2721-4215) THE UNMASKING OF ROBERT-HOUDIN and HANDCUFF SECRETs

2733-1453) HOUDINIs PAPER MAGIC by Houdini.

Copyright 1922. Published by E. P. Dutton & Company; New York City.

First Edition. Hardbound with 206pages.

The content pages were so detailed, I have reproduced them below for ease in reading. Just click on the thumbnail photo to bring up the larger photo.

A previous owners name and address is handwritten on the inside of the front cover:

George W. DeMott
P.O. Box 105
Millville, Pa.

Beneath this, at the lower left hand corner, is a small sticker for:

Egyptian Hall Museum
David Price
Nashville, Tennessee

Outside of a small rub on the spine, this book is in Mint Condition.

As a BONUS, I have included a reproduction of the Original DustJacket, which would have been issued with the book. - $250.00

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2661-4780) HOUDINI CHALLENGE from September 21, 1915, St. Paul, Minnesota.

The Challenge reads as follows:

CHALLENGE

O'Donnell Shoe Company

Makers of High Grade Shoes for Men

                                                 St. Paul, Minn., Sept. 21, 1915

MR. HARRY HOUDINI, Orpheum Theatre, City

    Dear Sir:

    We, the undersigned, expert packers and employees of the O'Donnell Shoe Co., hereby challenge you to escape from a packing case that we have especially constructed of heavy timber.

    If you accept the same, we defy you to make your escape without demolishing the box. We shall send the box along for your examination but demand the right to renail each and every board before you enter to prevent any previous preparation upon your part.

    Awaiting your reply, we beg to remain,

                Respectfully yours;

                        O'DONNELL SHOE COMPANY

                            Per John B. Milligan, Supt.

                                Signed for Committee of Packers

                                    ----------------------------------

Houdini Accepts the Above Challenge

Test to take place on the stage of the

Orpheum Theatre, Friday Night, Sept. 24

under the conditions that the box when finished must not be airtight

All this has been Professionally Matted and placed in a Cherry Wood Frame. I’ve also added a striking reproduction Photograph of Houdini being placed into a Strait-Jacket.

The Challenge measures: 7"x10 1/2". The over all measurements are: 20 1/2”x16 1/2”. - $1,500.00

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2660-6664) LIFE, HISTORY and HANDCUFF SECRETs of HOUDINI

Paperbound. 63 numbered pages.

Yellow pictorial covers. Front cover shows photo of shackled Houdini in formal wear. Back cover shows Houdini heavily chained into two tires. Weed Chain Tire Grip Company advertisement.

According to Stephen Forrester's: A Bibliography of Classic Authors In Magic and Related Arts (from 1993), this PitchBook was published in 1908 by Houdini in Leicester, England and printed by Willsons' Printers.

Measures approx. 5 3/4"x8 3/4".

Some of the contents are: The Adventurous Life Of A Versatile Artiste - An Accurate Account of Every Week and Month That Houdini Has Spent Abroad - Official Police News From Germany! Harry Houdini Sues The Cologne Police for Libel and Wins!! - In The Name of the King - Placed in the Cell of Charles Peace - Wizard in Gaol - How He Picked the "Mirror" Handcuffs in One Hour and Ten Minutes - The Handcuff King - Houdini At The Zoo - An Episode in Houdini's Life - Out of Guiteau Cell - Houdini Escapes From City Prison - Houdini and Weed Chain Tire Grip Challenge - Some of the Principal Handcuffs Used By The Police Departments Throughout The World (17 assorted cuffs are shown) - Some Handcuff Secrets Exposed (five restraining devices are shown) - To Produce A Lighted Candle From Your Pocket - How To Escape From The German Transport Chain (shows three photos of Houdini escaping) - Opening Sealed English Handcuffs (shows one photo of Houdini escaping) - The last page has: Some of the Great Feats Accomplished by Houdini -and- an advertisement for Houdini's book "The Unmasking of Robert Houdin".

There are tons of great photos of Houdini, not to mention the wealth of information on Houdini's early career, since he was only 34 when this PitchBook was published. - $650.00

LayAway is available, just email for details.

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Poster measures approx. 12"x18 1/2". Has a nice photo of Houdini sitting sideways on a chair with book in his lap.

Poster is vanilla in color with black and red printing. Price of the book: $1.00

Some of the printing on the poster states:

Poster has been professionally matted and placed in a black wood frame. TruVue glass has been used, which provides for 98% of UV protection.

I've scanned three different sections. Please click the ThumbNail photo, to bring up the larger photo.

The scanned images are brighter than the actual poster itself. The first two photos, below, are truer to the actual color. Some reflection can be seen in the first photo, due to the glass.

Poster has a stain, at the top, which is actually on the backside and has bled through. I could of had this hidden, by the matts, but believe a Houdini poster should be displayed in its entirety.

Poster was folded at the middle, at sometime over its lifetime.

Poster mounted onto Linen for protection.

With most all other Houdini posters bringing $5.000.00 and up, this may be the only under valued one at this time.

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2601-4555) HARDEEN INSCRIBED and SIGNED POSTCARD

With inscription and signature of Hardeen:

Kind Regards
from
Theo Hardeen
Feb 9th 1906

Postmarked Feb. 9th, 1906 from Hastings. - $350.00

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2535-6534) TOWER "DOUBLE LOCK" LEG-IRONs. From the HOUDINI-HARDEEN Collection.

In 1995, I purchased a wonderful Houdini Collection from a gentleman in Florida. In addition to all the items in this Collection, there were several sets of Handcuffs which belonged to Houdini.

What’s offered here is the Tower "Double Lock" Leg-Irons.

The TOWER company came into being some time around 1874, the date of the first Tower patent. Its restraints remained in production, in one form or another, until the 1940s. Some collector's believe that its products were made by the Union Hardware Company, right from the start, but others think that this firm only became involved when it took over the TOWER business at an unknown, but rather later date.

The TOWER cuffs have a lock case, on the inside of the bow, and is distinguished by the position of the keyhole at the bottom of the lock case. This keyhole proved to be awkward, making it difficult to unlock the leg-iron cuffs. These leg-iron cuffs came with an improved Double Locking feature.

The TOWER DOUBLE LOCK cuffs were the standard of the industry for decades.

Below, are assorted photos of the Leg Irons, their display box, a close up of the name plate and the assorted provenance letters.

The Leg Irons are in working order. The photos, below, show the cuffs in the closed and open position.

The key is the Original Key, which came with the Leg Irons.

The Leg Irons come with three letters showing, you, how they are traced back to HOUDINI.

One letter is a xerox, from the gentleman in Florida, telling about the collection and how it came to be in his possession.

The second letter is another xerox (dated 1979) from William Mahan (to the gentleman in Florida), stating the handcuffs, etc. were obtained from Hardeen, who had told Mr. Mahan, the material came from Houdini’s collection.

Mr. Mahan was a CLOSE Personal Friend of the Hardeen family and obtained a lot of Houdini’s material during Hardeen’s later life.

A portion of the letter from Mr. Mahan (dated October 10, 1979) states:

I am sorry that you missed out on the collection of magic I sold to Goulet. But, I am happy that you got the things Ray didn't. The red drape I gave you belonged to Adelaide Hermann; it was given to Lady Ruth, my wife. Also, the ivory (yellow) tipped wand you received was Theo Hardeen's. We were close to Hardeen you know. I'm giving you this wand with with a set of lock picks. I got the picks, and the handcuffs I sold, from Hardeen who told me they came from Houdini's collection. Theo's gifts were the heart of my collection. Pete, if I can be of any assistance regarding any of the posters, magic apparatus, memorabilia, etc., please don't hesitate to ask.

The last letter is from me, stating how the collection came to be in my possession.

The handcuffs have been placed in a Walnut Box, which has a glass lid, so the handcuffs may be viewed. The box measures 12"x18"x3" Deep. The box has a nice varnish and is a bit darker than the photos, below, show. The handcuffs are resting on a pillow of Red Satin (also, a bit darker than the photos show below).

There is a name plate, on top of the glass lid, describing the cuffs. The box has two latches which can either be opened or locked (keys included).

As a little Bonus, I will include a Copy of a Lengthy Newspaper article (Sunday, July 3, 1988, with photo’s) written about the gentleman in Florida by Times Staff Writer Laura Griffin. - $7,500.00

Leg Irons in display box, closed and open.

Display box open

Close up of Leg Irons  in open position, showing both sides.

Leg Irons stamped as being "Tower Double Lock".

Close up of Leg Irons in open position.

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2503-3268) THEATRE MAGAZINE for March 1923. Volume 37, #264.

This is a Large Format magazine (measuring 9 3/4"x12 3/4").

Under the heading of "Special Articles" is one about Houdini: "The Mystery Man of the Stage" by Burr C. Cook.

Article touches on: (a) 1920 Webster’s Dictionary addition with exact listing described. (b) Riveted into a large, hot water boiler in 1907 by the Marine Boiler Works of Toledo, Ohio. (c) The rest of page on Houdini, the book collector. citing examples of: (1) David Garrick’s Original Diary. (2) 1584 edition of Scott’s "The Discouverie of Witchcraft". (3) "Annus Mirabilis" (1666) by Dryden. (4) "Life of Edmund Kean" by Hawkins. (4) "The Memories of the Life of Theophilus Keene" by Richard Savage.

This magazine looks as though it were published yesterday. Outside of a small tear, on the front covers bottom edge, it has good tight covers, clean pages, etc. etc. On a scale of 1-10, it would have to be a 9!! - $75.00

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(After viewing this Houdini Section - Part Two page, please click on any of the buttons above to move to any of the other Pages)

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We, at SASC, are pleased to offer a LayAway plan for those of you who would like this service. Just email for more information.

All photo's are the Copyright of Stephen A. Sparks Collectibles and may not be reproduced in any form or manner without permission of Stephen A. Sparks.