This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/8/2023
HOUDINI, Harry (Erik Weisz, 1874 – 1926). Signed Houdini Promissory Note. Dated August 30, 1926, and typed on Houdini’s letterhead bearing his Harlem address, the note reads, in full: “I, Harry Houdini, owe to Lee and J.J. Shubert and the Wilbur Theatre Company the sum of eight thousand (8,000) dollars for cash advanced, same to be deducted from my share of all receipts until the full amount has been paid.” [SIGNED] Harry Houdini. Old folds, else very good. An unusual and revealing document. It was widely reported that and the end of his life – which came unexpectedly on Halloween, 1926, just two months after this note was signed – the magician who was reportedly one of the biggest earners in vaudeville was not as well-heeled as others perceived him to be. His spending habits and his interests outside the theatrical sphere required perhaps more than his bank account would allow, as this loan document from two of the best-known theatrical impresarios of the era reveals.