The new book Harry and the Highwire by Julie Carpenter and illustrated by Laura Catalan has been released in the UK by Green Bean Books. It will be released in the U.S. on May 31.As a young boy of seven, Harry is desperate to do something incredible – but what? A visit to the circus provides the answer when he sees the daring tightrope walker thrilling the audience. From that moment on ..read more

A new Community Pavilion opened in Diggers Rest, Australia, last week. Inside, you can find this mural showing Houdni's Voisin biplane. Interestingly, this doesn't commemorate Houdini's famed 1910 flight but Ian Satur's model of the plane that flew during the 2010 centenary celebrations. Either way, it's good to see Houdini is still a star in Diggers Rest. The Ian Satur model survives today ..read more

Last week I visited the SAM Hall of Fame at the Whittier Historical Society & Museum. It's a terrific exhibit with some fantastic Houdini rarities on view. I've shared 50+ photos and some thoughts on my Patreon (part of the "Adventures in Houdiniland" Collection). Click below to go.The Whittier Historical Society and Museum is open Tuesday through Friday. Parking and admission are free ..read more

One of the standout escapes in the 1953 Houdini biopic is when Houdini frees himself from a "steel straitjacket." The steel straitjacket is a one-of-a-kind piece of magic apparatus provided by Joseph Dunninger. While I've never found any account of the real Houdini doing such an escape, it has become iconic in its own right.Now, our friend Richard Sherry of Sherry and Krall Magic has manufactured ..read more

Our friend David Haversat has revealed via his newsletter that he is now the proud owner of Houdini's ultra-rare Russian pitchbook. These were created for Houdini's tour of Russia in 1903 and pre-date his America's Sensational Preplexer! pitchbook by several months. That makes this the very first (biographical) Houdini pitchbook.To my knowledge, there are only two Russian pitchbooks in existence ..read more

It's eclipse day! Where will you be to see (or partially see) today's total solar eclipse? Of course, my mind goes to Houdini. Did he ever see a total solar eclipse? As it turns out, Houdini was in the right place at the right time to experience the famous total solar eclipse of January 24, 1925. The eclipse passed through New York State and through New York City just above 96th Street. Houdini ..read more

Here's one that has me very excited. On Saturday, April 13, the Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation (LAHTF) will tour the Palace Theater in downtown Los Angeles. The Palace was originally called the Orpheum and is where Houdini performed in 1915 and 1923. It's also where he had his famous verbal joust with then-heavyweight champ Jess Willard. So this is a fantastic Houdini location!LAHTF is ..read more

David Britland at Cardopolis has written an excellent account of Houdini's famous escape from a "sea monster" in Boston. It's very thorough and also provides fresh information about the turtle itself. I'm sorry I missed this back in 2021 when it first appeared, but I'm happy to have found it now. Click on the headline to have a read at Cardopolis.Related:When Houdini escaped the belly of the ..read more

Released to commemorate Houdini's 150th birthday, The Houdini Compendium by Alex Rusconi is an Italian book collecting Houdini anecdotes and episodes. Below is a translation of the book's description.One hundred and fifty years after his birth, Harry Houdini is still the most famous and controversial magician in history. His life, like a novel, is full of anecdotes and extraordinary episodes ..read more

The dynamic duo of Holmes & Houdini wrap things up in issue 3 of Zenescope's series, written by Honor Vincent and illustrated by Oliver Borges.As Nolen Savoy's apocalyptic plot nears fruition, Spencer Holmes and Erica Houdini must join forces, much like their famous ancestors did once before to save the world. But is it already too late?You can purchase Holmes & Houdini #3&nbsp ..read more