Magic History Contest for April

UPDATE: So I've already got a winner, and there are scores of other entries that are correct. But as you can see below, I said, "I will randomly choose a second person to win a prize as well". The contest remains open for another week, so ENTER! You've got nothing to loose, you might just be the second prize winner.  Also, in case you're wondering, there will be a May contest too.

Last October, during Houdini Month, I had several contests with some pretty cool prizes (if I do say so myself). I once had a contest back in 2012, that was so hard, no one got all the questions right. I was just looking over the list of questions, and even I couldn't get them all today, lol.

But I love this idea of a Contest, so this month, I'm doing an April Magic History Contest. One question. The winner gets an actual piece of magic history. It's a brochure used by a famous magician, but I won't say who, quite yet. Here is the question:

Many magicians have used devils or demons on their advertising. Which Houdini poster featured devils?

Contest Rules:

• Only 1 entry per person
• To enter: Send me an email, with the subject heading 'April Magic History Contest' to info@carnegiemagic.com    
• Please include your full name in the email. 
• You must live in the continental United States
• The 1st email I receive that has the correct answer is the winner! If I get a bunch of emails with correct answers, I will randomly choose a second person to win a prize as well. 
• No purchase necessary. 
• Contest Ends April 30th, 2018

FIRST PRIZE: A Large, 3 Fold Brochure From Virgil & Julie. 
The winner was William V from Havertown PA. He's already received his prize.
 















SECOND PRIZE: A smaller Virgil & Julie Brochure (not pictured)
The winner was drawn from the remaining entries and the prize goes to Kevin A. of Indio California. 
Congrats to both winners. And thanks everyone for playing. Next month, ANOTHER Magic History Contest.

The Nemca/Yankee Gathering Registration is Now OPEN!

The registration is now open for the New England Magic Collectors Association Conference, known as The Yankee Gathering. I attended this event two years ago and had so much fun! This is for the magic history folk, and it's filled with great lectures, lots of exhibits, wonderful people, and even stage shows at night. There is a rumor that yours truly will even be performing this year! If you'd like to register, please go to: http://nemca.com/wp/yg-xvii-registration/

This year's Guest of Honor will be Mike Caveney. For three days, the Yankee Gathering offers a full slate of informative and entertaining presentations from world-class experts in magic history and the collecting of magic apparatus, books, and memorabilia. Space is limited to 200 attendees, so make sure you register early!

Carnegie: Magic Detective: Who Was Houdini's Boyhood Hero?

I'm relisting one of my older articles. Today is the day that President Abraham Lincoln was shot at Ford's Theatre in 1865. I had written a couple pieces about Lincoln and Houdini and Lincoln and magic in general a few years ago. I wanted to offer them up to my readers again in a slightly updated form. I had to correct a piece of info that I had gotten wrong. I hope you enjoy this bit of Lincoln and Houdini history. Please click the link below to view that story...


Carnegie: Magic Detective: 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 y...

About Houdini's Character On His Other Birthday

Today is April 6th, the day that Houdini celebrated his birthday. We know now, that he was actually born on March 24, 1874, but Houdini celebrated a few days later.  I have an article to share with you, that really has nothing to do with his birthday. But rather, it has to do with someone who knew him, describing his character. I've heard and read many stories about his character, often the stories are somewhat disparaging. But those negative comments often come from competitors. This piece below, is from someone who worked with Houdini. It originally appeared in Billboard Magazine, Nov 20th, 1926. Enjoy...

Sure, the article isn't quite politically correct by today's standards. But I'm not one of those that judges people from the past by the standards of today. I tend to think that those who do, will find themselves eventually judged quite harshly by history. What we find here is someone describing a kind, very considerate, and thoughtful Houdini. This is much the same as Dorothy Young described him. With that I'll say Happy Birthday Harry, again!

Happy Birthday Houdini #144

Well our ole friend Houdini turns 144 today. Strangely, he doesn't really look it. Another year older and another year for more revelations into a guy you'd think we would already know everything about. But through the tireless work of sites like: WildaboutHoudini, HoudiniFile, harryhoudinicircumstantialevidence, and of course my site, TheMagicDetective, we keep learning new facts about this iconic showman. I think the most astonishing thing is how new photos of Houdini keep showing up. Of course, they aren't truly new photos, just unseen or previously unknown photos. Then there are the countless books that come out about this great magician. I'm really looking forward to the new book by Joe Posnanski, once it's published. Despite my best efforts to reach Joe, I keep missing him or catching him at the wrong time, lol. I know he reads me blog though, so that's very cool.

Now, as an added bonus to help celebrate Houdini's birthday, I'm including a video clip of an escape I presented earlier this year. This was actually a demo-video shot for a project I'd been working on. I've re-edited it. Looking at it, I probably should have reshot it, because this was 30lbs ago, lol.  I hope you enjoy it! Happy Birthday Houdini!!!