![]() And while the museum celebrates his showmanship, it also humanizes the Handcuff King, sharing stories of his lifelong love affair with his wife, Bess, who he met while performing in Coney Island. The tour starts with a video of Houdini’s early life, including a look at some of the many tricks that made him famous. John Bravo, a well-respected magician in his own right, shares a host of intriguing facts about Houdini as he leads the tour: most people don’t know, for example, that in 1921, Houdini invented a deep-sea diver suit with quick release technology, or that he was hired to teach soldiers how to get out of German restraints and escape from jail during World War I. Houdini was a man of immense talents, and while he was best known for his illusions, he was also a pilot, inventor, actor, teacher and astute businessman, who as the president of the Society of American Magicians grew the organization from nothing to earning more than half-a-million dollars in dues each year. There is even a giant milk can in tribute to one of Houdini’s most famous tricks escaping the can, which was filled with water, while wearing a straitjacket. ![]() ![]() Walking in the door of the 150-year-old former ice cream parlor and disco-what is billed as the only building in the world dedicated to Harry Houdini-you find yourself surrounded by an overwhelming array of magical props, including padlocks, ropes, chains and more. After spending about two years traveling through Scranton while developing many of the tricks that made him famous, including the needle trick, handcuff escape and jail escape, he went on to conquer audiences around the world. The rough-and-tumble railroad town of Scranton hosted many entertainment legends, and it was said that if you could make it in front of this toughest of all audiences, you could make it anywhere-which Houdini proved in spades. Part of the magic of this location is that it was one of Houdini’s favorite stops along what used to be a vaudeville route between East Coast cities. For more information visit their website.You would think that a museum dedicated to the great Harry Houdini would be in a glitzy city like Las Vegas or New York, but it’s actually located in Scranton, PA-a town where the world-famous illusionist developed some of his most famous tricks and amazed some of the nation’s most skeptical audiences. Scranton's Houdini Museum is located at 1433 N. The building facade is even pictured on the endpapers. Dorothy and Dick and the Houdini Museum feature in the book. The following day, November 1, the museum will host author Joe Posnanski for a signing and reading of his new book The Life and Afterlife of Harry Houdini. Both seances are free "as wife Bess wanted them." They will offer free snacks and show clips from The Grim Game starting at Noon and 6:00pm. They will actually hold TWO seances this year one at 1:26pm, the exact time of Houdini's death, and the other at 7:30pm, the time of his last show. The first will their annual Original Houdini Seance on Halloween. Dorothy Dietrich and Dick Brookz at the Houdini Museum in Scranton will be marking the 93rd anniversary of Houdini's death with two special events.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |