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Houdini's original grave bust survived (and here it is)

Posted: January 31st, 2013, 11:11 am
by JohnCox
Last week I did a post about the smashing of Houdini's original grave bust in 1975. The destruction of the bust has long been a mystery, but thanks to Dorothy Dietrich and Dick Brookz of the Houdini Museum in Scranton, the real story has come out. Turns out it wasn't the ghost of Houdini who did the deed, just some jerk on PCP.

Today we have another twist in the story. The smashed bust survives! Here are photos of the original granite bust today. The owner, who generously supplied these pics, wishes to remain anonymous. Pretty haunting, if you ask me.

http://www.wildabouthoudini.com/2013/01 ... ealed.html

Re: Houdini's original grave bust survived (and here it is)

Posted: February 1st, 2013, 11:18 am
by JohnCox
Not a single comment? Jeepers. What's a guy gotta find to get a rise out of the Genii forum -- Houdini's corpse? Well, I might have a lead on that. Stand by. ;)

Re: Houdini's original grave bust survived (and here it is)

Posted: February 1st, 2013, 11:21 am
by Richard Kaufman
I'd pay to see Houdini's corpse.

Re: Houdini's original grave bust survived (and here it is)

Posted: February 1st, 2013, 11:57 am
by Tom Gilbert
How did the new "owner" obtain the bust?

Re: Houdini's original grave bust survived (and here it is)

Posted: February 1st, 2013, 11:57 am
by AJM
Oh dear - where will it all end?

A lead on Houdini's corpse?

Mrs Houdini's gynaecological problems?

Yep, you can read about 'em all right here on the Genii Forum!

Shush - if you listen carefully you will be able to hear something which sounds very similar to the bottom of a barrel being scraped...

Re: Houdini's original grave bust survived (and here it is)

Posted: February 1st, 2013, 12:21 pm
by JohnCox
AJM wrote:Oh dear - where will it all end?

A lead on Houdini's corpse?

Mrs Houdini's gynaecological problems?

Yep, you can read about 'em all right here on the Genii Forum!

Shush - if you listen carefully you will be able to hear something which sounds very similar to the bottom of a barrel being scraped...

Well, sometimes sludge can be interesting to us sludge enthusiasts. But I thought my recent showcasing of Margery-Houdini items from the private Libbet Crandon de Malamud Collection and interview with Anna Thurlow was above the rim.

(Corpse thing was a joke -- if I really need to say that.)

Re: Houdini's original grave bust survived (and here it is)

Posted: February 1st, 2013, 6:10 pm
by JFox
Thanks, John for the posting.

I remember the news of the incident quite well back in 1975.

Norman Bigelow was quick to cash-in on the publicity - by neither admitting, nor denying, that he had anything directly or indirectly to do with the smashing of the bust (any showman might have done likewise)....Randi seems to have thought Bigelow was involved.

So, glad to learn the truth!...it was just a crazed non-magician hyped up on PCP.

Re: Houdini's original grave bust survived (and here it is)

Posted: February 1st, 2013, 7:21 pm
by JohnCox
Yep, Norm is off the hook!

Re: Houdini's original grave bust survived (and here it is)

Posted: February 1st, 2013, 8:35 pm
by Kevin Connolly
To say the least. ;)

Re: Houdini's original grave bust survived (and here it is)

Posted: February 2nd, 2013, 3:59 pm
by JohnCox
Haha. Good one. ;)