If anyone wants to do a Houdini seance, it should be at my property in Warwick, RI tomorrow on Halloween, the day Houdini died. In a matter of minutes, I have become homeless. In a matter of minutes my home was flooded in sewage, from the 2nd floor, to the first floor to the basement. And its all on display inside the Houdini Museum on North. The toilet started gushing high pressure raw sewage. Illusionist Harry Houdini has inspired more than stunts since his time performing in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Where was it coming from you ask? The only bathroom in the house, which is exactly where the Houdini window cards were discovered. In less than 1 minute, you could hear water gushing. I filed an insurance claim and was without power for the rest of the day.Īround midnight, the power came back on. OK, no big deal, this has happened before. On the day this posting was made, Wednesday, October 27th, I woke up to a large tree down in my backyard, crashing through my fence. They should be doing it where the Houdini discovery was made, at my home in Warwick, Rhode Island. Consult the museum web page for more details.I firmly believe they have chosen the wrong location to do the Houdini seance. Open holiday weekends, June weekends and daily through July and August to Labor Day weekend. The Houdini Museum is located at 1433 North Main, in Scranton, Pennsylvania, near the beautiful Pocono Mountains. A fairly recent book, by author Kenneth Silverman, about Houdini is available from the Houdini Museum, along with t-shirts, souvenirs and magic kits. There is a wealth of information about Houdini and the museum at the museum's comprehensive web site. Two of the museum's directors are magicians, Dorothy Dietrich and John Bravo. They carry on the tradition of a Halloween seance that is said to have begun with Houdini's wife and been carried on by writer Walter Gibson. The Houdini Museum in Scranton honors the achievements of Harry Houdini, with a vast collection of memorabilia from the performing life of the magician. Houdini died in 1926 of peritonitis due to an appendix ruptured by a punch to the stomach from a fan, who wanted to test the claim that he could withstand such blows. Houdini worked hard to promote the art of magic and the Society of American Magicians and his efforts to benefit his fellow magicians, despite his fame, were admired. He was dedicated to the exposure of gambling, spiritualist and psychic frauds, writing several books on the subjects and lecturing. Houdini became a great success, mostly because of his escape artist techniques. His early travels took him through Scranton with the Welsh Brothers Circus and he later returned to the area as a major star. First working with a co-worker at a tie factory and then with his brother, after Houdini met and married Bess Rahner, he spent the next thirty plus years traveling with her, performing throughout the United States and internationally. First calling himself "Eric the Great", he eventually changed his name to Harry Houdini after reading of the exploits of magician Robert Houdin.Įarly in his career, Houdini began to develop his signature escape artist act. Eventually he rejoined his parents in New York City, where he became interested in a career in magic. He left home at the age of 12, traveling around the country to try to earn money to send back to the family. Like many young people of the time, young Ehrich went to work early to help support the family. His family moved to Wisconsin when he was four, poor German immigrants of Jewish descent. Like many immigrants of the period, Houdini (born Ehrich Weiss) probably felt that being of foreign birth might hamper his career in the United States. Harry Houdini was born in 1874, probably in Budapest, Hungary, despite his claim of Appleton, Wisconsin, as his birthplace. But on Main Avenue stands a most unusual museum, dedicated to the memory of a man that had no real ties to the area, except for his performances as a traveling magician. We cover Harry Houdinis career & facts about Harry Houdini not found elsewhere & growing. The name of the city of Scranton brings to mind coal fields, industry and, if you have been through the area, the vision of the Pocono Mountains and remote vacations. All photos property of the Houdini Museum and used with permission.
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