Some thoughts on Houdini Berliner

As most of you know, I'm not knowledgeable on Houdini in any aspects. I still find his cuffs very interesting.

I have spent a few hours looking through and comparing photos of Berliner cuffs. In one of the
Handcuff Annuals, a fellow collector showed his Houdini Berliner which was his favorite cuff of the year.
I found another photo of a similar Berliner which a German escape artist, Hilmar, didn't manage to escape from
in Wintergarten, Germany in 1900. The picture can be found in Houdini's book Handcuff Secrets.

The appearance to both the Hilmar cuff and the Houdini cuff felt very familiar and I started to compare to other
pictures of Berliner cuffs and the few I have in my own collection.

I then realized that both of them must be altered Mühlenfeld Berliner. I know of three variations on the Mühlenfeld
Berliner; one without clevis (belt loop), one with a squared clevis (like the one on the Dortmunder) and finally one
with a smaller and rounded clevis, which I have in my own collection.

Both the Houdini Berliner and the Hilmar cuff looks like altered Mühlenfeld Berliner. On the Houdini Berliner it
seems like a top is welded on the top of the cuff and on the Hilmar cuff a tube is attached to the top. Compare the
general design and the details and let me know your thoughts.

Lars

www.holstcollection.com


My Mühlenfeld Berliner


Michael Busch's Mühlenfeld Berliner

Hi Lars,

I do not believe the key pictured with the "Hilmar Berliner" is actually the key to the cuff. The key shown is double bitted but has multiple cuts down either side not in the manner of warded locks but very much like German made double bitted lever padlock keys.

In fact, I believe Houdini, when taking this picture for his own publication, placed a complicated looking double bitted lever padlock key next to the cuff in oder to make it appear that it had a far more complex of a lock then it really did.

This would not be the first time Houdini had "posed" things to give a certain impression. Knowing how Berliner cuffs function internally, I do not think the cuff was fitted with such a locking mechanism.

As for the tuble like "nozzle" fitted to the cuff... I believe this tube perhaps functioned like an old time "chamber lock." Meaning that the key would enter one way in the opening of the tube but would then be required to make another turn inside the tube to drop down into the actual handcuff lock.

This is really simple security but it would require a Berliner key with a longer shaft. Meaning, if most "Handcuff Kings" back then were simply using the original keys to escape similiar cuffs they may encounter a regular Berliner key would not be long enough to navigate the tube and reach the lock.

Once again, simple security but functional if Houdini believed al lthese guys were doing was using original factory made keys to get out of cuffs.

Cheers, Steve Santini

As most of you know, I'm not knowledgeable on Houdini in any aspects. I still find his cuffs very interesting.

I have spent a few hours looking through and comparing photos of Berliner cuffs. In one of the
Handcuff Annuals, a fellow collector showed his Houdini Berliner which was his favorite cuff of the year.
I found another photo of a similar Berliner which a German escape artist, Hilmar, didn't manage to escape from
in Wintergarten, Germany in 1900. The picture can be found in Houdini's book Handcuff Secrets.

The appearance to both the Hilmar cuff and the Houdini cuff felt very familiar and I started to compare to other
pictures of Berliner cuffs and the few I have in my own collection.

I then realized that both of them must be altered Mühlenfeld Berliner. I know of three variations on the Mühlenfeld
Berliner; one without clevis (belt loop), one with a squared clevis (like the one on the Dortmunder) and finally one
with a smaller and rounded clevis, which I have in my own collection.

Both the Houdini Berliner and the Hilmar cuff looks like altered Mühlenfeld Berliner. On the Houdini Berliner it
seems like a top is welded on the top of the cuff and on the Hilmar cuff a tube is attached to the top. Compare the
general design and the details and let me know your thoughts.

Lars

www.holstcollection.com


My Mühlenfeld Berliner


Michael Busch's Mühlenfeld Berliner

Click to expand...

Hi Steve,

Thanks a lot for your input! Showing a more complicated key than needed makes a lot of sense as it looks much more complicated and
adds magic to the performer.

The key for the Houdini Berliner on the other hand is not that complicated, rather even simpler than the original key.

My basic thoughts was not really about the locks themselves but my believes that these two Berliner basically are altered
Mühlenfeld Berliner.

If you agree to my assumption, the following question is by who or whom the cuffs were altered? Were they factory made or did
someone do it on behalf of the escape artists? What do you think?

Cheers,

Lars

As most of you know, I'm not knowledgeable on Houdini in any aspects. I still find his cuffs very interesting.

I have spent a few hours looking through and comparing photos of Berliner cuffs. In one of the
Handcuff Annuals, a fellow collector showed his Houdini Berliner which was his favorite cuff of the year.
I found another photo of a similar Berliner which a German escape artist, Hilmar, didn't manage to escape from
in Wintergarten, Germany in 1900. The picture can be found in Houdini's book Handcuff Secrets.

The appearance to both the Hilmar cuff and the Houdini cuff felt very familiar and I started to compare to other
pictures of Berliner cuffs and the few I have in my own collection.

I then realized that both of them must be altered Mühlenfeld Berliner. I know of three variations on the Mühlenfeld
Berliner; one without clevis (belt loop), one with a squared clevis (like the one on the Dortmunder) and finally one
with a smaller and rounded clevis, which I have in my own collection.

Both the Houdini Berliner and the Hilmar cuff looks like altered Mühlenfeld Berliner. On the Houdini Berliner it
seems like a top is welded on the top of the cuff and on the Hilmar cuff a tube is attached to the top. Compare the
general design and the details and let me know your thoughts.

Lars

www.holstcollection.com


My Mühlenfeld Berliner


Michael Busch's Mühlenfeld Berliner

Click to expand...

Hi Lars,

It is just my opinion but I tend to believe that it was the escape artist or a locksmith/machinist he knew who did the modifications.

Houdini had many cuffs that he had altered to destroy other escape artists. Usually this was achieved by merely changing the cuff so it would take a non standard key.

In doing this, Houdini was assured that he and he alone would have such a duplicate key and any other escape artist who for instance owned a set of Berliners would only have the usual factory key and not be able to open the cuffs.

I do not think the factory would have made such a cuff because if the factory did in fact come up with a "high security" special key version one would think they would not just make one of them but instead would offer such a cuff to police and prison services. We do not see such cuffs offered for sale in any of the company literature.

Cheers, Steve

As most of you know, I'm not knowledgeable on Houdini in any aspects. I still find his cuffs very interesting.

I have spent a few hours looking through and comparing photos of Berliner cuffs. In one of the
Handcuff Annuals, a fellow collector showed his Houdini Berliner which was his favorite cuff of the year.
I found another photo of a similar Berliner which a German escape artist, Hilmar, didn't manage to escape from
in Wintergarten, Germany in 1900. The picture can be found in Houdini's book Handcuff Secrets.

The appearance to both the Hilmar cuff and the Houdini cuff felt very familiar and I started to compare to other
pictures of Berliner cuffs and the few I have in my own collection.

I then realized that both of them must be altered Mühlenfeld Berliner. I know of three variations on the Mühlenfeld
Berliner; one without clevis (belt loop), one with a squared clevis (like the one on the Dortmunder) and finally one
with a smaller and rounded clevis, which I have in my own collection.

Both the Houdini Berliner and the Hilmar cuff looks like altered Mühlenfeld Berliner. On the Houdini Berliner it
seems like a top is welded on the top of the cuff and on the Hilmar cuff a tube is attached to the top. Compare the
general design and the details and let me know your thoughts.

Lars

www.holstcollection.com


My Mühlenfeld Berliner


Michael Busch's Mühlenfeld Berliner

Click to expand...

Hi Steve,

It sounds very likely that the factory didn't offer these cuffs in a "high security" version but they were modified by a machinist/locksmith.

As I know there are two existing Bean Giant cuffs altered in a similar way, one is a barrel version and the other takes a key with altered bits.
If another escape artist put them on, a standard Bean Giant key wouldn't help them open the cuffs.

My general intention with this posting was to show the original cuffs together with two altered Berliner that turned out to be Mühlenfeld Berliner from the beginning.

In Handcuff Secrets, Houdini states the Berliner were made in four styles, I wonder what four styles he was thinking of? Maybe he thought
of the different shapes to the lock house; squared, oval, round etc. Despite from that, all Berliner I know of have the same general
construction - that's what makes them a Berliner.


Cheers,

Lars

As most of you know, I'm not knowledgeable on Houdini in any aspects. I still find his cuffs very interesting.

I have spent a few hours looking through and comparing photos of Berliner cuffs. In one of the
Handcuff Annuals, a fellow collector showed his Houdini Berliner which was his favorite cuff of the year.
I found another photo of a similar Berliner which a German escape artist, Hilmar, didn't manage to escape from
in Wintergarten, Germany in 1900. The picture can be found in Houdini's book Handcuff Secrets.

The appearance to both the Hilmar cuff and the Houdini cuff felt very familiar and I started to compare to other
pictures of Berliner cuffs and the few I have in my own collection.

I then realized that both of them must be altered Mühlenfeld Berliner. I know of three variations on the Mühlenfeld
Berliner; one without clevis (belt loop), one with a squared clevis (like the one on the Dortmunder) and finally one
with a smaller and rounded clevis, which I have in my own collection.

Both the Houdini Berliner and the Hilmar cuff looks like altered Mühlenfeld Berliner. On the Houdini Berliner it
seems like a top is welded on the top of the cuff and on the Hilmar cuff a tube is attached to the top. Compare the
general design and the details and let me know your thoughts.

Lars

www.holstcollection.com


My Mühlenfeld Berliner


Michael Busch's Mühlenfeld Berliner

Click to expand...

Hi Lars,

If there is one constant thing we see where Houdini is concerned it is that he made stories up all of the time.

About his accomplishments, about locks, about cuffs, etc, etc.

The reasons for this were two fold.

Part of it may be due to general ignorance of facts he himself did not know and the other part we have to assign to pure showmanship.

Knowing Houdini, it is very likely that the various styles of Berliner he mentions may have even included one of his own making!

While we today know of various "letitimate" forms of Berliners he in his time may actually have not encountered all of the factory made variations.

Cheers, Steve

As most of you know, I'm not knowledgeable on Houdini in any aspects. I still find his cuffs very interesting.

I have spent a few hours looking through and comparing photos of Berliner cuffs. In one of the
Handcuff Annuals, a fellow collector showed his Houdini Berliner which was his favorite cuff of the year.
I found another photo of a similar Berliner which a German escape artist, Hilmar, didn't manage to escape from
in Wintergarten, Germany in 1900. The picture can be found in Houdini's book Handcuff Secrets.

The appearance to both the Hilmar cuff and the Houdini cuff felt very familiar and I started to compare to other
pictures of Berliner cuffs and the few I have in my own collection.

I then realized that both of them must be altered Mühlenfeld Berliner. I know of three variations on the Mühlenfeld
Berliner; one without clevis (belt loop), one with a squared clevis (like the one on the Dortmunder) and finally one
with a smaller and rounded clevis, which I have in my own collection.

Both the Houdini Berliner and the Hilmar cuff looks like altered Mühlenfeld Berliner. On the Houdini Berliner it
seems like a top is welded on the top of the cuff and on the Hilmar cuff a tube is attached to the top. Compare the
general design and the details and let me know your thoughts.

Lars

www.holstcollection.com


My Mühlenfeld Berliner


Michael Busch's Mühlenfeld Berliner

Click to expand...

In fact, I believe Houdini, when taking this picture for his own publication, placed a complicated looking double bitted lever padlock key next to the cuff in oder to make it appear that it had a far more complex of a lock then it really did.


Keep in mind that Houdini never had or saw the key to these cuffs.
These were presented to him during his slander tial by the bailiff and opened in front of the judge to prove that he was actually opening the cuffs as opposed to "tricking the fair citizens of Cologne".
One of Houdini's assistants removed the cuffs from behind the judges table and gave them to Houdini once the fanfare died down.
It is believed that Hardeen or Nugent may have made this key.

As most of you know, I'm not knowledgeable on Houdini in any aspects. I still find his cuffs very interesting.

I have spent a few hours looking through and comparing photos of Berliner cuffs. In one of the
Handcuff Annuals, a fellow collector showed his Houdini Berliner which was his favorite cuff of the year.
I found another photo of a similar Berliner which a German escape artist, Hilmar, didn't manage to escape from
in Wintergarten, Germany in 1900. The picture can be found in Houdini's book Handcuff Secrets.

The appearance to both the Hilmar cuff and the Houdini cuff felt very familiar and I started to compare to other
pictures of Berliner cuffs and the few I have in my own collection.

I then realized that both of them must be altered Mühlenfeld Berliner. I know of three variations on the Mühlenfeld
Berliner; one without clevis (belt loop), one with a squared clevis (like the one on the Dortmunder) and finally one
with a smaller and rounded clevis, which I have in my own collection.

Both the Houdini Berliner and the Hilmar cuff looks like altered Mühlenfeld Berliner. On the Houdini Berliner it
seems like a top is welded on the top of the cuff and on the Hilmar cuff a tube is attached to the top. Compare the
general design and the details and let me know your thoughts.

Lars

www.holstcollection.com


My Mühlenfeld Berliner


Michael Busch's Mühlenfeld Berliner

Click to expand...

IF we could prove Houdini was telling the truth and these are in fact the cuffs you mention. Problem is we can't on either point but once one knows how a Berliner lock works it is obvious the key pictured with them could NOT be the correct key to these cuffs.

S.S.

As most of you know, I'm not knowledgeable on Houdini in any aspects. I still find his cuffs very interesting.

I have spent a few hours looking through and comparing photos of Berliner cuffs. In one of the
Handcuff Annuals, a fellow collector showed his Houdini Berliner which was his favorite cuff of the year.
I found another photo of a similar Berliner which a German escape artist, Hilmar, didn't manage to escape from
in Wintergarten, Germany in 1900. The picture can be found in Houdini's book Handcuff Secrets.

The appearance to both the Hilmar cuff and the Houdini cuff felt very familiar and I started to compare to other
pictures of Berliner cuffs and the few I have in my own collection.

I then realized that both of them must be altered Mühlenfeld Berliner. I know of three variations on the Mühlenfeld
Berliner; one without clevis (belt loop), one with a squared clevis (like the one on the Dortmunder) and finally one
with a smaller and rounded clevis, which I have in my own collection.

Both the Houdini Berliner and the Hilmar cuff looks like altered Mühlenfeld Berliner. On the Houdini Berliner it
seems like a top is welded on the top of the cuff and on the Hilmar cuff a tube is attached to the top. Compare the
general design and the details and let me know your thoughts.

Lars

www.holstcollection.com


My Mühlenfeld Berliner


Michael Busch's Mühlenfeld Berliner

Click to expand...

I beg to differ. The key in the photo WORKS perfectly in the cuffs!!!!!!!!!!

As most of you know, I'm not knowledgeable on Houdini in any aspects. I still find his cuffs very interesting.

I have spent a few hours looking through and comparing photos of Berliner cuffs. In one of the
Handcuff Annuals, a fellow collector showed his Houdini Berliner which was his favorite cuff of the year.
I found another photo of a similar Berliner which a German escape artist, Hilmar, didn't manage to escape from
in Wintergarten, Germany in 1900. The picture can be found in Houdini's book Handcuff Secrets.

The appearance to both the Hilmar cuff and the Houdini cuff felt very familiar and I started to compare to other
pictures of Berliner cuffs and the few I have in my own collection.

I then realized that both of them must be altered Mühlenfeld Berliner. I know of three variations on the Mühlenfeld
Berliner; one without clevis (belt loop), one with a squared clevis (like the one on the Dortmunder) and finally one
with a smaller and rounded clevis, which I have in my own collection.

Both the Houdini Berliner and the Hilmar cuff looks like altered Mühlenfeld Berliner. On the Houdini Berliner it
seems like a top is welded on the top of the cuff and on the Hilmar cuff a tube is attached to the top. Compare the
general design and the details and let me know your thoughts.

Lars

www.holstcollection.com


My Mühlenfeld Berliner


Michael Busch's Mühlenfeld Berliner

Click to expand...

Morris,

You claim the key works the Berliner cuff perfectly. May I ask, which one of them are you referring to?
Do you mean "Houdini Berliner" or the "Hilmar Berliner"?

Do you own any of the cuffs or know the owner or is it just an assumption?


/Lars

As most of you know, I'm not knowledgeable on Houdini in any aspects. I still find his cuffs very interesting.

I have spent a few hours looking through and comparing photos of Berliner cuffs. In one of the
Handcuff Annuals, a fellow collector showed his Houdini Berliner which was his favorite cuff of the year.
I found another photo of a similar Berliner which a German escape artist, Hilmar, didn't manage to escape from
in Wintergarten, Germany in 1900. The picture can be found in Houdini's book Handcuff Secrets.

The appearance to both the Hilmar cuff and the Houdini cuff felt very familiar and I started to compare to other
pictures of Berliner cuffs and the few I have in my own collection.

I then realized that both of them must be altered Mühlenfeld Berliner. I know of three variations on the Mühlenfeld
Berliner; one without clevis (belt loop), one with a squared clevis (like the one on the Dortmunder) and finally one
with a smaller and rounded clevis, which I have in my own collection.

Both the Houdini Berliner and the Hilmar cuff looks like altered Mühlenfeld Berliner. On the Houdini Berliner it
seems like a top is welded on the top of the cuff and on the Hilmar cuff a tube is attached to the top. Compare the
general design and the details and let me know your thoughts.

Lars

www.holstcollection.com


My Mühlenfeld Berliner


Michael Busch's Mühlenfeld Berliner

Click to expand...

Lars,

I was at one of the Cannon Conventions and got to handle the cuff.
We are talking about the Houdini cuff.
There is a magazine called the Virginia State Trooper (or close to that) and Hardeen was intervieed. I believe this is 1949. In the discussion, Hardeen asked Houdini what is the cuff and why does it not have a key?
Houdini replies, this is the only cuff like it in the world and I had to pick it open in the court room in Cologne in front of the judge.
Th quote is not perfectly quoted and is from memory. I can quote this acurately if desired.
At some time after this went to press a key was made for these cuffs.

As most of you know, I'm not knowledgeable on Houdini in any aspects. I still find his cuffs very interesting.

I have spent a few hours looking through and comparing photos of Berliner cuffs. In one of the
Handcuff Annuals, a fellow collector showed his Houdini Berliner which was his favorite cuff of the year.
I found another photo of a similar Berliner which a German escape artist, Hilmar, didn't manage to escape from
in Wintergarten, Germany in 1900. The picture can be found in Houdini's book Handcuff Secrets.

The appearance to both the Hilmar cuff and the Houdini cuff felt very familiar and I started to compare to other
pictures of Berliner cuffs and the few I have in my own collection.

I then realized that both of them must be altered Mühlenfeld Berliner. I know of three variations on the Mühlenfeld
Berliner; one without clevis (belt loop), one with a squared clevis (like the one on the Dortmunder) and finally one
with a smaller and rounded clevis, which I have in my own collection.

Both the Houdini Berliner and the Hilmar cuff looks like altered Mühlenfeld Berliner. On the Houdini Berliner it
seems like a top is welded on the top of the cuff and on the Hilmar cuff a tube is attached to the top. Compare the
general design and the details and let me know your thoughts.

Lars

www.holstcollection.com


My Mühlenfeld Berliner


Michael Busch's Mühlenfeld Berliner

Click to expand...

My previous posts on this thread refer to the Hilmar Berliner and NOT the Houdini Berliner.

And I stand by my belief that the key shown photographed with the cuffs is not the key that actually opens them, (The Hilmar Berliner).

Steve Santini

As most of you know, I'm not knowledgeable on Houdini in any aspects. I still find his cuffs very interesting.

I have spent a few hours looking through and comparing photos of Berliner cuffs. In one of the
Handcuff Annuals, a fellow collector showed his Houdini Berliner which was his favorite cuff of the year.
I found another photo of a similar Berliner which a German escape artist, Hilmar, didn't manage to escape from
in Wintergarten, Germany in 1900. The picture can be found in Houdini's book Handcuff Secrets.

The appearance to both the Hilmar cuff and the Houdini cuff felt very familiar and I started to compare to other
pictures of Berliner cuffs and the few I have in my own collection.

I then realized that both of them must be altered Mühlenfeld Berliner. I know of three variations on the Mühlenfeld
Berliner; one without clevis (belt loop), one with a squared clevis (like the one on the Dortmunder) and finally one
with a smaller and rounded clevis, which I have in my own collection.

Both the Houdini Berliner and the Hilmar cuff looks like altered Mühlenfeld Berliner. On the Houdini Berliner it
seems like a top is welded on the top of the cuff and on the Hilmar cuff a tube is attached to the top. Compare the
general design and the details and let me know your thoughts.

Lars

www.holstcollection.com


My Mühlenfeld Berliner


Michael Busch's Mühlenfeld Berliner

Click to expand...

Hi, I don't think the double bitted key is the right key for the pictured nozzled cuff. Berliner are not complicated and the key is wider than the nozzle.

Ian

I don't know how I missed out on this discussion when it was fresh in 2012.
As being the current owner of these cuffs, I am honored to have these historical cuffs and am always amazed that over 100 years later, they are still being discussed.

 http://harryhoudinicircumstantialeviden ... ment-95354

They were being discussed back in 2012 but not now. 

Ian McColl wrote: ↑

Jul 04, 2021

They were being discussed back in 2012 but not now. 

Why does such a limited response such as this, not surprise me?  Have a happy 4th of July! 

.

Magnificent cuffs

Mark, congrats on owning these cuffs!! What an addition to your collection. Great story. I am a big fan of Houdini (have been since a kid), and I would love to hear (and see) more stories about cuffs that are related to Houdini! Please share. Thanks.

MattGuz wrote: ↑

Jul 05, 2021

Mark, congrats on owning these cuffs!!  What an addition to your collection. Great story. I am a big fan of Houdini (have been since a kid), and I would love to hear (and see) more stories about cuffs that are related to Houdini!  Please share. Thanks.

Thank you for the kind words.
I will share a little more about these cuffs.

Hardeen (Houdini's brother) was to destroy all the property once Houdini died but this never happened.
If it did, it was a small percentage of the total inheritance.  
Some of the items went to Sid Radner and was resold at auction about 15 years ago. This contained some handcuffs but mostly posters, pictures, autographs, magic apparatus and much more.
Another grouping of handcuffs was sold to A Nugent.  The collection was resold to a Dr. Wresch in 1954 and around the new century, sold to Joe Tanner and then a few years later, some of the items went to me. 

Nugent is pictured with some of the collection he put on display and while the German Slander Trial Cuffs are not shown, he did include them on post cards that he was selling at the time.  When Dr. Wresch acquired the collection, he did one up from a postcard, he published a pamphlet with had larger (not necessarily better) pictures which he sold to high school and college students when he traveled around to show the collection off.

Nugent (shown below) does show 2 Bean Giant cuffs.  One is in my collection and the other is another FABULOUS collection east of the Mississippi.  They too have a Houdini historical story but this topic will come about some other time.

Some letters from Edward Saint, discusses the transfer of ownership from Hardeen to Nugent and Nugent to Wresch





Dr. Wresch's table banner that was part of his display.

Number 3 is interesting and (mis)labeled as “German Berliner Belt and Cuffs”. What we see is a Mühlenfeld waist chain with Model 115 cuffs attached. The waist chain has a lock in the same design as the top of a Mühlenfeld Berliner. Extremely rare! I don’t know of a single specimen in a private collection. The waist chain with handcuffs has the model number 315 in the Mühlenfeld catalogue.

A German Berliner Belt is a normal Berliner attached to a soft belt (not a chain).

Lars 

holstcollection wrote: ↑

Jul 05, 2021

Number 3 is interesting and (mis)labeled as “German Berliner Belt and Cuffs”. What we see is a Mühlenfeld waist chain with Model 115 cuffs attached. The waist chain has a lock in the same design as the top of a Mühlenfeld Berliner. Extremely rare! I don’t know of a single specimen in a private collection.

A German Berliner Belt is a normal Berliner attached to a soft belt (not a chain).

Lars 

I believe Gino Munari has this at his Houdini Museum in Vegas.  

Number 5 is clearly not a figure 8 neck collar, so why call it a plug eight? Maybe plug zero?  Funny!!

Mark, thank you for posting all of this fascinating information!! Truly appreciated. Congrats again on having these cuffs in your collection. Very envious. The Houdini connection (to me) makes it so valuable.

MattGuz wrote: ↑

Jul 06, 2021

Mark, thank you for posting all of this fascinating information!!  Truly appreciated. Congrats again on having these cuffs in your collection. Very envious. The Houdini connection (to me) makes it so valuable.

You are too kind.
It pleases me that you like my posting about this cuff.  I have spent some time researching this topic and am all too happy to share what I could find.
On a trip to Cologne, Germany, (European Handcuff Convention) I was able to stop by what I am pretty sure was the court house where the 3 trials occurred. 
I thank Guenter and Petra for their immense hospitality and their willingness to take a side trip to go "Houdini Hunting" with me.



From all that I could tell, this is the court house where it all happened.  It was closed this day as it was a weekend and if memory serves me right, it is now some sort of a financial office for the city.



I am happy to report that I had to throw my pants away as I have lost 40 pound or more since I posed for this pic.  This picture shows me at my heaviest.  Too many delicious pretzels in this part of town, I guess!

Awesome! My wife gave me a poster of that same image of Houdini in the courtroom. Great info. I concur that the pretzels in Germany are pretty good. Thanks for the additional info Mark! Good luck on adding to your collection!

I dug up a little more info on Arthur W. Nugent Jr.
His father, who was Arthur Nugent Sr. was a cartoonist and was a friend of Houdini and was known to have played cards with him. (I am not sure if that was a good decision, especially if there were any bets made).  This was certainly the connection that Nugent Jr. had available to get his collection from Hardeen.
Nugent Sr. wrote and drew Funland in the comic section of about 100 syndicated newspapers, since 1931.  Nugent Jr. assisted his father in this endeavor for many years.  They featured puzzles, dot games and other thinking games under the moniker of "Uncle Nugent".

https://www.nytimes.com/1975/03/27/arch ... -dead.html

Holy cow! I had no idea. Now it becomes clear as to the connection between Nugent Jr and Hardeen, as you point out. Fascinating info. You’ve definitely acquired a great deal of info on the backstory with Houdini’s cuff collection. Much appreciated!

Found this on eBay, so I had to have it.
These have a Blue Book value at over $100 in the comic book world so $30 for this one was cheap.
Whenever the time comes when I sell off the Berliner, the buyer will appreciate getting this comic book as a value added bonus.



Nugent Sr. did these in 1945 and did these 2 other books under A.W. Nugent Publishing Co.








If anyone is interested, you can can read these comics online here  Circus of Fun Comics 1 (A.W. Nugent Publishing Co) (comicbookplus.com)

It takes a little navigation involved to get there but it is there for you to enjoy.