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HOUDINI, HARRY. Typed Letter Signed, to fellow magician Frederick Eugene Powell, speaking at length on many interesting subjects, including
HOUDINI, HARRY. Typed Letter Signed, to fellow magician Frederick Eugene Powell, speaking at length on many interesting subjects, including Robert-Houdin, Frikell, and various tricks. 3 pages, 4to; on Society of American Magicians letterhead. New York, 24 February 1919
- Notes: A terrific letter which rambles from one interesting topic to another: "it does not surprise me to think that you dabbled with Black Art... So you remember Frikell... Now that Mrs Frikell is dead my promise of silence can be broken, for she told me why Frikell would not see me that eventuful [sic] day in Koetschenbroda... He was under the impression that I was a grandson and wanted money." Houdini speaks at length about Robert-Houdin and how he borrowed tricks from other magicians and claimed them as his discoveries, "Droz invented and constructed the automatons which Houdin so naively claims as his own, and it is so barefaced that it is childish... The only mistake I made was in calling my Book Houdin Unmasked, it ought to have been History of Magic from 1800 to 1850." He speaks more on the subject of Houdin, mentions the death of Adrian Plate, the operations of Madame Herrmann, and talks of several tricks. He closes the letter with a charming footnote, "Regarding getting younger women in your act, don't let that fluster you. Mrs. Houdini objected to my playing with younger women in pictures, but - - - we forget that the public want to see the younger generation... Mrs Powell must be a great helpmate so is Mrs Houdini but we must keep abreast of the times, if we have to earn money and give them what they want."
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