HOUDINI, HARRY (EHRICH WEISS). Houdini Presents His Own Original Invention. The Greatest Sensational Mystery Ever Attempted i

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The Golden Age of Magic Posters • The Niels...

By Potter & Potter Auctions

Feb 4, 2017 - Feb 5, 2017

Set Reminder 2017-02-04 11:00:00 2017-02-05 11:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : The Golden Age of Magic Posters • The Nielsen Collection Part II https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/potter-potter/the-golden-age-of-magic-posters-the-nielsen-collection-part-ii-2022
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• Lot Description
  London: Dangerfield, 1912. Houdini’s most famous invention, the fabled Water Torture Cell, fills the center of the poster, the “master mystifier” himself locked inside upside down, a look of terror across his face. 40 x 88". Old folds and chips restored, scattered minor restoration to abrasions and chips in image, wear at intersection of sheets; B+. One of three examples known. Houdini commonly referred to the Water Torture Cell as the “Upside Down.” The wooden, metal, and glass structure was, in contrast to the striking image depicted on this and other posters advertising it, surprisingly compact. After all, Houdini was short of stature, standing some 5'2" high. Even so, the drama of the escape was never lost on his audiences, and the danger of drowning was never too far from the mind of anyone witnessing the stunt. The only known recording of Houdini’s voice, made on an Edison wax cylinder on October 29, 1914, documented his introductory patter for the famous water tank escape. Houdini’s dramatic preamble played upon the fears of the audience and the danger involved in making his escape: “Ladies and gentlemen! Introducing my original invention, the Water Torture Cell. Although there is nothing supernatural about it, I am willing to forfeit the sum of one thousand dollars to anyone who can prove that it is possible to obtain air inside of the torture cell when I am locked up in it in the regulation manner after it has been filled with water. Should anything go wrong when I am locked up, one of my assistants watches through the curtain ready to rush in, demolishing the glass, allowing the water to flow out in order to save my life.” Despite Hollywood’s best efforts to muddy the story in the 1953 biopic of Houdini starring Tony Curtis, no heroic measures were required to save Houdini from the Torture Cell, nor did he perish inside it. It was a feature of his show for years, and remains one of the enduring symbols of his fame, inventiveness, and knack for capturing the public’s imagination and attention with spectacular and daring escapes.
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