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Happy Birthday, Harry Houdini!
By
Jen Carlson
Published Mar 24, 2011
Modified Mar 24, 2011
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Mar 24, 2011
Modified Mar 24, 2011
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The legendary magician Harry Houdini would have been turning 137 today if he had found a way to achieve immortality, but you already knew that if you Googled anything this morning. Houdini was born in Budapest on March 24th, 1874 (though he often claimed he was born in Appleton, Wisconsin) and died in Detroit on Halloween of 1926. Much of his life, however, was spent in New York City.
Houdini is buried at Machpelah Cemetery in Glendale, Queens; Nate Kensinger has some nice photos of his final resting place, and here is one from his funeral in New York. (He was never exhumed!) At the time of his death he was living in Harlem—according to Harlem Bespoke he purchased the house, which he and his wife Bess lived in, for $25,000. It still stands today, at 278 West 113th Street. Rumor has it that he told his wife he would return after his death on October 31st (the day he died)—many believe he'll return to his Harlem home, or his grave in Queens. His wife even held séances for 10 years.
Here's some footage of an early Harry Houdini escape. Sadly, we couldn't track any down from him January 7th, 1918 illusion—when he made an elephant vanish from New York’s Hippodrome Theater or that time he took a dangerous dip in the East River (click through for photos).
Meanwhile, it was just announced that Houdini's last surviving stage assistant, Dorothy Young, has died at 103 in her home in New Jersey. Young joined Houdini's company at 17 after attending an open casting call during a family trip to New York. The Daily Mail has more details about her life and death.
Visit the Jewish Museum on 5th Avenue for their Houdini Art & Magic exhibit, running through March 27th.
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birthday
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Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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