Magic Collection of Jim Rawlins Part IV

Whaley, Bart. Who’s Who in Magic. Oakland: Jeff Busby Magic, 1990. Number 111 of 500; one of 100 deluxe hardbound copies. Dark green pebbled cloth, gilt stamped. Illustrated. 4to. Very good condition. Houdini bought the house at 278 W. 113th Street in New York City in 1904. The house was not only a place of respite for Harry and Bess between tours, but also a home for their mothers and any Weiss sibling. “278” (as Houdini called it) was the hub of Houdini’s world and saw visits from all the famous magicians of the day and other famous friends, including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The house also held Houdini’s extensive book and magic collections, and is where he stored many of his escape props. .After Houdini’s death in 1926, Bess sold the house to her neighbors, John and Filippina Bonanno. The Bonannos’ children lived in the house until 1980. The house remained little changed from Houdini’s time, with many original Houdini artifacts still housed in the basement. In 1990, the house was purchased by Fred Thomas who modified the floors to be apartments and installed modern upgrades. But Thomas kept most of the original fixtures and appliances stored in the basement, along with documentation of where the pieces had been used during the time of the Houdinis and the Bonannos. Thomas passed this information to the current owners, who have done extensive restoration to the property. They have now decided to offer these following select original items to Houdini and magic collectors.