Well the controversy over the Houdini museum finally made it to the pages of the New York Times. It took them long enough.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/29/national/29houdini.html

I am still ****ed off about it. I respect Sid Radner and wish that he would decide to call the whole thing off. I worked in a museum for a year and I know that once a collection is dispersed it is gone forever. Ask Ken Silverman, who wrote the book on Houdini. There were a bunch of letters he wanted to use for the book and the owners told him flat out "No way". When all of Houdini's tools are in one place, a person could actually learn something from them. One pick by itself will not reveal anything new or interesting about Houdini's methods. The museum was a resource for all interested in Houdini and now it is basically gone.

I have turned in my memebership to the Outgamie County Museum and will never join again. The exhibit there now is a piece of grarbage. I could build a fake jail and xerox some pictures myself. I could never amass a collection as good as Sid's. I urge all escape artists to boycott the museum and Houdini Days in Appleton. They should not be rewarded for their actions.

I have no problem with collectors but there is a thing called the public interest that museums are suppossed to serve. I only wish that Sid had another viable option at this point.

The whole thing is very, very sad.

Best wishes for a good Halloween,

Mark

Mark HOUDINI DAYS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE MUSEUM.

Yes,it is very sad that Sid is selling off his collection. I don't understand it myself.

Don

I think this falls under "You can't take it with you" catergory. I have a few pieces of Houdini and I know it has to move on someday. You enjoy it while you have it.

I sat and watched the auction. The milk can sold for $37,000. A Water Torture Cell Poster went for $57,000(I think). The Water Torture Cell itself, which was expected to go for the high end price of $200,000, actually went for Three Hundred Thousand Dollars! That is amazing. To think Houdini wanted all that stuff burnt after he died.

Someone is making out like a Bandit. Especially since the WTC. was Restored.

I can't believe that there is still confusion about this but please let me echo the Donster's words....
"HOUDINI DAYS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH AND IS IN NO WAY AFFILIATED WITH THE OUTAGAMIE MUSEUM!!!!!"
Please support this convention. It is organized by very good people that are really doing a great job promoting escapology and magic in general. Mark Cannon is scheduled to appear there next year with a brand new escape he's developing that promises to be nothing short of incredible. Manzini is considering attending and appearing there next year as well as Steve Baker. I will definitely be attending next year and encourage everyone else to do the same. I realize that both the Museum and Houdini Days are situated in Appleton, but lets try to keep this straight people. Houdini Days definitely needs our support.
Best regards, Tony Parisi

Finally someone has seen the light.

Yeah Don, but I have a feeling this confusion will be going on for some time. We will just have to keep reminding people. See you at Houdini Days! Tony

I'll Try to be there or might be in Middleton.