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The delightful set of 4 vehicles come in a display box and features.
The Chevrolet - 'The Houdini's'
The Model A - 'Harry Houdini King of Cards'
The Bullnose - 'Master of Mystery'
The Model T - 'Houdini'
Houdini died October 31st 1926 75 years ago. He was born on March 24th 1874 in Budapest of Hungarian and German parents. His father was in fact a Rabbi and they were very poor. Houdini started life as a shoe shine boy earning money towards the family keep. At the age of 13, he moved to New York earning and sending money home whenever he could. However, the move to New York was to change his life and introduce him to the world of magic! His first magic shows consisted of cards and other simple tricks and Houdini called himself 'The King of Cards'. Pretty soon, Houdini began experimenting with handcuffs and using them in his act and by this time, he had an accomplice and they called themselves the Houdini Brothers, performing small escape acts.
n 1894 Houdini was to get married and his wife Bess travelled with him taking the place of his partner as part of the act. (like Black Bess did with Dick Turpin). Houdini became well know and invented the challenge escape act. The concept of the escape artist is born!
Houdini began offering rewards to anyone who could restrain him - first in handcuffs but later in all manner of objects, leg irons, jails, a mail sack packing crates, a giant paper bag (without tearing it) and of course the legendary straight jacket being tied with a hundred feet of rope. He would escape in full view of the audience.
To draw crowds and sell tickets, Houdini would do escape challenges often at police stations in front of newspapers reporters, assuming a headline story. He was soon booked as a 'challenge escape artist' a new form of entertainment. Houdini was by now conquering the world!
He went to Europe in the year 1900. On his return to the United States, he was a bigger star than ever in the country he loved. Soon he was criss-crossing the Atlantic on a regular basis. By now, Houdini was inventing and performing more and more dangerous tricks, one of which was the underwater packing box escape with tremendous publicity.
IThen came the Chinese water torture cell. He was also the greatest illusionist of the day, making the largest object known at the time to disappear, an elephant named Jenny. The act was performed in 1918 at the Hippodrome - New York. Jenny's weight was 10,000 lbs.
Houdini's life was very fulfilled. It included films of his great escapes and he was the only magician to appear in 5 films and In addition, a full length movie was made about Houdini. He went on to be honoured with his 'hand prints' in cement outside the Los Angeles Chinese Theatre.
On October 22nd and 1926 whilst performing in Montreal, a young man came back stage and asked him if he could withstand punches to the stomach as he had heard. Unfortunately, before Houdini could prepare his stomach muscles the young athlete began punching him in the middle of his stomach. Sadly, Houdini's appendix was ruptured. Houdini did several more shows in Canada before heading home where he collapsed. The greatest 'ghost buster' of all time died on October 31st 1926 - Halloween!
Not, as many believed, in a failed escape!
Houdini will be remembered as the greatest escapologist of all and his great human deeds involved his care for other magicians and the upkeep of their graves around the world.
Houdini not only earned a place in history, but the dictionary as well!
The models come in a four piece gift box.
To buy this set enter TAFFS
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