being discussed over at handcuffs.org. Bruce Thomson said "Is it just me, or do they seem to look like the cuffs in the poster for the Russian carette, which look like two huge cans of soup under the bow arms. Closest image I can find." They sure resemble the cuffs in that picture except that challenge was 1904, and these unusual Bean cuffs were introduced in 1908. 

Next Steve Santini offered this "Contain a "Scandinavian" padlock type mechanism comprised of rotating discs. In fact, they are actually scaled up padlocks with solid cast lock bodies and connector. Currently, they reside in David Copperfield's collection." And then he added "I think it highly unlikely Bean made these. They were more likely made by one of makers of the Scandinavian padlocks like Star or Climax or even perhaps Romer." 

I'm only going by what the newspaper article says "They were designed and made by Capt Edward Bean, formerly of the Chelsea Police force and a captain in the Civil War. He is 70 years old and has the distinction of inventing the original 'giant handcuffs' of which Houdini says 'The 'giant handcuffs are acknowledged the best made and hardest cuffs to get out of in the world.'"

That being said, it's still very possible that they were made by someone else as Steve suggests and the whole challenge orchestrated by Houdini. It would not be the first time he orchestrated a challenge! 
I greatly appreciate the help and knowledge offered by Steve Santini in locating and giving more information on this very strange looking handcuff.

Houdini Outdoes David Copperfield, What?!

David Copperfield about to make 13 audience members vanish!

David Copperfield is the best known illusionist in the world. He was recently crowned King of Magic, and it's hard to dispute that title. He has been doing an illusion in his show that I think is called '13'. I believe it was created by Alain Choquette and it begins by selecting 13 people at random from the audience. They are brought up on stage where they all sit on chairs that are on a raised platform. A small curtain goes around the raised platform and suddenly they are gone!

I've seen it. It's great, like most of the things David Copperfield does. However, I was totally taken back when I read an article from a newspaper dated Feb 3, 1918. The headline read:

CIVIL ENGINEERS VANISH 

UNDER HOUDINI "SPELL"

At first I thought it was just an article using Houdini's name, but not about him. However, I read the article and what a surprise it was. It turns out that the American Society of Civil Engineers was in NY for a convention. While there, three hundred members of the Society went to see Houdini at the NY Hippodrome in the 'CHEER-UP!' Show. He was creating quite the sensation by making an elephant vanish on stage nightly.

The engineers had made arrangements for the dozen newly elected officers to go up and examine the box. Houdini then asked them while they were up there if they would step inside, along with the elephant. Lo and Behold, Houdini, that master of mystery, caused all 12 officers AND the elephant to disappear! Eighty years later, David Copperfield would be closing his show with the same effect....minus the elephant of course. David's illusion is cool, but Houdini did it first!

Now this blog was called Houdini Outdoes David Copperfield. But I thought it only fair to allow David to return the favor. You see, David now has one of the largest, if not the largest collection of rare historical magic props. Among his collection are Houdini's Subtrunk, WaterTorture Cell, Milk Can Escape and more. So Houdini would feel right at home at Copperfield's very unique Museum/Warehouse.

The Strange Life of a Different HOUDINI

While doing a search through old newspapers today I was surprised to stumble upon this unique Houdini item. This clipping is from the Trenton Evening Times Newspaper in 1895. Appearing that week at the Trenton Museum was J.H. Houdini. My first thought was perhaps it was a typo and they added a 'J' to the name. But then I remembered that there was a J.H. Houdini who was one of the original two Houdini Brothers. This was Jacob Hyman.

Jacob is credited with being the person who actually came up with the name HOUDINI. Young Erich Weiss was telling his friend Jacob all about this great French conjurer Robert-Houdin that he'd been reading about. Jacob told him, that by adding an 'i' to the name it would mean 'like Houdin', thus the invention of the name Houdini. Jacob went on to become the partner in the original Houdini Brothers act in 1891. But for how long is in question, because by May of 1891, Jacob enlisted in the Army and was there until 1893. While away, Joe Hyman took over the role.

In 1893, the original Houdini Brothers, Jacob who was now out of the Army, Harry,  along with Dash, Houdini's actual brother were performing at the Chicago World's Fair. This photo is J.H Houdini and Harry Houdini, (Jacob & Erich) at the Chicago World's Fair standing in front of the Metamorphosis trunk and curtain.

Their partnership lasted until 1894 when Jacob decided to go out on his own. Harry then teamed up again with Joe Hyman, Jacob's brother, and then with Theo (Dash) who was Harry's brother. All of this happened over a six month period because in June of 1894, Harry met Bess Rahner and married her and the Houdini Brothers got dumped in favor of 'The Houdinis'.

J.H.Houdini (Jake Hyman)

We know a lot about Harry Houdini's history, but less about the other 'original brother'. It turns out that Jacob, continued to perform as J.H. Houdini, though at some point switched to J.H. Herne. His brother Joe joined the act and in 1897 they were presenting 'The Startling Theosophical Illusion SUBSTITUTION', which was their name for the Metamorphosis trick.

Jacob appears to have gone back to J.H. Houdini, probably as Harry was gaining fame. At one point he even billed himself as 'The King of Handcuffs'. It's hard to say if Houdini was even aware that his old friend was still using the name at first, but by 1903, Harry was more than aware. He had been been trying to get Jacob to stop using the name HOUDINI, but to no avail.

So Harry sent his brother Leopold, along with their lawyer and a pair of 'king breakers' (handcuffs that cannot be opened) to one of Jacob's shows. Being the 'Handcuff King' J.H. Houdini challenged people to bring their own cuffs. So Leopold went onstage and locked Jacob in the 'king breakers' and he was unable to open them. The embarrassing incident was followed with the threat of continued harassment unless he agreed to drop the name 'HOUDINI'. Sometime later, Jacob Hyman dropped the name. He actually got out of show business altogether and went into medical school at Ohio State University.

Whatever troubles were between Houdini and Jacob must have been forgotten over time. In fact, in 1906, Harry presented a new effect called "The Prison Cell & Barrel Mystery" using the very same barrel that Jacob Hyman used in his act. I'm guessing that Houdini may have purchased the J.H. Houdini show and props to help Jacob pay for Medical School, again, that is only a guess on my part.

After becoming a Doctor in 1911, he relocated to the Los Angeles area and became a prominent Beverly Hills physician. He also married Lyda Wilcox, who had been a Silent Era movie star known as Dorothy Dale. Her movie career ended after making the silent movie version of The Ten Commandments. The movie make-up she wore had damaged her skin and her show-biz career was over.

Church of the Open Door -Los Angeles

At some point later in life, Dr. Jacob Hyman converted from Judaism and became a Protestant Baptist. He also became a minister and would preach at the famous Church of the Open Door. One topic he preached on was 'Is Jesus Israel's Messiah?' which leads me to believe he probably considered himself what is called a Messianic Jew.

Jacob Hyman, the man who came up with the HOUDINI name died in 1942. His wife Lyda, also known as Alida, became a recluse later in life. She died tragically in a fire in her Los Angeles home in 1957.

UPDATE: John Cox has recently visited the grave of Jacob Hyman, and he wrote about his visit along with several other friends to the site. Please check it out at http://www.wildabouthoudini.com/2012/01/uncovering-grave-of-houdinis-first.html

I hope this belongs to Jacob Hyman, otherwise there is yet ANOTHER Houdini out there