This is a sample page from The New Houdini Chronology by John Cox
Jan. 1-7: Keith's Theater (14th & Broadway), New York, NY. [10]
Jan. 8-14: Keith's Theater, Boston, MA (Ching Ling Foo also on bill). [1][2]
➤ [n.d.] Escapes handcuffs and leg-irons at police headquarters. [2]
Jan. 15-21: Keith's Theater, Boston, MA. [1]
➤ Tues., Jan. 16: Challenged by Capt. Charles Bean to escape Bean Giant cuffs. [10]
Jan. 22-28: Keith's Theater, Boston, MA. [1]
Jan. 29-Feb. 4: Keith's New Theatre, Providence, RI. [2]
➤ Sun., Feb. 4: New York Theater (Broadway & 44th), New York, NY. Bess gets stuck in Sub Trunk. Incident makes papers. [2]
Feb. 5-11: Keith's Theater, Philadelphia, PA. [2]
➤ Mon., Feb. 5: Houdini escapes handcuffs at Philadelphia City Hall police station. [2]
➤ Sun., Feb. 11: New York Theater (Broadway & 44th), New York, NY. [2]
Feb. 12-18: Keith's Theater, Philadelphia, PA. [2]
Feb. 19-25: Shea's Theater, Toronto, Canada. [10]
➤ Mon., Feb. 19: Houdini escapes 11 pair of handcuffs at Toronto court house. [10]
➤ Sun., Feb. 25: Houdini escapes handcuffs No. 1 Police Patrol barn, Buffalo, NY. [2]
Feb. 26-March 4: Shea's Garden Theater, Buffalo, NY. [2]
March 5-11: Shea's Garden Theater, Buffalo, NY. [2]
March 12-18: Empire Theater, Cleveland, OH. [10]
➤ Mon., March 12: Houdini escapes handcuffs at Central police station, Cleveland, OH. [2]
March 19-25:
March 26-April 1: Chicago Opera House, Chicago, IL. [2]
April 2-8: Powers Theater, Chicago, IL. [2]
✪ ➤ Thurs., April 5: Houdini escapes jail cell (No. 7) at Central station, Chicago, IL. Typically cited as his first jail break. [2]
➤ Fri., April 6: Houdini celebrates 26th birthday.
April 9-15: Orpheum Theater, Kansas City, MO. [2]
➤ Wed., April 11: Houdini escapes from Kansas City jail cell in 7 minutes. Nude test. Testimonial from John Hayes, Chief of Police. [2]
April 16-22: Orpheum Theater, Kansas City, MO. [2]
April 23-29: Bijou Theatre, Richmond, VA. [1]
➤ Tues., April 24: Houdini escapes handcuffs at Richmond police station. [2]
April 30-May 6:
May 7-13: Bijou Theatre, Richmond, VA. [2]
May 14-20: Bijou Theatre, Richmond, VA. [2]
May 21-27:
➤ Sat., May 26: Houdini fills out passport application. Shows birthdate as April 6, 1873 in Budapest.
May 28-June 3:
➤ Wed., May 30: The Houdinis sail for England aboard the S.S. Kensington. [6]
June 4-10:
June 11-17:
➤ Thurs., June 14: Houdini visits Scotland Yard. [5]
June 18-24:
June 25-July 1:
➤ Wed., June 27: Houdini gives press preview performance at the Alhambra Theater in London. Attended by Scotland Yard officials including William Melville. [8][12]
July 2-8: Alhambra Theater, London, UK. [1][8]
➤ Mon., July 2: Houdini is challenged onstage by Cirnoc. [3]
July 9-15: Alhambra Theater, London, UK. [1][8]
July 16-22: Alhambra Theater, London, UK. [1][8]
July 23-29: Alhambra Theater, London, UK. [1][9]
July 30-Aug. 5: Alhambra Theater, London, UK. [1][9]
Aug. 6-12: Alhambra Theater, London, UK. [1][9]
➤ Thurs., Aug., 9: Houdini renews passport application. Shows birth as April 6, 1873 in Appleton.
➤ Fri., Aug., 10: Houdini's Handcuff Act granted Letters Patent #14327. [2][13]
Aug. 13-19: Alhambra Theater, London, UK. [1][9]
Aug. 20-26: Alhambra Theater, London, UK. [1][8]
Aug. 27-Sept. 2: Alhambra Theater, London, UK. [1][6][8]
Sept. 3-9: Central Theater, Dresden, Germany. [1][6][8]
Sept. 10-16: Central Theater, Dresden, Germany. [1]
➤ [n.d.] Houdini reported to have performed his first handcuffed bridge jump around this time. Source: Kellock. Questionable. [1]
Sept. 17-23: Central Theater, Dresden, Germany. [1]
➤ Thurs., Sept. 20: Houdini escapes handcuffs at Royal Police Presidium, Berlin, Germany. [6]
Sept. 24-30: Central Theater, Dresden, Germany. [1]
➤ Mon., Sept. 24: William Melville notes in diary: "Report received from HH." [12]
Oct. 1-7: Wintergarten, Berlin, Germany. [1][6]
Oct. 8-14: Wintergarten, Berlin, Germany. [1]
Oct. 15-21: Wintergarten, Berlin, Germany. [1]
Oct. 22-28: Wintergarten, Berlin, Germany. [1]
Oct. 29 -Nov. 4: Wintergarten, Berlin, Germany. [1]
➤ [n.d.] Dash arrives in Berlin. Houdini sets him up as Hardeen. [4]
Nov. 5-11: Wintergarten, Berlin, Germany. [1]
Nov. 12-18: Wintergarten, Berlin, Germany. [1]
Nov. 19-25: Wintergarten, Berlin, Germany. [1]
➤ Fri., Nov. 24: Houdini defeats "Hilmar the Uncuffable". [11]
Nov. 26-Dec. 2: Circus Variete, Magdeburg, Germany (10 days - dates uncertain). [8]
Dec. 3-9: Alhambra Theater, London, UK. [1][8][9]
Dec. 10-16: Alhambra Theater, London, UK. [1][6][8]
Dec. 17-23: Alhambra Theater, London, UK. [1][9]
Dec. 24-30: Alhambra Theater, London, UK. [1][8][9]
Dec. 31-Jan. 6: Alhambra Theater, London, UK. [1][8][9]
Primary Sources:
[1] Koval, Frank. The Illustrated Houdini Research Diary, Part 2: 1900 to 1905. Chadderton: 1993.
[2] Original newspaper story or advertisement via newspapers.com or other archival source.
[3] Silverman, Kenneth. Houdini!!! The Career of Ehrich Weiss. New York: Harper Collins, 1996.
[4] Christopher, Milbourne. Houdini The Untold Story. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Co., 1969.
[5] Original Houdini letter, cable, contract or signed item.
[6] Original pitchbook, playbill, program or poster.
[7] Houdini diary.
✪ Denotes a first or possible first.
Additional Sources (1900):
[8] Tait, Derek. The Great Houdini: His British Tours. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Books, 2017.
[9] David De-Val Escapology Website, Houdini UK Tours.
[10] Harry Houdini Personal Scrapbook 1895 to 1899, History Museum at the Castle, Appleton, WI.
[11] Culliton, Patrick. Houdini Unlocked: The Tao of Houdini. Los Angeles: Kieran Press, 1997.
[12] Kalush, William, and Larry Sloman, and Steve Cuiffo. The Secret Life of Houdini Laid Bare: Sources, Notes and Additional Material. New York/Pasadena: Conjuring Arts Research Center/Mike Caveney's Magic Words, 2007.
[13] Harry Ranson Center Collection.
© 2018 by John Cox. All rights reserved.
- Home
- Life
- Escapes
- Magic
- Movies
- Houdini's Movies
- Les merveilleux exploits de Houdini à Paris (1909)
- The Master Mystery (1918)
- The Grim Game (1919)
- Terror Island (1920)
- The Man From Beyond (1922)
- Haldane of the Secret Service (1923)
- Velvet Fingers (1925-26)
- Medium Well Done (1937)
- Religious Racketeers (1938)
- Houdini Picture Corp.
- Film Developing Corp.
- Filming locations
- Unmade Movies
- Spiritualism
- People
- Beatrice Houdini
- Theo Hardeen
- Cecelia Weiss
- Mayer Samuel Weiss
- Jim Collins
- Franz Kukol
- Martin Beck
- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
- Margery
- J. Gordon Whitehead
- Edward Saint
- Jacob Hyman
- Leopold Weiss
- Carrie Gladys Weiss
- Bernard M.L. Ernst
- Charmian London
- Jess Willard
- H.P. Lovecraft
- Sherlock Holmes
- Assistants
- Imitators
- Other magicians
- Media
- Full Bibliography
- By Houdini
- Biography
- Fiction
- Foreign
- For Kids
- Methods
- Wild About Harry Bookshelf
- Houdini His Life Story (1928)
- Houdini The Man Who Walked Through Walls (1959)
- Houdini The Untold Story (1969)
- The Life and Many Deaths of Harry Houdini (1993)
- Houdini!!! The Career of Ehrich Weiss (1997)
- The Secret Life of Houdini (2006)
- The Metamorphosis: The Apprenticeship of Harry Houdini (2012)
- The Witch of Lime Street (2015)
- The Life and Afterlife of Harry Houdini (2019)
- Lectures
- Exhibitions
- Screenings
- Conventions
- The Official Houdini Seance
- Terror Island screening on Catalina (2018)
- Visiting the Copperfield Collection (2018)
- 278 Open House (2017)
- Los Angeles Conference on Magic History (2015)
- Official Houdini Séance, San Francisco (2015)
- Houdini Historical Roast (2015)
- Midwest Magic History Weekend, Marshall (2015)
- The Grim Game premiere in Hollywood (2015)
- Houdini at Hollywood Heritage (2014)
- Official Houdini Seance, Fort Worth (2012)
- Magic Collectors Weekend, Chicago (2011)
- Houdini Art and Magic exhibition (2010-2012)
- Tony Curtis at The Magic Castle (2009)

The New Houdini Chronology documents every week of Houdini's life with known performances and notable events. On this page you can view some sample years as I continue to build on it. My plan is to eventually offer the complete chronology as a book. I hope you'll find this a useful research tool and enjoy the previews!

No comments:
Post a Comment