This poster was done around 1895, when the name "Houdini" had the same billing clout as Cardo, Professor Murat, Projea, Harry Raynohr and the Wizard of Shackles.
Those were other stage names Harry was trying on for size during pretty much the low point of his career. In the words of biographer Ken Silverman, "Ehrich Weiss had been actor, acrobat, burlesque impresario, wild man, spirit-worker, puppeteer, merchandiser, illusionist, hypnotist and fun-maker of the Bloomer Club."
He left out one résumé item: teacher of magic. Sometime around 1898, Harry opened Harry Houdini's School of Magic. The record is not crystal clear, but he had at least one student - an "older man from Chicago." Who was that man?
There is some speculation that it might have been the mysterious S.W. Erdnase, pseudonymous author of the classic The Expert at the Card Table. Erdnase was known to be - or thought to be - based in Chicago, as were two of Harry's friends, William Hilliar and Gus Roterberg, both of whom appear to have been intimately connected with Erdnase's pioneering publication. The book is one of the all-time best-sellers, continuously in print since 1902, and is still the Bible for card manipulators of all stripes, especially cheaters.
We know that Houdini was doing gambling exposés in this era, playing Chicago frequently. We know he engaged in gambling himself, and that he was not averse to carrying a gun when needing to protect himself from various unsavory elements.
Houdiniphiles? Your thoughts? Could there be a connection between Houdini and Erdnase?
[Image: Library of Congress.]
A connection between Erdnase and Houdini has long been suspected. In "Expert at the Card Table" we find a transformation described but uncredited, which was one of Harry Houdini’s pet moves. It is unclear if this was indeed Houdini’s invention or not. I personally think the connection probably was created by Harto who was advising Houdini and who is thought of having also advised Erdnase on his book.
ReplyDeleteHa! I love that idea the mysterious single student was Erdnase. I'll buy it. :)
ReplyDeleteKind of seems farfetched, but hey it's cool. It will be interesting to see how far this is going. I am going to make a note of it. It would make a nice story.
ReplyDeletePer Magicol 180 article on Erdnase by David Ben:
ReplyDeleteAs for the transformation that pundits are quick to attribute to Houdini, it is important to note that when P. T. Selbit described the move in his book The Magician’s Handbook (1901), he merely thanked Houdini for his “knowledge” of the move. He did not attribute the creation of the move to him. It is entirely possible that Erdnase had shown the transformation to Houdini first while Houdini was standing in the shop of his friend August Roterberg—or in any of the other four or five magic shops in Chicago at the time Houdini was performing at Middleton’s Clark St. Theatre (December 26, 1898 - January 21, 1899), well before he set sail for England (May 30, 1900.)27 The transformation is exactly the type of sleight that Erdnase would have shown the self-acclaimed King of Kards, and it would be the type of currency that Houdini could use to impress other magicians, particularly on a foreign shore, in the manner that magicians have always traded secrets for status.
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With no prior experience advertising or distributing books, and restrictions on his ability to promote the book—he [Edwin.S. Andrews] was still employed by the railroad company—he dropped off copies at the various Chicago-based magic dealers with the hope the books would sell. The copy placed with Vernelo’s magic shop was given to William J. Hilliar, editor of The Sphinx, which was published out of the shop. Hilliar made a passing reference to the publication in the pages of The Sphinx, but not until the September issue, some seven months after the book’s initial publication.
Per Silverman Notes: Kellock claimed that Houdini sold tricks on a commission basis by arrangement with Roterberg of Chicago.
Houdini’s Magic Book [catalogue] said to address all orders to Prof Harry Houdini, School of Magic, 221 E. 69th Street, New York City.
Per Silverman Notes: The catalogue cannot be certainly dated—perhaps slightly before the end of 1898, but certainly after 1897. Reproduced in Gibson, 79-92.
Bottom Line: I believe there is a connection between Houdini and Erdnase. As far as the mysterious single student, the Magicol article speculates Erdnase taught [the transformation to] Houdini as opposed to other way around, however Erdnase doesn’t credit either for the transformation.