Winter Magic Auction

HOUDINI, Harry (Ehrich Weisz). The Houdini Bible, Inscribed and Signed. Specially bound 1901 Red Letter Edition of the Holy Bible published by the World Syndicate Company, New York. Prepared in a manner so as to allow the magician to read the mind of a spectator; when the volunteer flipped to any page in the bible, the mind reader could instantly determine which chapter and verse the reader was gazing upon with unfailing accuracy. Limp black leather binding, spine gilt stamped. Page edges colored red as issued. 8vo. Edges of binding overhanging the text block professionally repaired though still tender; text block near fine. Inscribed and signed on one front free endpaper by Houdini: “To / Dunninger / best wishes / Houdini / Nov. 30/1925.” And then inscribed and signed again underneath by Dunninger in 1967 to noted Houdini collector Ray Ellenbogen. Houdini’s father was a Rabbi, and the family owned a bible printed in Hebrew which was bequeathed to the magician upon the death of his father in 1892. Years later, Houdini had a select few of these “forcing bibles” made to-order to present a clever feat of mind reading, as described above. Only four have survived, and this is the only example bearing his signature. The makeup of the bible was later copied by Al Mann who marketed an effect in the 1970s based on the original “Houdini Bible.” (See next lot.)