Houdini Harry: Signed (22 results)
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Language: English
Published by The Publishers Printing Company, New York, 1908
- Hardcover
- First Edition
- Signed
Seller: Magnum Opus Rare Books, Missoula, MT, U.S.A.Magnum Opus Rare Books
Contact seller5-star sellerCondition: Used - Fine
US$ 12,500.00
US$ 10.00 shippingShips within U.S.A.Quantity: 1 available
Add to basketHardcover. Condition: Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Fine. 1st Edition. First Edition, First Printing SIGNED by Harry Houdini. A beautiful copy. This copy has a full page inscription by the author on the front free endpaper. "to .aboard the N.D.L. Kronprinz Wilhelm, mid-ocean, May 25, 1913. Houdini had suggested, during this voyag…e, that he would like to perform to raise funds for the seaman's charities by jumping overboard while handcuffed, but the captain decided that it was too risky in the shark-infested waters. The book is in great shape. The binding is tight with NO cocking or leaning and the boards are crisp with minor wear to the boards. The pages are clean with NO writing, marks or bookplates in the book. A beautiful copy in collector's condition authentically SIGNED by the author. We buy SIGNED Harry Houdini First Editions. Signed by Author(s).
Published by New York Swann Galleries 2002, 2002
- Softcover
- First Edition
- Signed
Seller: James Pepper Rare Books, Inc., ABAA, Santa Barbara, CA, U.S.A.James Pepper Rare Books, Inc., ABAA
Contact seller5-star sellerFirst Edition. An illustrated auction catalogue for the sale of the impressive collection of Houdini material from Manny Weltman, a self-described Ômagic nutÕ, smitten at an early age by the mysterious world of magic and Harry Houdini in particular. Mr. Weltman published several books on Houdini: Houdini: A Definitive Bibliograp…hy (1991) and Houdini - Escape Into Legend - The Early Years (1993), which was intended to be the first in a series of volumes. Included in this catalogue are books by and about Harry Houdini (many signed and inscribed), manuscripts, a personal diary, magazines and newspapers, curiosities, letters, performance programs, photographs, film, ephemera, posters, etc. Illustrated throughout. With the prices realized sheet laid in, individually listing the prices for which each item sold. Essential reference for any Houdini collector. Paperbound. Fine in wrappers.
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- Hardcover
- Signed
Seller: Daniel Montemarano, Newfield, NJ, U.S.A.Daniel Montemarano
Contact seller5-star sellerCondition: Used - Fine
US$ 75.00
US$ 6.95 shippingShips within U.S.A.Quantity: 1 available
Add to basketNo Binding. Condition: Fine. Fine 4"x6" color image (on 8"x11" glossy sheet) of 1909 Harry Houdini poster for September appearance at Lyceum Theatre in Paterson NJ. SIGNED and inscribed by Ms. Young below photo: "To Dan, Sincerely yours, Dorothy Young - Houdini Radio Girl!". Dorothy Young (1907-2011) was last surviving assistant… to Harry Houdini. Toured with famed magician in 1925-26 as young girl. Scarce signature. Nice item for the Houdini fan or collector. SIGNED.
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- Hardcover
- Signed
Seller: Daniel Montemarano, Newfield, NJ, U.S.A.Daniel Montemarano
Contact seller5-star sellerCondition: Used - Near fine
US$ 75.00
US$ 6.95 shippingShips within U.S.A.Quantity: 1 available
Add to basketNo Binding. Condition: Near Fine. 9"x6" handwritten thank you letter, dated Jan. 14, 2006 - SIGNED Dorothy Young. Dorothy Young (1907-2011) was last surviving assistant to Harry Houdini. Toured with famed magician in 1925-26 as young girl. Scarce signature. Nice item for the Houdini fan or collector. SIGNED LETTER.
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Published by New York Harper & Brothers 1924, 1924
- Hardcover
- First Edition
- Signed
Seller: Buddenbrooks, Inc., Newburyport, MA, U.S.A.Buddenbrooks, Inc.
Contact seller5-star sellerFirst Edition, First Printing, INSCRIBED BY HOUDINI to friend, copyright lawyer, and noted poet Melville Henry Cane, the inscription is signed and dated 04/22/24. The date is noteworthy as the book was printed in March and not released until May 2nd, thus this copy was given to Cane prior to it being readily available to the gen…eral public. Assuming Houdini would have had a fairly limited number of advance copies, we can assess Cane's importance to him. With twenty-five illustrations from black and white photographs on 19 glossy plates. Royal 8vo, in the publisher's original navy blue cloth, the upper cover lettered in gilt within a gilt double-ruled frame, the spine gilt lettered. xix, [1], 294 pp. A very nice and well preserved copy of a book rarely found in good condition, the binding solid and sound with just light rubbing or edgewear and a little mellowing to the cloth, the spine lettering faded, the text clean and sound with the paper just lightly aged. FIRST EDITION AND AN INSCRIBED COPY WITH A HIGHLY IMPORTANT ASSOCIATION. Melville Cane was a noted poet and lawyer; more importantly he was Houdini's friend and copyright lawyer; and was copyright counsel to other notable writers as well, including Sinclair Lewis, Upton Sinclair, Ayn Rand, William Saroyan, Jean Toomer, and Thomas Wolfe. Cane and Houdini's association however was more than just that of lawyer and client, they were also friends. In the inscription Houdini refers to Cane as "the Twins Author", a reference to Cane's identical twin daughters. After Houdini's unexpected death in 1926, Cane wrote a poem titled "Houdini." It is one of the more interesting literary responses to Houdini because Cane knew the magician personally. It appeared in Cane's collection 'Behind Dark Spaces', published in 1930. The poet always considered this to be best work. Cane was also awarded the Frost Medal by the Poetry Society of America in 1971 for lifetime achievement. Unlike many later poems that treat Houdini as a symbol of liberation or transcendence, Cane's poem is more concerned with the paradox of Houdini himself: a man who could escape almost any physical confinement yet remained deeply bound by his obsessions, particularly his campaign against fraudulent spiritualists and his inability to escape mortality. The poem is characteristic of Cane's stylerestrained, thoughtful, and psychologically observant rather than flashy or celebratory. A MAGICIAN AMONG THE SPIRITS was considered by Houdini to be the most important book he wrote. It was his final major book and the culmination of more than thirty years spent investigating mediums, séances, spirit photography, slate-writing, table-rapping, and other claims of communication with the dead. The book is a passionate and meticulously researched attack on fraudulent spiritualism at a time when belief in mediums was widespread on both sides of the Atlantic. Houdini attended hundreds of séances, often in disguise, and became convinced that every medium he encountered relied on trickery rather than genuine supernatural powers. Part history, part exposé, and part detective story, Houdini presents himself less as an entertainer than as an investigator. One of the most fascinating aspects of the book is its connection to Arthur Conan Doyle. Doyle was an ardent spiritualist who believed mediums were genuine. Houdini and Doyle were initially friends and admired one another, but their views on spiritualism increasingly diverged. The publication of A Magician Among the Spirits effectively marked the end of their friendship. Theirs was of one of the most famous intellectual disputes of the era. Today the book is regarded as one of the foundational works of modern skeptical investigation. Many later debunkersincluding James Randi and the team of Penn Jillette and Tellerfollowed a path that Houdini helped establish.
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Published by Harper & Brothers, New York, 1924
- Hardcover
- First Edition
- Signed
Seller: Raptis Rare Books, Palm Beach, FL, U.S.A.Raptis Rare Books
Contact seller5-star sellerFirst edition of this classic work. Octavo, original cloth with gilt titles to the spine and front panel, top stain yellow, frontispiece of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Houdini, illustrated. Lengthily signed by the author on the front free endpaper, "Best wishes Houdini and alls well 3/11/25 Cleveland O." On 9 March 1925, illusion…ist and escape artist HarryÂHoudiniÂbegan a two-week engagement at Cleveland's Palace Theatre, with the first devoted to his escape act and the second to debunking spiritualists. The last ofÂHoudini's books to be published in his lifetime, A Magician Among the Spirits, was the culmination of over thirty years of studying and debunking occult phenomena, in particular spiritualists, whomÂHoudiniÂconsidered to be little more than con artists. On 10 March,ÂHoudini, County Prosecutor Edward C. Stanton, and a representative from the Cleveland Press went undercover at a seance conducted by spiritualist George Renner, whose gatherings included floating trumpets supposedly controlled by spirits. As the lights went down,ÂHoudiniÂsmeared the trumpets with lamp soot, then, as the trumpets began to rise, suddenly turned on a flashlight, revealing Renner's face and hands covered in soot and proving that it was he who was controlling the "floating" trumpets. Renner was arrested, andÂHoudiniÂleft just in time to make that evening's performance at the Palace Theatre. The present volume was signed the following day, likely by aÂHoudini still very pleased with himself over the previous evening's expose. In near fine condition. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box. Harry Houdini whose real name was Erik Weisz, was one of the most famous magicians and escapologists of all time. He was highly skeptical of the many claims made concerning psychic and paranormal phenomena, which were very popular in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He attended hundreds of sà ances for the purposes of his study, and never experienced one he believed genuine. In this book, published in 1924, he described the mediums and psychics whom he revealed as fraudulent, exposing the tricks which had convinced many notable scientists and academics. These included spirit writing, table rapping, spirit manifestations, and levitation. Among those he revealed as frauds was the famous medium Mina Crandon, and his exposures led to a public split with his former friend Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, a firm believer. The book is a fascinating account of superstition and gullibility.
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Houdini and Conan Doyle.
Ernst, Bernard M.L.; Hereward Carrington [Harry Houdini; Sir Arthur Conan Doyle; Oscar Teale]
Published by Albert and Charles Boni, Inc, New York, 1932
- Hardcover
- First Edition
- Signed
Seller: Raptis Rare Books, Palm Beach, FL, U.S.A.Raptis Rare Books
Contact seller5-star sellerFirst edition of this historical account on the friendship between writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and magician Harry Houdini. Octavo, original publisher's orange cloth, top stain green, frontispiece of Conan Doyle and Houdini. Association copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, "To Oscar S. Teale With every good… wish from Bernard M.L. Ernst November 17, 1933." The recipient, Oscar Teale (1901â"1986), was an American magician, lecturer, and historian of magic whose work bridged performance, scholarship, and the preservation of conjuring as a serious cultural practice. He served as the private secretary to Harry Houdini during the final years of Houdiniâs life, a position that granted him direct access to the magicianâs professional correspondence, research, and anti-spiritualist investigations, and later informed Tealeâs influential role in preserving and interpreting Houdiniâs legacy. In very good condition with light rubbing and spotting to the spine and extremities. Accompanied by an original flyer for the book laid in. An exceptional association, rare and desirable signed. Bernard M. L. Ernst (1897â"1971) was an American writer and historian of magic best known for his rigorous documentation of stage magic, escapology, and anti-spiritualist performance in the early twentieth century. After taking a sustained interest in magic, he became Harry Houdiniâs personal attorney and later the legal representative of Houdiniâs estate, overseeing the magicianâs correspondence and private papers while also collecting magic memorabilia. He lectured on Houdini and magic at Columbia University and, in 1926, succeeded Houdini as President of the Society of American Magicians. 'Houdini and Conan Doyle' offers a concise historical account of the complex friendship and eventual estrangement between the magician Harry Houdini and the writer Arthur Conan Doyle. Drawing on correspondence, public statements, and contemporaneous accounts, Ernst traces how their relationshipâ"initially grounded in mutual admirationâ"became increasingly strained due to irreconcilable views on spiritualism. While Conan Doyle emerged as a committed believer in psychic phenomena, Houdini devoted considerable effort to exposing fraudulent mediums, a stance that directly challenged Doyleâs convictions.
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Published by The Publisher Printing Co. NY., 1908
- Hardcover
- Signed
Seller: Riverby Books, Fredericksburg, VA, U.S.A.Riverby Books
Contact seller5-star sellerCondition: Used - Very good
US$ 3,500.00
US$ 6.95 shippingShips within U.S.A.Quantity: 1 available
Add to basketHardcover. Condition: Very Good. Hardcover. Bound in brown cloth with black and white decoration and lettering on the cover. Faded white lettering on the spine. Corners lightly bumped and crown of spine a bit curled, but overall quite good condition. Binding and text block both in good tight condition. Front free endpaper is sig…ned Harry Houdini, and underlined. Houdini's signature is frustratingly variable -- The facsimile printed in this very volume has H's without any curls at all -- but examples on most of the authentication sites show pronounced loops and cramped overlaps. The version in this book is in blue ink, fluidly done and with H's very much in keeping with his most commonly seen autographs on letters and photographs. Title page dated 1908. Copyright page dated 1906, 1907 and 1908. Frontispiece portrait of Houdini, with reproduction of his signature beneath. Tissue guard complete, with a couple faint spots of foxing. 319 pages. Illustrated throughout. Inside back cover has a rough spot about 2.5 inches across where a sticker was removed (or something like that). Two similar spots on the rear endpaper, and a third on the back side of the final page of text. Houdini was at the height of his international fame when he published this book. It went through several editions and (whether it was accurate or not) increased his popularity and attracted more attention to his traveling show. Please email with questions or to request additional photos. Signed by Author(s).
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Published by Harper and Brothers, New York, 1924
- Hardcover
- First Edition
- Signed
Seller: Second Story Books, ABAA, Rockville, MD, U.S.A.Second Story Books, ABAA
Contact seller4-star sellerHardcover. First Edition, First Printing. Octavo, xxi, 294 pages. In Very Good minus condition. Bound in blue cloth with gilt lettering and decoration to spine and front board. Mild shelf wear to boards, including sun fading to spine (lettering remains legible); bumping to head, tail, and corners; scuffing to boards; boards some…what shaken, no shelf lean, binding sturdy; age-toning to text block, stain to top; mild age toning to interior pages, text remains clear and legible; contains several black-and-white photographs and illustrations. Signed flat by Houdini on the dedication page. Inscribed on the front free endpaper by Houdini to Police Commissioner Richard Enright. JD consignment. Shelved Case 3. Richard E. Enright, police commissioner of New York from 1918 to 1925, and Erik Weisz, more commonly known by his stage name Harry Houdini, were both friends and professional collaborators. The pair maintained a good relationship until Houdini's death in 1926, making the inscription in this book a personal glance into a historically noteworthy relationship. Enright was the first person to assume command of the NYPD through climbing the ranks on merit and was the longest serving commissioner at the time. While his policies attracted criticism during prohibition, during his eight year term he instituted many reforms that benefited the working conditions of police officers and improved the overall efficiency of the police force. Enright was responsible for the execution of all laws and regulations of the NYPD starting before prohibition and through the early 1920s. He was charged with preserving the public peace, preventing crimes, arresting offenders, suppressing riots, and suppressing houses of "ill fame," vice and gambling. Enright specifically targeted illegal gambling establishments formery run by the U.S. Congressman and underworld figure "Honest" John Kelly. Enright's continued harassment of Kelly's posthumous operations eventually forced them to sell the infamous Vendome Club building to a Republican political organization. While collaborating with the police in perfecting and performing many of his most famous acts, especially those involving handcuffs, Houdini kept company with lawmen and stayed in touch with their affairs outside of his escape acts. He frequently lectured at police academies and departments, including the NYPD, as part of his (rather ironic) lifelong commitment to serving the common good through education against escape and deception. By the end of his career, Houdini had an NYPD pass that authorized him to cross "all police lines" (Silverman, pg 44). In a letter written to psychic researcher Harry Price on July 4, 1925, Houdini affirms his police connection stating, "You know I am instructor here to the Police Academy to about hundred and fifty detectives." (The Harry Price Library, at The University of London) In an interview for the November 1925 issue of Popular Science Magazine, Houdini said "[In the summer of 1924,] Police Commissioner Enright, of New York, asked me to lecture at the New York Police Academy, to explain to the members of the police force just how to go about detecting fraudulent mediums. The best and most direct way that occurred to me of doing this was by staging a séance, performing myself the tricks that the mediums use." "It has been my good fortune," Houdini wrote later, "to meet personally and converse with the chiefs of police and the most famous detectives in all the great cities of the world." (Silverman, pg 43) Houdini bought tickets for the Policeman's Ball, kept a folder labeled "Police Cuttings," and owned a Directory of Police and Prisons, which named the chief of police in every sizable town in the country, and the wardens of state and federal prisons. In 1924, As President of the Society of American Magicians, he arranged a benefit dinner in New York for the families of fallen policemen, further cementing his positive reputation with the NYPD. Richard Enright, who was Commissioner of Police at the time, atte.
Published by New York Publishers Printing Co. 1908, 1908
- Hardcover
- First Edition
- Signed
Seller: James Pepper Rare Books, Inc., ABAA, Santa Barbara, CA, U.S.A.James Pepper Rare Books, Inc., ABAA
Contact seller5-star sellerFirst Edition. Signed presentation copy signed and inscribed by the author Harry Houdini on front free endpaper. Inscribed: ÒTo my very old young friend, S. Howard Swobe, with best wishes and regards of the author of this the First authentic History of magic and magicians ever published. Harry Houdini, Dec 16 - 1916 Be sure and…(at least) read the introduction. HHÓ. Illustrated. Near fine copy with a little handling. HoudiniÕs study of magic. Enclosed in a custom red leather and cloth clamshell box.
Published by The Publishers Printing Co, New York, 1908
- Hardcover
- First Edition
- Signed
Seller: Mystery Pier Books, Inc.,ABAA, ILAB, ABA, West Hollywood, CA, U.S.A.Mystery Pier Books, Inc.,ABAA, ILAB, ABA
Contact seller1-star sellerCondition: Used - Fine
US$ 8,500.00
US$ 8.50 shippingShips within U.S.A.Quantity: 1 available
Add to basketHardback. Condition: Fine. First Edition. First Edition of the author's landmark title inscribed by Houdini as follows. "To / F.L.C. Wehrenberg Jr / with compliments / of the author / Harry Houdini / 4/27/16 / Baltimore MD. Book comes with a variety of fascinating newspaper articles.
Published by The Publishers Printing Company, New York, 1908
- Hardcover
- First Edition
- Signed
Seller: John R. Sanderson, Bookseller, Stockbridge, MA, U.S.A.John R. Sanderson, Bookseller
Contact seller5-star sellerAssociation member: SNEAB
Original Cloth. Condition: Near Very Good. No Jacket. 1st Edition. Full page inscription, with signature. Slight wear to head and tail of spine cloth. Inscribed by Author(s).
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Published by Boosey, London, 1825
- Hardcover
- Signed
Seller: Argosy Book Store, ABAA, ILAB, New York, NY, U.S.A.Argosy Book Store, ABAA, ILAB
Contact seller5-star sellerCondition: Used - Very good
US$ 3,000.00
US$ 6.00 shippingShips within U.S.A.Quantity: 1 available
Add to baskethardcover. Condition: very good(+). Second. From the German by D. Boileau. Colored frontispiece & 22 folding b/w plates. Square 16mo, original salmon boards with circular paper title label. London: Boosey & Sons, 1825. Second Edition, greatly enlarged. Harry Houdini's copy, with his penciled ownership signature on the end-paper,… and the notation "Bot Leeds England 1913". The initials "H H" are written on the fore-edge. A rare and unusual item.
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Published by The Brown-Green Co. January 23, 1922, New York, 1922
- Hardcover
- Signed
Seller: Raptis Rare Books, Palm Beach, FL, U.S.A.Raptis Rare Books
Contact seller5-star sellerRare stock certificate signed by the worldâs greatest escape artist, master illusionist Harry Houdini. One page, partially printed in brown and black ink with an embossed seal, the document is dated January 23, 1922 and certifies that W.E. Jefferson hereby owns twenty shares of the Capital Stock of Houdini Picture Corporation. S…igned by Harry Houdini as President of the Corporation and countersigned by Harry H. Poppa as Assistant Treasurer. In near fine condition. With a Houdini Picture Corporation Voting Trust Certificate awarding 30 shares of common capital stock of Houdini Picture Corporation to Abel Shearer. In 1918, Houdini signed his first contract with film producer B. A. Rolfe to star in a 15-part serial, The Master Mystery (released in November 1918), and after Rolfe went our of business, he was signed by Famous Players-Lasky Corporation/Paramount Pictures, for whom he made two pictures, The Grim Game (1919) and Terror Island (1920). Following this successful Hollywood two-picture stint, Houdini returned to New York and founded his own film production company, Houdini Picture Corporation, in 1921 with a capitalization of $500,000. He produced and starred in two films: The Man from Beyond (1921) and Haldane of the Secret Service (1923). He also founded his own film laboratory business called The Film Development Corporation (FDC), gambling on a new process for developing motion picture film. Houdini's brother, Theodore Hardeen, left his own career as a magician and escape artist to run the company and Magician Harry Kellar was a major investor. Neither Houdini's acting career nor FDC found success, and he gave up on the movie business in 1923, complaining that "the profits are too meager".Â.
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Published by The Brown-Green Co July 18, 1921, New York, 1921
- Softcover
- First Edition
- Signed
Seller: Raptis Rare Books, Palm Beach, FL, U.S.A.Raptis Rare Books
Contact seller5-star sellerRare stock certificate signed by the worldâs greatest escape artist, master illusionist Harry Houdini. One page, partially printed in brown and black ink with an embossed seal, the document is dated July 18, 1921 and certifies that George Popp hereby owns fifteen shares of the Capital Stock of Houdini Picture Corporation. Signed… by Harry Houdini as President of the Corporation and countersigned by R.G. Risley as Treasurer. In near fine condition. With a rare Famous-Players-Lasky Promotional brochure for The Grim Game, Houdini's first full-length movie which is widely regarded as his best. In 1918, Houdini signed his first contract with film producer B. A. Rolfe to star in a 15-part serial, The Master Mystery (released in November 1918), and after Rolfe went our of business, he was signed by Famous Players-Lasky Corporation/Paramount Pictures, for whom he made two pictures, The Grim Game (1919) and Terror Island (1920). Following this successful Hollywood two-picture stint, Houdini returned to New York and founded his own film production company, Houdini Picture Corporation, in 1921 with a capitalization of $500,000. He produced and starred in two films: The Man from Beyond (1921) and Haldane of the Secret Service (1923). He also founded his own film laboratory business called The Film Development Corporation (FDC), gambling on a new process for developing motion picture film. Houdini's brother, Theodore Hardeen, left his own career as a magician and escape artist to run the company and Magician Harry Kellar was a major investor. Neither Houdini's acting career nor FDC found success, and he gave up on the movie business in 1923, complaining that "the profits are too meager".Â.
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Published by The Publishers Printing Co, New York, 1908
- Hardcover
- First Edition
- Signed
Seller: Raptis Rare Books, Palm Beach, FL, U.S.A.Raptis Rare Books
Contact seller5-star sellerFirst edition of this work by Houdini regarding his one-time idol. Octavo, original cloth, frontispiece of Houdini, illustrated throughout. Boldly signed by Harry Houdini on the front free endpaper. Bookplate to the front pastedown, in near fine condition. Rare and desirable signed. âHarry Houdini was a unique figure in the hist…ory of entertainment⦠a hero of legend and folklore.â Following the death of his mother in 1913, Houdini began to investigate spiritualism and âsoon became an all-out crusader against it. Early in 1924 he began lecturing throughout the United States on fraudulent mediums. In city after city he attended sà ances in disguise, exposing frauds on the spot and sometimes securing their arrest, aided by his personal squad of detectives. The raids brought him huge publicity as well as a million dollars in lawsuits.â At his death in 1927, âhe was buried in a brass replica of the iron casket, his head pillowed on a bundle of his motherâs letters to himâ (ANB). The legendary magician and illusionist Harry Houdini turns a critical eye to the astonishing claims of those in his own profession in his work Miracle Mongers and Their Methods. Using personal research and observations, Houdini reveals the cunning techniques employed by fire-eaters, sword swallowers, and other masters of deception to mystify and amaze audiences around the world.
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Published by The Publisher's Printing Co, New York, 1908
- Hardcover
- First Edition
- Signed
Seller: Brainerd Phillipson Rare Books, Holliston, MA, U.S.A.Brainerd Phillipson Rare Books
Contact seller5-star sellerAssociation member: SNEAB
Condition: Used - Very good
US$ 4,500.00
US$ 15.00 shippingShips within U.S.A.Quantity: 1 available
Add to basketCondition: Very Good. Handsomely bound in beige cloth with a statue of magician Robert-Houdin having a mask removed from his face. Lettered in bright white type on the front boards and on the spine. With bumping to the bottom right hand corner of the front boards and the bottom of the spine. Touch of soiling to the front boards.… Very clean and tight throughout. Printed on heavy stock with crisp lettering and numerous illustrations in fine register. With 6 pages of illustrations and the index bound in at the end of the book. A wonderful volume, and even more so as this copy is inscribed in ink by Harry Houdini: "With compliments of the author to *William A. Ransom. Best wishes and regards from Harry Houdini. / August21 1917. New Your City." *William A. Ransom (1860-1941), an Executive Secretary to railroad businessmen and later became head of a big department for one of the railways, was president of The Society of American Magicians in 1909.[1] Known as "Bill" to his friends, Ransom began his interest in magic when, as a small boy, he saw a performance by Signor Blitz. He never gave professional performances but did helped many professional magicians improve their apparatus mechanically. Ransom died at his home in New Jersey. (Magicpedia) Jean-Eugà ne Robert-Houdin (1805 1871) was a French watchmaker, magician and illusionist, widely recognized as the father of the modern style of conjuring.[1] He transformed magic from a pastime for the lower classes, seen at fairs, to an entertainment for the wealthy, which he offered in a theatre opened in Paris, a legacy preserved by the tradition of modern magicians performing in tails.In the mid-1820s, he saved up to buy a copy of a two-volume set of books on clockmaking called Traità de l'horlogerie ("Treatise on Clockmaking"), written by Ferdinand Berthoud.[3] He would go on to pursue the craft of clockmaking for the rest of his life, and is widely credited with inventing the mystery clock.When he got home and opened the wrapping, instead of the Berthoud books, what appeared before his eyes was a two-volume set on magic called Scientific Amusements. Instead of returning the books, his curiosity got the better of him. From those crude volumes, he learned the rudiments of magic. He practiced at all hours of the day.[3]From that point on, he became very interested in the art. He was upset that the books he got only revealed how the secrets were done but did not show how to do them.[2] He found that learning from the books available in those days was very difficult due to the lack of detailed explanations,[3] but the books piqued his interest in the art. So Robert-Houdin began taking lessons from a local amateur magician.[3] He paid ten francs for a series of lessons from a man named Maous from Blois who was a podiatrist but also entertained at fairs and parties doing magic. He was proficient at sleight of hand, and taught Robert-Houdin how to juggle to improve his hand-eye coordination.[2][3] He also taught him rudiments of the cups and balls. He told young Robert-Houdin that digital dexterity came with repetition, and as a direct result, Robert-Houdin practiced incessantly.[2]Magic was his pastime, and meanwhile, his studies in horology continued. When he felt he was ready, he moved to Tours and set up a watchmaking business, doing conjuring on the side.[3]Much of what we know about Robert-Houdin comes from his memoirs and his writings were meant more to entertain than to chronicle, rendering it difficult to separate fact from fiction. Robert-Houdin would have readers believe that a major turning point in his life came when he became apprenticed to the magician Edmund De Grisi, Count's son and better known as Torrini. What is known is that his early performing came from joining an amateur acting troupe. (Wikipedia) First Edition. With matching dates of 1908 on the right and copyright pages; and no subsequent printings listed. Hardcover in decorated, pictorial cloth First Edition.With matching dates of 1908 on.
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- Hardcover
- First Edition
- Signed
Seller: Raptis Rare Books, Palm Beach, FL, U.S.A.Raptis Rare Books
Contact seller5-star sellerRare collection of items from the magician Oscar Teale, the private secretary to famous magician Harry Houdini. Including a typed contract copy signed by Teale regarding him agreeing to compile and edit Houdini's book A Magician Among the Spirits. An autograph note at the top of the contract states that Houdini never signed the…contract that he prepared. One page, typed copy, dated May Eighth, 1922. Boldly signed by Oscar Teale at the bottom. In very good condition with toning and paperclip impressions. Oscar Teale's personal notebook with notes on performances, magic tricks, and musings. Duodecimo, six ring leather binder, with handwritten notes on blue lined paper in pencil and pen. Accompanied by four tricks in envelopes with printed instructions on the front panels and typed instructions for two more tricks. All in very good to good condition with toning, chipping, a few small closed tears. A typed letter from editor William H. Briggs of Harper & Brothers to Harry Houdini discussing the title of his upcoming book on spiritualism. One page, typed on Harper & Brothers Publishers letterhead, and dated November 17, 1923. The letter entreats Houdini to title his book A Magician Among the Spirits rather than use the original title of Spiritualism Exposed, which may have had negative connotations and offended spiritualistic believers, who they hoped to have buy his book. Instead, Mr. Briggs proposes to Houdini that the title A Magician Among the SpiritsÂboth capitalizes on Houdini's reputation as a magician and would be most advantageous for the sales of his book. Boldly signed by Briggs at the bottom of the letter. In good condition with mail folds, creasing, toning, and a small closed tear to the top left corner. Oscar Teale was a magician, lecturer, and historian of magic whose work bridged performance, scholarship, and the preservation of conjuring as a serious cultural practice. He served as the private secretary to Harry Houdini during the final years of Houdiniâs life, a position that granted him direct access to the magicianâs professional correspondence, research, and anti-spiritualist investigations, and later informed Tealeâs influential role in preserving and interpreting Houdiniâs legacy.
Published by St. Louis, MO `, 1923
- Signed
Seller: John K King Used & Rare Books, Detroit, MI, U.S.A.John K King Used & Rare Books
Contact seller5-star sellerTwo printed photos and a printed explanation at top of one sheet, oblong 6 x 8.5", toned, folds, minor wear and soiling, but WRITTEN AND SIGNED BY HOUDINI. Houdini writes: "Dear Dr. Prince [?]. Hope alls well. I can "visualize" the test of the 24 year old boy after I left tour. All[?] but it was effectful. Regards and complement…s of the season. Sincerely yours Houdini. I had a good thought re the Séance at which I attended. You want to be careful re cabinet! I'll tell you what I mean in person." At top of the page, Houdini writes "Week 23 Orpheum St Louis MO / Dec 30 Orpheum K. City Mo." The "cabinet" and "séance" refer to Mina Crandon, who almost won a $2500 prize offered by Scientific American to prove telekinesis.until Houdini attended her séances in July and August 1924 (at which time Mina was locked in a wooden cabinet to keep her from ringing a bell). "Dr. Prince" was Walter Franklin Prince, a friend of Houdini, who was out to expose fake mediums (though, he himself believed some were genuine). The experience was related in the book HOUDINI EXPOSES THE TRICKS USED BY THE BOSTON MEDIUM "MARGERY" (Adams Press: NY nd), a copy of which is included here (worn, folded, torn, soiled), which includes both photos and illustrations of "the cabinet" and "Margery" (Mina). `.
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Published by St. Louis, MO ` 1923 `, 1923
- Signed
Seller: John K King Used & Rare Books, Detroit, MI, U.S.A.John K King Used & Rare Books
Contact seller5-star sellerTwo printed photos and a printed explanation at top of one sheet, oblong 6 x 8.5", toned, folds, minor wear and soiling, but WRITTEN AND SIGNED BY HOUDINI. Houdini writes: "Dear Dr. Prince [?]. Hope alls well. I can "visualize" the test of the 24 year old boy after I left tour. All[?] but it was effectful. Regards and complement…s of the season. Sincerely yours Houdini. I had a good thought re the Séance at which I attended. You want to be careful re cabinet! I'll tell you what I mean in person." At top of the page, Houdini writes "Week 23 Orpheum St Louis MO / Dec 30 Orpheum K. City Mo." The "cabinet" and "séance" refer to Mina Crandon, who almost won a $2500 prize offered by Scientific American to prove telekinesis.until Houdini attended her séances in July and August 1924 (at which time Mina was locked in a wooden cabinet to keep her from ringing a bell). "Dr. Prince" was Walter Franklin Prince, a friend of Houdini, who was out to expose fake mediums (though, he himself believed some were genuine). The experience was related in the book HOUDINI EXPOSES THE TRICKS USED BY THE BOSTON MEDIUM "MARGERY" (Adams Press: NY nd), a copy of which is included here (worn, folded, torn, soiled), which includes both photos and illustrations of "the cabinet" and "Margery" (Mina). `.
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- Signed
- Manuscript / Paper Collectible
Seller: Markus Brandes Autographs GmbH, Kesswil, TG, SwitzerlandMarkus Brandes Autographs GmbH
Contact seller4-star sellerAssociation member: PADA
Condition: Used
US$ 4,022.38
US$ 34.11 shippingShips from Switzerland to U.S.A.Quantity: 1 available
Add to basketTyped letter signed & autograph note, one page - with an affixed clipping (autograph note) to the lower edge, `Houdini` stationery, 8 x 10,5 inch, Portsmouth, 20.04.1920, to English poet Miss May Herschel-Clarke (1894-1955) - concerning a small book and an upcoming performance at the Hippodrome Theatre in Portsmouth, signed in d…ark ink "Houdini" - with an added autograph note "Miss Elisabeth [illegible] will be very pleased to see Miss Clarke on Saturday - at the Criterion at 5 o`clock", attractively mounted (removable) for fine display with a promotion picture Harry Houdini as magician (altogether 16,5 x 12,5 inch), with intersecting letter folds and, and mild signs of wear to the edges - in fine condition."Dear Miss Clarke, Please let me have Editors name of Picture Show, want to get permission to reproduce your article in a small book that I am giving away to the audience, and it `reads` just the way I like to read things myself. Or perhaps you can get permission for me, though I don`t mind writing for same. This shows you what I think of your interview. Best wishesand regards - sincerely yoursRemember me to your good mother.This week, Hippodrome Portsmouth Week April 26th. Hippodrome Newcastle on Tyne".
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- Signed
Seller: Schulson Autographs, Ltd., Millburn, NJ, U.S.A.Schulson Autographs, Ltd.
Contact seller5-star sellerHoudini is known as one of the greatest escapologists and stunt performers, as well as a skeptic and investigator of spiritualists. He was also a film producer and actor. The illusion of mind reading intrigued Houdini. Both he and Zancig had little to do with each other though both belonged to the Society of American Magicians.…Houdini doubted mentalist Julius Zancig's ability to self proclaimed ability. In this three piece correspondence Zancig reveals his trick. This correspondence began with Zancig's Aug. 8 TLS to Houdini on "How to Thought Picture. here is the secret Harry nd (sic) no one lese (sic) has it but you up to this time.you promise not to Devulge (sic) it to any one here." Houdini replied first with a three page holograph letter including bold capital letters detailing what he did not understand about Zancig's trick. The letter is not in is hand but is most likely a draft of the typed letter he sent to Zancig. The typed letter included in this group varies from the hand written letter and is very likely a copy of the typed letter Houdini did send. This copy contains a hexagram drawing in ink appearing to be in Houdini's hand. He never believed the mind reading illusion had anything to do with a special mental ability. From the Aug. 17 holograph letter "I have gone over the Thought Picture sheet very carefully but must confess that it is not clear to my mind." The letter ends on the second page, with his name then crossed out and the letter continued onto a third page . "I really cannot put these things together and would appreciate your making it clearer--With best regards, yours, Houdini." This first closing and signature are struck out and followed on the last page with, "Do you really attempt to reproduce what is drawn by members of the audience, or confine your reproductions to your prepared list? If so what about identification by audience." At this point it is signed on his behalf, "With best regards, Houdini." The letter while not in Houdini's hand expresses his views about Zancig. It is possible the letter was dictated as a first draft then redrafted into the typed copy here. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle declared in 1923 that Julius Zancig and his wife were genuine telepathists, contradicting Houdini''s belief that the Zancigs' "mind-reading performances required no supernatural powers. Houdini purchased the explanation of the act from Julius Zancig in order to demonstrate the truth of his view to posterity." (Milbourne Christopher, Houdini, New York, 1969, p. 177)." Harry Houdini forever changed the world of magic and escapes. Signed.
