LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Harry Houdini: Death
built 648 days ago
Halloween 2006 is a big day in the magic community, as it marks the 80th anniversary of Harry Houdini's death, undoubtedly the world's most famous magician. The unusual custom Hummer project was built in the spirit of Criss Angel's A&E series "Mindfreak." "The more you look at this vehicle, the more interesting and unusual things you'll find," adds Dolphin. "Even original artifacts from Houdini's era have been discreetly added into design features of the Mindfreak Hummer from the famous Magic Castle in Hollywood, and from the Martinka Magic Shop in New York, once owned by Houdini himself."
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In spite of his anti-spiritualist campaign, Harry Houdini never relinquished hope that some day, evidence would be provided as proof of life in the hereafter. He announced his own intention of attempting, if possible, to return after his own death, and extablish communication from beyond the grave. Harry and his wife, Bess, even agreed upon a code they would use as proof that any such communication really did originate with whichever of them preceeded the other into that unknown territory.
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Harry Houdini was born in Budapest, Hungary. His given name is found spelled differenly in different sources, and his birth date is uncertain. However, years after his death, a copy of his birth certificate was found and published in The Houdini Birth Research Committee's Report (1972). According to that original source,. [1] His family name is German, means "White" in English, and can be written Weiß. The "ß" is a ligature originally for "sz" but now more often rendered "ss", making the "Weisz" and "Weiss" spellings functionally interchangeable.
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This online Harry Houdini exhibit is presented by the Library of Congress. It includes 143 photographs and twenty-nine personal items dating from 1886 to Houdini’s death in 1926. The exhibit is organized as a hyperlinked biography - to see the photos and memorabilia, just click on the underlined links. Treasures to be discovered include Houdini’s personal letterhead which quotes the 1920 Funk & Wagnalls definition of “houdinize, vt. To release or extricate oneself from confinement, bonds, or the like, as by wiggling out.”
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Houdini was born Ehrich Weiss on March 24, 1874 in Budapest, Hungary. From 1900 onwards he claimed in interviews to have been born in Appleton, Wisconsin on 6 April that year, but his Hungarian birth certificate was uncovered by researchers after his death. Houdini was Jewish: his father was Rabbi Mayer Samuel Weiss (1829 - 1892) and his mother was Cecilia Steiner (1841 - 1913). In 1878, his family moved to the United States, where he spelled his name as Ehrich Weiss, but he was called "Erie" or "Harry" by friends. He made his public debut as a 9 year old trapeze artist, calling himself, "Ehrich, the prince of the air." He legally changed his name to "Harry Houdini" in 1913.
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Ever since his death, Harry Houdini items have become ever increasingly collectible in the magic memorabilia market. Books, programs, old flyers, publicity photos, cigarette cards, and the ultra rare Houdini magic & movie posters are hot items. Here are but a few of the collectible Houdini items available today (if you can find them) printed on a quality 9 1/4" x 7 3/4" x 1/4" special collectors edition mousepad. A must for all magic and Houdini memorabilia collectors!
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