By the 1990s, many of Houdini's artifacts were loaned to the Houdini Historical Center in Appleton, Wisconsin, where he spent his youth.
In 1991, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Kenneth Silverman met with Sid Radner to learn more about the master of illusion and his life. Mr. Silverman held a fascination for magic. He indicated that prior books on Houdini focused more on his tricks than on him. The project has been in progress for seven years and was curtailed due to insufficient information. However, hearing of Sid Radner, as a subject-matter expert, rekindled his interest. It was anticipated that it would take an additional three years to complete the project due to Mr. Silverman's extensive travel to sites where Houdini performed.
The 1993 seance, held on the 67th anniversary of Houdini's death, was held in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was another attempt to raise Houdini's spirit.
In 1997, Sid Radner appeared in a television documentary entitled "Houdini, People Came To See Him Die." The program was broadcast on the Discovery Channel. Several experts were interviewed, along with archival photos and footage of Houdini's exploits.
In 2002, Houdini was honored as his image was placed on a 37¢ postage stamp.
2004 proved to be a bittersweet year for Sid Radner. After a falling-out with the Houdini Historical Center in Appleton, Wisconsin, Mr. Radner removed the 1,000-piece collection. He moved it to Las Vegas, Nevada, where it would be auctioned at the Liberace Museum. The auctioneer was a Holyoke native and Longmeadow resident, William Firestone. The collection was broken up and acquired by successful bidders from around the world.
The auction was scheduled the day before the annual Houdini seance, also scheduled in Las Vegas. Sid Radner was asked if he felt Houdini would appear, and he replied, "I don't think so. But if he does, I want to be there. Miracles happen...After all, the Red Sox won the World Series."
Citations:
Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; Springfield (Massachusetts) Republican; publication dates and pages are shown.
No comments:
Post a Comment