Mystery Photo

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Kevin Connolly
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Mystery Photo

Postby Kevin Connolly » July 29th, 2008, 1:10 am

Does anyone have a clue who this guy was? On The back is written Compliments Of Houdini.

Thanks....Kevin

Image
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Richard Kaufman
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Re: Mystery Photo

Postby Richard Kaufman » July 29th, 2008, 10:28 am

That's General Ullyses S. Grant at age 19.



Or Not.
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Gord
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Re: Mystery Photo

Postby Gord » July 29th, 2008, 12:09 pm

Roy Scheider?

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Kevin Connolly
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Re: Mystery Photo

Postby Kevin Connolly » July 29th, 2008, 12:50 pm

Not Scheider. No shark in the photo. :blush:

Rich, maybe you meant U.F. Grant? :whistle:

This guy may not even been a magician. Maybe he was a spiritualist, actor, author, etc. It was taken in Paris, if that helps. :confused:
Last edited by Kevin Connolly on July 29th, 2008, 12:53 pm, edited 0 times in total.
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Gord
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Re: Mystery Photo

Postby Gord » July 29th, 2008, 1:07 pm

I googled the words at the bottom of the photo and came up with this.

"Andre Adolphe-Eugene Disderi: French photographer (1819 - 1889): He started off as a daguerreotypist in Brest as well as a photographer in Nimes. He opened a studio in 1854 and in that year he patented the carte-de-visite photograph. This new carte format became immensely popular and rapidly became a growing industry. He became the favorite photographer of Napoleon III's court. By 1861 Disdri was reported to be the richest photographer in the world. In addition to his French accolades, he was appointed court photographer in England, Spain, and Russia. He opened an additional studio in London. However, by the 1860s there was a decline in the popularity in the 1860s. Disdri left Paris and opened portrait studios in Nice in the 1880s. Despite the wealth he attained, Disdri died in a poorhouse."

Doesn't explain who it is, but still quite interesting.

Gord

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Kevin Connolly
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Re: Mystery Photo

Postby Kevin Connolly » July 29th, 2008, 1:42 pm

Thanks for the info. That's the guy. I had one message that said it may be Washington Irving Bishop.
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Jim Maloney
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Re: Mystery Photo

Postby Jim Maloney » July 29th, 2008, 2:05 pm

Looks like it could be Guiseppe Verdi: photo

-Jim
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Re: Mystery Photo

Postby Bob Gerdes » July 29th, 2008, 3:11 pm

I think we have a winner!

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Kevin Connolly
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Re: Mystery Photo

Postby Kevin Connolly » July 29th, 2008, 3:20 pm

Jim,

You did do some research. Way to go! I'm impressed! I saw this last night, but I didn't want tip it. With you and Bob thinking the same, I feel more confident.

Thanbks Guys......Kevin
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Gord
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Re: Mystery Photo

Postby Gord » July 29th, 2008, 4:18 pm

I didn't know Guiseppe Verdi and Roy Scheider were the same man.

Gord

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: Mystery Photo

Postby Richard Kaufman » July 29th, 2008, 7:29 pm

I still think it's Ulysses S. Grant.
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mai-ling
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Re: Mystery Photo

Postby mai-ling » July 29th, 2008, 8:04 pm

woa tonto...

in all my years studying music,
i never seen a young looking verdi.
we only see what the composer looks
like a few years before they die.
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Kevin Connolly
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Re: Mystery Photo

Postby Kevin Connolly » July 29th, 2008, 8:13 pm

No problem Kemosabe. Do a Google search, under images and you'llsee 2 other photos from the same sitting. I would guess they are from the 1850's.

I wish it was Grant too. Oh well. I'll have settle with Joe Green aka Giuseppe Verdi.
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mai-ling
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Re: Mystery Photo

Postby mai-ling » July 29th, 2008, 9:11 pm

Verdi was Opera King...
so settling with Verdi is quite awesome Kevin.

If you got Wagner, I wouldn't know what to say.
Except that his father-in-law Liszt probably gave
him more credibility than the ring cycle.
Oh yeah and Qwill the Wabbit.
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mai-ling
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Re: Mystery Photo

Postby mai-ling » July 29th, 2008, 9:17 pm

oh wait...

Wagner and Houdini would never be in the same room together.
or should I say, wagner would never be in the same room
with Houdini.
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Kevin Connolly
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Re: Mystery Photo

Postby Kevin Connolly » July 29th, 2008, 10:37 pm

Wagner was probably in the same room as Houdini. In Houdini's collection that is!

Verdi may be the opera king, but he's not on a $50 bill. ;)
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Re: Mystery Photo

Postby Richard Hatch » July 29th, 2008, 11:37 pm

The photographer, Disderi, had his studio above the Theatre Robert-Houdin in Paris (8, Boulevard des Italiens) from 1854 onward. In fact, Robert-Houdin's brother-in-law and successor, Hamilton, was his landlord during this period, and several of the most famous images of Robert-Houdin were taken by Disderi.

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mai-ling
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Re: Mystery Photo

Postby mai-ling » July 30th, 2008, 12:27 am

Kevin Connolly wrote:Wagner was probably in the same room as Houdini. In Houdini's collection that is!


you think?

Even though Wagner was a anti-semite.
you will remember my name

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Kevin Connolly
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Re: Mystery Photo

Postby Kevin Connolly » July 30th, 2008, 1:19 am

mai-ling wrote:
Kevin Connolly wrote:Wagner was probably in the same room as Houdini. In Houdini's collection that is!


you think?

Even though Wagner was a anti-semite.




I think he would. He had the second largest theatre collection in the world.
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Kevin Connolly
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Re: Mystery Photo

Postby Kevin Connolly » July 30th, 2008, 1:24 am

Richard...Now that with be great. A Houdin photo with a Houdini inscription. Oofa!
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Kevin Connolly
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Re: Mystery Photo

Postby Kevin Connolly » July 30th, 2008, 9:59 am

Christian puts a bow on the whole thing. Great find!

Great from all...THANKS!

Now....What is the connection with Houdini? A gift to whom?
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mai-ling
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Re: Mystery Photo

Postby mai-ling » July 30th, 2008, 3:35 pm

it is possible that houdini attended
a opera that verdi wrote while he
was on tour.

or during the time when one of verdi's
opera's premiered in paris...

you said houdini had a large collection
of theatre stchuff.

throwing guesses here.
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Jim Roberts
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Re: Mystery Photo

Postby Jim Roberts » July 30th, 2008, 5:39 pm

"Tonight's opening is made possible through the generous checks of Mrs. Claypool. I am sure the strains of Verdi will be returning to us tonight just as Mrs. Claypool's checks will be returning in the morning"-Otis B. Driftwood
Sorry, couldn't resist.
Jim Roberts, The Scrum Mage

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Kevin Connolly
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Re: Mystery Photo

Postby Kevin Connolly » July 31st, 2008, 9:57 am

I think the photo was a gift of some kind. I have had other items that Houdini had given to people and he inscribed them too. Most likely it came from his collection.
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