Just think- you can own a piece of magical history- something that was handled by the great Harry Houdini in his daily life! This is a one-of-a-kind collectible, perfect for framing.
What a great gift!
This is one of the envelopes found in Harry Houdini's personal desk. There is no visible postmark or return address.
This letter was sent to "Prof. Houdini" at the National Theatre in New York.Houdini played the National Theatre from Dec. 14, 1925 until January 3, 1926.The last portion of his show during this tour was the exposure of spirit mediums. Houdini employed several "detectives" to dig up information about current mediums and their clients, information he could then reveal in his show to prove that the mediums were frauds.Often the information would be sent to Houdini in care of the theater where he was performing.The "Prof. Houdini" title was an inside joke between Houdini and his detectives.
Houdini's handwritten notes? The pencilled notes on the back of the envelope appear to be very similar to examples of Houdini's handwriting, especially the "H" in Houston. Please see the DISCLAIMER below.
See a larger version of the front of the envelope here.
See a larger version of the back of the envelope here.
In the late 1980's, magician Peter Monticup (owner of MagicTricks.com), purchased Harry Houdini's ornate personal desk. The desk had been in storage in Houdini's former NYC home from 1926 until it was sold in 1980. Peter purchased the desk from this buyer, along with some other personal items from the Houdini home.
The desk had a number of secret compartments and hidden drawers. Inside one of the drawers was a stack of envelopes from correspondence Houdini had received. The envelopes were from all different sources- his lawyers, his fans, fellow magicians, etc. He even wrote notes on some of the envelopes, either noting the importance of the contents, or just scribbling on them as scrap paper.
In researching each of the envelopes, we've found an important connection to an event or person in Houdini's life.Of all the thousands upon thousands of letters he received each year, he saved each of these envelopes for a reason.Houdini was a notorious "saver".These envelopes were used as his personal Rolodex (address directory).
You provide the frame if desired.
This envelope is about 5.5" x 3.5". It's old, it's been through the mail, it's yellowed, it has tears.Houdini tore it across the top (probably with a dull letter opener) to remove the contents. This envelope is in "AS FOUND" condition.
The envelope will be shipped to you in a plastic protective sleeve, accompanied by a printout of the story of this envelope.
DISCLAIMER: Though these envelopes are absolutely original and absolutely came from Houdini's desk, we cannot be totally sure of the contents of the correspondence that was sent in the envelope, because the envelopes in the desk were all empty. What you read in the description above is our BEST GUESS about the contents of any correspondence, based on our research and our own conclusions. Also, we are NOT experts on Houdini's handwriting. We can give our BEST GUESS that this may be in Houdini's hand, but no guarantee is given or implied.
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