This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/8/2023
HOUDINI, Harry (Erik Weisz, 1874 – 1926). The World Famous Houdini / Master Mystifier. American, 1925. Three-color window card on heavy stock, produced to advertise Houdini’s final tour of America, which ended in Detroit in October of 1926 when the great escape artist collapsed on stage. Over-printed for an appearance at Chicago’s Shubert Princess Theater on March 8, 1925. 28 x 22”. Bill poster’s stamp in upper field, old tide marks and soiling, one small indentation (not affecting image), but very good condition. An uncommon advertisement for Houdini’s final touring show and only one of two examples known for this Chicago appearance. A REMARKABLE DISCOVERY. Found in the rafters of a Chicago bungalow along with many other theatrical posters – most had been cut to ribbons, as the cardboard was used as a cheap source of insulation – the discovery of this poster card was the subject of a length segment on the popular PBS television series, “The History Detectives.” Accompanying the window card is a copy of the program and the text and slides for a presentation made at the annual Magic Collectors’ Weekend in Chicago that outlines the uncovering of the poster and research conducted into its history and Houdini’s life story, including many examples of contemporary advertising for appearances at the Princess Theater in Chicago. Houdini’s final tour, for which the window card was produced, was billed as “three shows in one,” being comprised of magic, escapes, and a lengthy expose of the tricks of fraudulent spirit mediums.