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What a Spoof!!

18 visible archived posts · 18 preserved total · topic ID 4144

Fred Pittella 28 Jun 2011

What a great trip!!
Thanks to John,Mark,Josh,Sara,Clyde,Gordon,Carl and Harry
Can't thank everyone enough!!!!

John Bushey 29 Jun 2011

My sincere thanks to Joshua and Sarah Ohlmeier for putting up with 3 guys who stayed up until all hours of the early morning, and then kept going during the day. Thank you both. Fred, Mark, and I headed out from Minneapolis/St. Paul after seeing a few magic shops up there.
We arrived in Kansas City Wed. night, only to keep Joshua up most of the night looking at his collection. The next day we bummed around, and then visited Clyde Lowe and his wife Thursday night. Another Great handcuff collection, and lots of paper for Fred and I to look at. I becamce a little overly excited when finding a variant pitchbook, which Clyde so generously presented to me as a gift. Thank you Clyde. We had a lot of fun, and got a few photos in his jail cell.
Friday we headed to Clairmore, OK to visit the J. M. Davis Gun museum, and my advice is for every handcuff collector in the world to go see this place. Thank you Mark Lundblad for suggesting this trip. Not only did we spend time with the curator explaining the many errors on the handcuffs section, but then there were the 13,000 guns to look at. Many hundreds of Beer Steins, John Rogers Statues, cannons, swords, and even a tank. The curator was more than kind in letting us go drive the tank around town---OK---we didn't even climb inside, but did get our photo on top of the tank. Great place. That side trip included Fred, Mark, Myself, and Joshua. IT was the ride home the trip started getting blurry for me from lack of sleep.
I know we again stayed up late, and got up early to head for St. Louis to visit Karl Grice.
We met Karl, Harry Monti, and Gordon Gluff in St. Louis so those three, Mark, Fred, Joshua, Sarah, and myself spent the afternoon looking at more handcuffs, and an even more impressive and beautiful home that Karl designed. Absolutely incredible. I'd like to hire him to design my handcuff boards. We stayed the night after eating dinner, and a severe thunderstorm didn't even slow us down in the lobby of the hotel. The next morning we all headed our separate ways home. Mark Lundblad and I stopped at an old time magicians home, and he was quite the salesman. I bought a canary vanishing cage, and a dove vanishing box, and don't even own birds.
I must have been tired. Mark also bought a nice trick, and one that Houdini did. Then, we purchased a small handcuff collection as well.

thanks to everyone: Fred Pittella, Harry Monti, Karl Grice, Clyde Lowe and his wife, Joshua and Sarah Ohlmeier, Mark Lundblad, and of course Malachi and April who I did a little magic for one evening. I have most pics of the gill collection, and will post some tomorrow. Also, the cuff collection I bought is for sale. So, I'll be posting some of those. Watch for those auctions or offers here on the forum. Thanks again, John

FredP 29 Jun 2011

Anonymous 29 Jun 2011

Tanks A Lot for the photos!

John Bushey 29 Jun 2011

Ok Kevin, and other Houdini experts.
Is this Houdini's handwriting or not?? This would significantly change the history of
this handcuff according to my research if it is. Sure surprised me. Let me know you opinion.
More photos tonight. Thanks again Josh and Sarah, and Fred, Mark, Gordon, Karl, Clyde, and everyone! John

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John Bushey 30 Jun 2011

Hello,
Here are a few photos of the Gill Collection and other rare pieces we saw on our expedition throught the blistering heat, pOuring rain, and
endless hours in Mark's car. Enjoy, John Bushey

BURDICK HANDCUFFS AND LEG IRONS

RARE MALTBY WITH DOUBLE ROW OF NOTCHES

SHEFFIELD PATTERN HIATT FLEXIBLE HANDCUFF

JAILERS BELT WITH ALL SCANDI JAIL KEYS STILL INTACT!

JOSHUA, jOHN, AND FRED PLAYING ON A TANK!

ONE OF DOZENS AND DOZENS OF CASES OF GUNS AT THE MUSEUM.

ONE CASE OF THE GILL COLLECTION

ONE CASE OF THE GILL COLLECTION

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Damon Shields 30 Jun 2011

Is there any truth to the rumor that you guys climbed the tank to get away from a bear?

Great photos--keep them coming.

Damon

Mark Lyons 30 Jun 2011

I heard that the tank was filled to the brim with water and that Fred opened the top hatch, splashing around, still looking for Mario Manzini.

mark
O--O

Mark Lyons 30 Jun 2011

ps, I LOVE the swing beside Guiteau cuff in the case!

Fred Pittella 30 Jun 2011

#10

Still looking for Mario Mark!!!

Ron Spitz 30 Jun 2011

#11

Great pictures and a great collection. I stopped there on my way home from the Indy show. There are several miss-marked items which I'm sure you pointed out to the Curator. I also spent some time with him and and he took many notes on the label errors.

The actual cards were to original cards printed by Gill for his display, so I don't think they should be changed for the history of the collection.

Other items included black hoods and the upper part of the noose used to cover the face and hand the convicted. Gill made the hoods and nooses and bought them back to display in his collection with the information on the person hanged.

Gill had been trying to sell the collection since the IRS was after him for non payment of taxes. He finally came across Davis who purchased the collection which is not on display in Claremore, OK.

This is all before Gill started making his own handcuffs.

Ron

Mark Lyons 30 Jun 2011

#12

Fred,
The last place Mario was spotted, was in the wedding banquet room next door to the convention.
Maybe is is still with the newlyweds on their honeymoon!

mark
O--O

Nils 30 Jun 2011

#13

Very nice! Sounds like a lot of fun. Great pics.

I like the way the cuffs are spaced out.

Gordon 02 Jul 2011

#14

When we were looking at Karl's handuff collection we found a handcuff that
we had never seen before, and did not know existed.It was a Peerless copy marked George Cake. The thumbcuff marked George Cake is rather common, but the handcuff puzzled us. Anyone familar with this handcuff ?

Gordon

clyde lowe 02 Jul 2011

#15

Gordon, I have seen a pair also. I believe I remember hearing they were actually manuf. by JayPee, most of his products were made by other companies and then stamped Gearge Cakes.

Kevin Connolly 02 Jul 2011

#16

John...I would say it is not Houdini's handwriting. It's close, but not quite right.

John Bushey 03 Jul 2011

#17

Hi,
The gang at karl Grice's home. Joshua and Sarah Ohlmeier, Harry Monti, Karl Grice, Mark Lundblad, Gordon Gluff, Fred Pittella, and John Bushey

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John BUshey 03 Jul 2011

#18

HI,
After deciding that some of the Gill collection should be in our private collections we all found separate entry points into the
display cases and were caught. Well, they threw us all in the same cell. Luckily, Clyde low had a key for the lock (see his right hand)
and we escaped. hahaha. This was actually from our visit to Clyde's home, and he graciously let us get a photo in his jail cell. And if you know the
secret there is even a way out of the cell! Thanks again Clyde for your hospitality. John
John, Josuha, Clyde, and Freddy in cell.

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