Houdini Vacation

In planning my trip to Munster Germany for the Handcuff Convention, I decided to book an 8 day scenic river cruise on the Danube River in Austria. The trip which turned out to be very wonderful started out in Budapest, Hungary.
The trip had several options and was finalized early in the summer. Several days elapsed since I signed the paperwork when I awoke in the middle of the night when it occurred to me that I was about to travel to Houdini's birthplace.

I never seen a picture or recalled any kind of tribute to Houdini so I mailed the tourism board in Budapest to see if there was a statue, plaque, or marker anywhere in the city. They replied that unfortunately there was none.

I wondered how could the greatest showman of all time not have anything honoring him. They offered no help.

A quick look at John Cox's Wild About Houdini turned up a copy of a birth certificate which lists the address of Houdini's first home. This certificate was obtained from records in Budapest.



It is interesting to see the name "Erik" on the certificate instead of "Erich" as he usually spelled it.
Another interesting fact and perhaps Houdini's biggest secret is his birthday. He normally told people that he was born in Appleton, Wi. on April 6, 1874. The paperwork from 1939 shows that he was indeed born in Pest on March 24, 1874.
Budapest used to be 2 different cities, Buda and Pest, each on its side of the Danube. Houdini and his family resided on the poorer Pest side.

In locating more info about the address listed on the birth certificate, I read that Wild About Harry contributor Botund Kelle who lives nearby, was able to search records and discovered that the street name had changed and the new name of the street made it possible to find the original place where young Houdini lived during his first 4 years. A quick email to Botund produced excelled results when he asked me to write to his friend David Merlini, an escape artist of amazing talent. He hold the worlds record for holding his breath underwater. His new record now stands at 21 minutes, 29 seconds. He also performed an escape from a concrete block lowered into the Danube river.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uivnz2YB2aw

Who could have guessed that this random email would lead to this wonderful day where I got to meet these fine folks.
David had previously worked on the new Houdini movie as Technical Advisor and had access to the props used in the movie. A visit to the warehouse was a fantastic way to spend my first day in Budapest.
He was a great host and took me by limousine to the HH birth place and Royal Hotel where HH promised and delivered the "Finest Meal in all of Budapest".
The movie was filmed in the city and David pointed out many of the film locations.

As a simple tourist of Budapest, I was blown away by the hospitality of Botund and David.
My other shipmates were out buying paprika and ordering goulash while I was having this amazing tour.
Time was short as my ship was about to head out out to Vienna.
The Houdini Connection made my trip unbelievable and certainly unforgettable.
There just wasn't enough time to learn more about them in person. I hope we will be reunited another time.
I promised not to spill the beans about some future happenings, but I will tell you to expect some very great things along these lines in the near future.








We are not sure if this apartment house was where HH lived. This apartment house may have replaced an older structure. This used to be 2 stories tall but 2 more floors got added in the last 10 - 15 years.





This is the address where the birth certificate indicates. A street name change occurred sometime in the past several years.



A Weiss resides in this unit. Perhaps an heir to the Houdini fortune?


Did HH come out of these doors to play with the neighbor kids?




As a tenant went in through the door, we were able to sneak a peak inside. Just a few botanical specimens and balconies in this courtyard.



The Royal Hotel. It looks almost the same as when HH dined here. When HH's father was dying, he promised him that he would take good care of his mother. He promised her the best meal in the city. She was very disbelieving that he would ever be able to afford this luxury. He also took other family members to this feast and later said that this was his proudest moment.


Queen Victoria died before she could wear this dress. HH snapped it up and it proved to be good enough for his mom.









Koln or Cologne
HH has to go to court to see if he is tricking the citizens of the city. Claims of this is was the police charged him with.
He wins his day in court and tries the policeman for slander of his good name.
3 trials later, the good name of Houdini is restored and the police have to print an apology in the newspaper....a big one!
Not 100% sure this is the exact court house but a great deal of probability exists that it is.




Opening locks and handcuffs in front of the judge is very rare now, but financial crimes are the typical cases being heard these days.






The London Hippodrome.
A handcuff with 5 years in the making will be a big enough challenge to make the headlines in 1904.
The London Daily Mirror newspaper challenged HH to escape from the "Mirror Cuffs" that locksmith Nathaniel Hart made which took him 5 years to construct. Is this fact or is it fiction?



Exactly 110 years later, we are still discovering and contemplating, How did he do it?
The cabinet or "Ghost House"where HH would do his mastery in secret.


The stage where HH performed is a bit lower than the stage flooring of today.


The Hippodrome is now a Vegas style casino.
4,000 people were said to be in attendance 110 years ago. An hour later, Houdini was free.


Various props used in the newest Houdini movie.


Hope you enjoyed

mark
O--O

Very Good Mark!

In planning my trip to Munster Germany for the Handcuff Convention, I decided to book an 8 day scenic river cruise on the Danube River in Austria. The trip which turned out to be very wonderful started out in Budapest, Hungary.
The trip had several options and was finalized early in the summer. Several days elapsed since I signed the paperwork when I awoke in the middle of the night when it occurred to me that I was about to travel to Houdini's birthplace.

I never seen a picture or recalled any kind of tribute to Houdini so I mailed the tourism board in Budapest to see if there was a statue, plaque, or marker anywhere in the city. They replied that unfortunately there was none.

I wondered how could the greatest showman of all time not have anything honoring him. They offered no help.

A quick look at John Cox's Wild About Houdini turned up a copy of a birth certificate which lists the address of Houdini's first home. This certificate was obtained from records in Budapest.



It is interesting to see the name "Erik" on the certificate instead of "Erich" as he usually spelled it.
Another interesting fact and perhaps Houdini's biggest secret is his birthday. He normally told people that he was born in Appleton, Wi. on April 6, 1874. The paperwork from 1939 shows that he was indeed born in Pest on March 24, 1874.
Budapest used to be 2 different cities, Buda and Pest, each on its side of the Danube. Houdini and his family resided on the poorer Pest side.

In locating more info about the address listed on the birth certificate, I read that Wild About Harry contributor Botund Kelle who lives nearby, was able to search records and discovered that the street name had changed and the new name of the street made it possible to find the original place where young Houdini lived during his first 4 years. A quick email to Botund produced excelled results when he asked me to write to his friend David Merlini, an escape artist of amazing talent. He hold the worlds record for holding his breath underwater. His new record now stands at 21 minutes, 29 seconds. He also performed an escape from a concrete block lowered into the Danube river.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uivnz2YB2aw

Who could have guessed that this random email would lead to this wonderful day where I got to meet these fine folks.
David had previously worked on the new Houdini movie as Technical Advisor and had access to the props used in the movie. A visit to the warehouse was a fantastic way to spend my first day in Budapest.
He was a great host and took me by limousine to the HH birth place and Royal Hotel where HH promised and delivered the "Finest Meal in all of Budapest".
The movie was filmed in the city and David pointed out many of the film locations.

As a simple tourist of Budapest, I was blown away by the hospitality of Botund and David.
My other shipmates were out buying paprika and ordering goulash while I was having this amazing tour.
Time was short as my ship was about to head out out to Vienna.
The Houdini Connection made my trip unbelievable and certainly unforgettable.
There just wasn't enough time to learn more about them in person. I hope we will be reunited another time.
I promised not to spill the beans about some future happenings, but I will tell you to expect some very great things along these lines in the near future.








We are not sure if this apartment house was where HH lived. This apartment house may have replaced an older structure. This used to be 2 stories tall but 2 more floors got added in the last 10 - 15 years.





This is the address where the birth certificate indicates. A street name change occurred sometime in the past several years.



A Weiss resides in this unit. Perhaps an heir to the Houdini fortune?


Did HH come out of these doors to play with the neighbor kids?




As a tenant went in through the door, we were able to sneak a peak inside. Just a few botanical specimens and balconies in this courtyard.



The Royal Hotel. It looks almost the same as when HH dined here. When HH's father was dying, he promised him that he would take good care of his mother. He promised her the best meal in the city. She was very disbelieving that he would ever be able to afford this luxury. He also took other family members to this feast and later said that this was his proudest moment.


Queen Victoria died before she could wear this dress. HH snapped it up and it proved to be good enough for his mom.









Koln or Cologne
HH has to go to court to see if he is tricking the citizens of the city. Claims of this is was the police charged him with.
He wins his day in court and tries the policeman for slander of his good name.
3 trials later, the good name of Houdini is restored and the police have to print an apology in the newspaper....a big one!
Not 100% sure this is the exact court house but a great deal of probability exists that it is.




Opening locks and handcuffs in front of the judge is very rare now, but financial crimes are the typical cases being heard these days.






The London Hippodrome.
A handcuff with 5 years in the making will be a big enough challenge to make the headlines in 1904.
The London Daily Mirror newspaper challenged HH to escape from the "Mirror Cuffs" that locksmith Nathaniel Hart made which took him 5 years to construct. Is this fact or is it fiction?



Exactly 110 years later, we are still discovering and contemplating, How did he do it?
The cabinet or "Ghost House"where HH would do his mastery in secret.


The stage where HH performed is a bit lower than the stage flooring of today.


The Hippodrome is now a Vegas style casino.
4,000 people were said to be in attendance 110 years ago. An hour later, Houdini was free.


Various props used in the newest Houdini movie.


Hope you enjoyed

mark
O--O

Click to expand...

The icing on the cake was a visit with Mick Hanzlick.
Many remember him from the Cannon Conventions.
He had been working on an exact copy of the Mirror cuff and almost had it complete at convention time.
I got to see it finally finished.
He presented me with a key.






We spent the day at the Hippodrome and other sites around London.


A special thank you for a great time and a visit to your home and shop.
An extra special thanks for the Mirror Cuff key and a wonderful day.

mark
O--O

In planning my trip to Munster Germany for the Handcuff Convention, I decided to book an 8 day scenic river cruise on the Danube River in Austria. The trip which turned out to be very wonderful started out in Budapest, Hungary.
The trip had several options and was finalized early in the summer. Several days elapsed since I signed the paperwork when I awoke in the middle of the night when it occurred to me that I was about to travel to Houdini's birthplace.

I never seen a picture or recalled any kind of tribute to Houdini so I mailed the tourism board in Budapest to see if there was a statue, plaque, or marker anywhere in the city. They replied that unfortunately there was none.

I wondered how could the greatest showman of all time not have anything honoring him. They offered no help.

A quick look at John Cox's Wild About Houdini turned up a copy of a birth certificate which lists the address of Houdini's first home. This certificate was obtained from records in Budapest.



It is interesting to see the name "Erik" on the certificate instead of "Erich" as he usually spelled it.
Another interesting fact and perhaps Houdini's biggest secret is his birthday. He normally told people that he was born in Appleton, Wi. on April 6, 1874. The paperwork from 1939 shows that he was indeed born in Pest on March 24, 1874.
Budapest used to be 2 different cities, Buda and Pest, each on its side of the Danube. Houdini and his family resided on the poorer Pest side.

In locating more info about the address listed on the birth certificate, I read that Wild About Harry contributor Botund Kelle who lives nearby, was able to search records and discovered that the street name had changed and the new name of the street made it possible to find the original place where young Houdini lived during his first 4 years. A quick email to Botund produced excelled results when he asked me to write to his friend David Merlini, an escape artist of amazing talent. He hold the worlds record for holding his breath underwater. His new record now stands at 21 minutes, 29 seconds. He also performed an escape from a concrete block lowered into the Danube river.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uivnz2YB2aw

Who could have guessed that this random email would lead to this wonderful day where I got to meet these fine folks.
David had previously worked on the new Houdini movie as Technical Advisor and had access to the props used in the movie. A visit to the warehouse was a fantastic way to spend my first day in Budapest.
He was a great host and took me by limousine to the HH birth place and Royal Hotel where HH promised and delivered the "Finest Meal in all of Budapest".
The movie was filmed in the city and David pointed out many of the film locations.

As a simple tourist of Budapest, I was blown away by the hospitality of Botund and David.
My other shipmates were out buying paprika and ordering goulash while I was having this amazing tour.
Time was short as my ship was about to head out out to Vienna.
The Houdini Connection made my trip unbelievable and certainly unforgettable.
There just wasn't enough time to learn more about them in person. I hope we will be reunited another time.
I promised not to spill the beans about some future happenings, but I will tell you to expect some very great things along these lines in the near future.








We are not sure if this apartment house was where HH lived. This apartment house may have replaced an older structure. This used to be 2 stories tall but 2 more floors got added in the last 10 - 15 years.





This is the address where the birth certificate indicates. A street name change occurred sometime in the past several years.



A Weiss resides in this unit. Perhaps an heir to the Houdini fortune?


Did HH come out of these doors to play with the neighbor kids?




As a tenant went in through the door, we were able to sneak a peak inside. Just a few botanical specimens and balconies in this courtyard.



The Royal Hotel. It looks almost the same as when HH dined here. When HH's father was dying, he promised him that he would take good care of his mother. He promised her the best meal in the city. She was very disbelieving that he would ever be able to afford this luxury. He also took other family members to this feast and later said that this was his proudest moment.


Queen Victoria died before she could wear this dress. HH snapped it up and it proved to be good enough for his mom.









Koln or Cologne
HH has to go to court to see if he is tricking the citizens of the city. Claims of this is was the police charged him with.
He wins his day in court and tries the policeman for slander of his good name.
3 trials later, the good name of Houdini is restored and the police have to print an apology in the newspaper....a big one!
Not 100% sure this is the exact court house but a great deal of probability exists that it is.




Opening locks and handcuffs in front of the judge is very rare now, but financial crimes are the typical cases being heard these days.






The London Hippodrome.
A handcuff with 5 years in the making will be a big enough challenge to make the headlines in 1904.
The London Daily Mirror newspaper challenged HH to escape from the "Mirror Cuffs" that locksmith Nathaniel Hart made which took him 5 years to construct. Is this fact or is it fiction?



Exactly 110 years later, we are still discovering and contemplating, How did he do it?
The cabinet or "Ghost House"where HH would do his mastery in secret.


The stage where HH performed is a bit lower than the stage flooring of today.


The Hippodrome is now a Vegas style casino.
4,000 people were said to be in attendance 110 years ago. An hour later, Houdini was free.


Various props used in the newest Houdini movie.


Hope you enjoyed

mark
O--O

Click to expand...

Hi

I'm happy you enjoyed your European visit and the European Handcuff Convention. As a fact, there are many scenic European places with lots of great history.

I really want to invite all our US fellow collectors to come over at the next Handcuff Convention that will take place in 2016.The dates will be announces shortly.

Make a combined trip and enjoy the European history of your ancestors. There is so much to explore.

Remember, many of the people in the US have European ancestors; they came from many European countries like Germany, Hungary, Switzerland, Austria and the UK.
Even from Scandinavian countries like Norway (you know Iver Johnson, he came from Norway) and Sweden. As you all know, all cops came from Ireland. -And they are all red haired

Looking forward to see you at the European Handcuff Convention in 2016.


Best wishes,

Lars

In planning my trip to Munster Germany for the Handcuff Convention, I decided to book an 8 day scenic river cruise on the Danube River in Austria. The trip which turned out to be very wonderful started out in Budapest, Hungary.
The trip had several options and was finalized early in the summer. Several days elapsed since I signed the paperwork when I awoke in the middle of the night when it occurred to me that I was about to travel to Houdini's birthplace.

I never seen a picture or recalled any kind of tribute to Houdini so I mailed the tourism board in Budapest to see if there was a statue, plaque, or marker anywhere in the city. They replied that unfortunately there was none.

I wondered how could the greatest showman of all time not have anything honoring him. They offered no help.

A quick look at John Cox's Wild About Houdini turned up a copy of a birth certificate which lists the address of Houdini's first home. This certificate was obtained from records in Budapest.



It is interesting to see the name "Erik" on the certificate instead of "Erich" as he usually spelled it.
Another interesting fact and perhaps Houdini's biggest secret is his birthday. He normally told people that he was born in Appleton, Wi. on April 6, 1874. The paperwork from 1939 shows that he was indeed born in Pest on March 24, 1874.
Budapest used to be 2 different cities, Buda and Pest, each on its side of the Danube. Houdini and his family resided on the poorer Pest side.

In locating more info about the address listed on the birth certificate, I read that Wild About Harry contributor Botund Kelle who lives nearby, was able to search records and discovered that the street name had changed and the new name of the street made it possible to find the original place where young Houdini lived during his first 4 years. A quick email to Botund produced excelled results when he asked me to write to his friend David Merlini, an escape artist of amazing talent. He hold the worlds record for holding his breath underwater. His new record now stands at 21 minutes, 29 seconds. He also performed an escape from a concrete block lowered into the Danube river.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uivnz2YB2aw

Who could have guessed that this random email would lead to this wonderful day where I got to meet these fine folks.
David had previously worked on the new Houdini movie as Technical Advisor and had access to the props used in the movie. A visit to the warehouse was a fantastic way to spend my first day in Budapest.
He was a great host and took me by limousine to the HH birth place and Royal Hotel where HH promised and delivered the "Finest Meal in all of Budapest".
The movie was filmed in the city and David pointed out many of the film locations.

As a simple tourist of Budapest, I was blown away by the hospitality of Botund and David.
My other shipmates were out buying paprika and ordering goulash while I was having this amazing tour.
Time was short as my ship was about to head out out to Vienna.
The Houdini Connection made my trip unbelievable and certainly unforgettable.
There just wasn't enough time to learn more about them in person. I hope we will be reunited another time.
I promised not to spill the beans about some future happenings, but I will tell you to expect some very great things along these lines in the near future.








We are not sure if this apartment house was where HH lived. This apartment house may have replaced an older structure. This used to be 2 stories tall but 2 more floors got added in the last 10 - 15 years.





This is the address where the birth certificate indicates. A street name change occurred sometime in the past several years.



A Weiss resides in this unit. Perhaps an heir to the Houdini fortune?


Did HH come out of these doors to play with the neighbor kids?




As a tenant went in through the door, we were able to sneak a peak inside. Just a few botanical specimens and balconies in this courtyard.



The Royal Hotel. It looks almost the same as when HH dined here. When HH's father was dying, he promised him that he would take good care of his mother. He promised her the best meal in the city. She was very disbelieving that he would ever be able to afford this luxury. He also took other family members to this feast and later said that this was his proudest moment.


Queen Victoria died before she could wear this dress. HH snapped it up and it proved to be good enough for his mom.









Koln or Cologne
HH has to go to court to see if he is tricking the citizens of the city. Claims of this is was the police charged him with.
He wins his day in court and tries the policeman for slander of his good name.
3 trials later, the good name of Houdini is restored and the police have to print an apology in the newspaper....a big one!
Not 100% sure this is the exact court house but a great deal of probability exists that it is.




Opening locks and handcuffs in front of the judge is very rare now, but financial crimes are the typical cases being heard these days.






The London Hippodrome.
A handcuff with 5 years in the making will be a big enough challenge to make the headlines in 1904.
The London Daily Mirror newspaper challenged HH to escape from the "Mirror Cuffs" that locksmith Nathaniel Hart made which took him 5 years to construct. Is this fact or is it fiction?



Exactly 110 years later, we are still discovering and contemplating, How did he do it?
The cabinet or "Ghost House"where HH would do his mastery in secret.


The stage where HH performed is a bit lower than the stage flooring of today.


The Hippodrome is now a Vegas style casino.
4,000 people were said to be in attendance 110 years ago. An hour later, Houdini was free.


Various props used in the newest Houdini movie.


Hope you enjoyed

mark
O--O

Click to expand...

Wow, this is amazing, Mark. Thank you so much for sharing. This is a dream trip.

Can I use one of your photos in a link back this post on my blog? Think more people would really enjoy reading this.

In planning my trip to Munster Germany for the Handcuff Convention, I decided to book an 8 day scenic river cruise on the Danube River in Austria. The trip which turned out to be very wonderful started out in Budapest, Hungary.
The trip had several options and was finalized early in the summer. Several days elapsed since I signed the paperwork when I awoke in the middle of the night when it occurred to me that I was about to travel to Houdini's birthplace.

I never seen a picture or recalled any kind of tribute to Houdini so I mailed the tourism board in Budapest to see if there was a statue, plaque, or marker anywhere in the city. They replied that unfortunately there was none.

I wondered how could the greatest showman of all time not have anything honoring him. They offered no help.

A quick look at John Cox's Wild About Houdini turned up a copy of a birth certificate which lists the address of Houdini's first home. This certificate was obtained from records in Budapest.



It is interesting to see the name "Erik" on the certificate instead of "Erich" as he usually spelled it.
Another interesting fact and perhaps Houdini's biggest secret is his birthday. He normally told people that he was born in Appleton, Wi. on April 6, 1874. The paperwork from 1939 shows that he was indeed born in Pest on March 24, 1874.
Budapest used to be 2 different cities, Buda and Pest, each on its side of the Danube. Houdini and his family resided on the poorer Pest side.

In locating more info about the address listed on the birth certificate, I read that Wild About Harry contributor Botund Kelle who lives nearby, was able to search records and discovered that the street name had changed and the new name of the street made it possible to find the original place where young Houdini lived during his first 4 years. A quick email to Botund produced excelled results when he asked me to write to his friend David Merlini, an escape artist of amazing talent. He hold the worlds record for holding his breath underwater. His new record now stands at 21 minutes, 29 seconds. He also performed an escape from a concrete block lowered into the Danube river.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uivnz2YB2aw

Who could have guessed that this random email would lead to this wonderful day where I got to meet these fine folks.
David had previously worked on the new Houdini movie as Technical Advisor and had access to the props used in the movie. A visit to the warehouse was a fantastic way to spend my first day in Budapest.
He was a great host and took me by limousine to the HH birth place and Royal Hotel where HH promised and delivered the "Finest Meal in all of Budapest".
The movie was filmed in the city and David pointed out many of the film locations.

As a simple tourist of Budapest, I was blown away by the hospitality of Botund and David.
My other shipmates were out buying paprika and ordering goulash while I was having this amazing tour.
Time was short as my ship was about to head out out to Vienna.
The Houdini Connection made my trip unbelievable and certainly unforgettable.
There just wasn't enough time to learn more about them in person. I hope we will be reunited another time.
I promised not to spill the beans about some future happenings, but I will tell you to expect some very great things along these lines in the near future.








We are not sure if this apartment house was where HH lived. This apartment house may have replaced an older structure. This used to be 2 stories tall but 2 more floors got added in the last 10 - 15 years.





This is the address where the birth certificate indicates. A street name change occurred sometime in the past several years.



A Weiss resides in this unit. Perhaps an heir to the Houdini fortune?


Did HH come out of these doors to play with the neighbor kids?




As a tenant went in through the door, we were able to sneak a peak inside. Just a few botanical specimens and balconies in this courtyard.



The Royal Hotel. It looks almost the same as when HH dined here. When HH's father was dying, he promised him that he would take good care of his mother. He promised her the best meal in the city. She was very disbelieving that he would ever be able to afford this luxury. He also took other family members to this feast and later said that this was his proudest moment.


Queen Victoria died before she could wear this dress. HH snapped it up and it proved to be good enough for his mom.









Koln or Cologne
HH has to go to court to see if he is tricking the citizens of the city. Claims of this is was the police charged him with.
He wins his day in court and tries the policeman for slander of his good name.
3 trials later, the good name of Houdini is restored and the police have to print an apology in the newspaper....a big one!
Not 100% sure this is the exact court house but a great deal of probability exists that it is.




Opening locks and handcuffs in front of the judge is very rare now, but financial crimes are the typical cases being heard these days.






The London Hippodrome.
A handcuff with 5 years in the making will be a big enough challenge to make the headlines in 1904.
The London Daily Mirror newspaper challenged HH to escape from the "Mirror Cuffs" that locksmith Nathaniel Hart made which took him 5 years to construct. Is this fact or is it fiction?



Exactly 110 years later, we are still discovering and contemplating, How did he do it?
The cabinet or "Ghost House"where HH would do his mastery in secret.


The stage where HH performed is a bit lower than the stage flooring of today.


The Hippodrome is now a Vegas style casino.
4,000 people were said to be in attendance 110 years ago. An hour later, Houdini was free.


Various props used in the newest Houdini movie.


Hope you enjoyed

mark
O--O

Click to expand...

Mark, thanks for the post. Great pictures and bits of history. Makes me wish I went with you.

Ron

In planning my trip to Munster Germany for the Handcuff Convention, I decided to book an 8 day scenic river cruise on the Danube River in Austria. The trip which turned out to be very wonderful started out in Budapest, Hungary.
The trip had several options and was finalized early in the summer. Several days elapsed since I signed the paperwork when I awoke in the middle of the night when it occurred to me that I was about to travel to Houdini's birthplace.

I never seen a picture or recalled any kind of tribute to Houdini so I mailed the tourism board in Budapest to see if there was a statue, plaque, or marker anywhere in the city. They replied that unfortunately there was none.

I wondered how could the greatest showman of all time not have anything honoring him. They offered no help.

A quick look at John Cox's Wild About Houdini turned up a copy of a birth certificate which lists the address of Houdini's first home. This certificate was obtained from records in Budapest.



It is interesting to see the name "Erik" on the certificate instead of "Erich" as he usually spelled it.
Another interesting fact and perhaps Houdini's biggest secret is his birthday. He normally told people that he was born in Appleton, Wi. on April 6, 1874. The paperwork from 1939 shows that he was indeed born in Pest on March 24, 1874.
Budapest used to be 2 different cities, Buda and Pest, each on its side of the Danube. Houdini and his family resided on the poorer Pest side.

In locating more info about the address listed on the birth certificate, I read that Wild About Harry contributor Botund Kelle who lives nearby, was able to search records and discovered that the street name had changed and the new name of the street made it possible to find the original place where young Houdini lived during his first 4 years. A quick email to Botund produced excelled results when he asked me to write to his friend David Merlini, an escape artist of amazing talent. He hold the worlds record for holding his breath underwater. His new record now stands at 21 minutes, 29 seconds. He also performed an escape from a concrete block lowered into the Danube river.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uivnz2YB2aw

Who could have guessed that this random email would lead to this wonderful day where I got to meet these fine folks.
David had previously worked on the new Houdini movie as Technical Advisor and had access to the props used in the movie. A visit to the warehouse was a fantastic way to spend my first day in Budapest.
He was a great host and took me by limousine to the HH birth place and Royal Hotel where HH promised and delivered the "Finest Meal in all of Budapest".
The movie was filmed in the city and David pointed out many of the film locations.

As a simple tourist of Budapest, I was blown away by the hospitality of Botund and David.
My other shipmates were out buying paprika and ordering goulash while I was having this amazing tour.
Time was short as my ship was about to head out out to Vienna.
The Houdini Connection made my trip unbelievable and certainly unforgettable.
There just wasn't enough time to learn more about them in person. I hope we will be reunited another time.
I promised not to spill the beans about some future happenings, but I will tell you to expect some very great things along these lines in the near future.








We are not sure if this apartment house was where HH lived. This apartment house may have replaced an older structure. This used to be 2 stories tall but 2 more floors got added in the last 10 - 15 years.





This is the address where the birth certificate indicates. A street name change occurred sometime in the past several years.



A Weiss resides in this unit. Perhaps an heir to the Houdini fortune?


Did HH come out of these doors to play with the neighbor kids?




As a tenant went in through the door, we were able to sneak a peak inside. Just a few botanical specimens and balconies in this courtyard.



The Royal Hotel. It looks almost the same as when HH dined here. When HH's father was dying, he promised him that he would take good care of his mother. He promised her the best meal in the city. She was very disbelieving that he would ever be able to afford this luxury. He also took other family members to this feast and later said that this was his proudest moment.


Queen Victoria died before she could wear this dress. HH snapped it up and it proved to be good enough for his mom.









Koln or Cologne
HH has to go to court to see if he is tricking the citizens of the city. Claims of this is was the police charged him with.
He wins his day in court and tries the policeman for slander of his good name.
3 trials later, the good name of Houdini is restored and the police have to print an apology in the newspaper....a big one!
Not 100% sure this is the exact court house but a great deal of probability exists that it is.




Opening locks and handcuffs in front of the judge is very rare now, but financial crimes are the typical cases being heard these days.






The London Hippodrome.
A handcuff with 5 years in the making will be a big enough challenge to make the headlines in 1904.
The London Daily Mirror newspaper challenged HH to escape from the "Mirror Cuffs" that locksmith Nathaniel Hart made which took him 5 years to construct. Is this fact or is it fiction?



Exactly 110 years later, we are still discovering and contemplating, How did he do it?
The cabinet or "Ghost House"where HH would do his mastery in secret.


The stage where HH performed is a bit lower than the stage flooring of today.


The Hippodrome is now a Vegas style casino.
4,000 people were said to be in attendance 110 years ago. An hour later, Houdini was free.


Various props used in the newest Houdini movie.


Hope you enjoyed

mark
O--O

Click to expand...

Ron,
I wish you did too.
Next time I ask you to come, do it.

John,
Yes, by all means borrow what you wish.


I was invited by Scotland Yard to view their Crime Museum. This is not open to the public as it is a really an evidence locker under glass. There are grizzly murder weapons and other artifacts used in the most heinous crimes one could imagine....or not.
Only those with a connection to law enforcement or others who work in this sort of thing can attend.



It seems that there was another invitee to the same museum who also signed the guest book.
Perhaps he escaped death a few times and was qualified for admission.



I could write this entire story and include it as one of your entries is you think others would find it interesting.


mark
O--O

In planning my trip to Munster Germany for the Handcuff Convention, I decided to book an 8 day scenic river cruise on the Danube River in Austria. The trip which turned out to be very wonderful started out in Budapest, Hungary.
The trip had several options and was finalized early in the summer. Several days elapsed since I signed the paperwork when I awoke in the middle of the night when it occurred to me that I was about to travel to Houdini's birthplace.

I never seen a picture or recalled any kind of tribute to Houdini so I mailed the tourism board in Budapest to see if there was a statue, plaque, or marker anywhere in the city. They replied that unfortunately there was none.

I wondered how could the greatest showman of all time not have anything honoring him. They offered no help.

A quick look at John Cox's Wild About Houdini turned up a copy of a birth certificate which lists the address of Houdini's first home. This certificate was obtained from records in Budapest.



It is interesting to see the name "Erik" on the certificate instead of "Erich" as he usually spelled it.
Another interesting fact and perhaps Houdini's biggest secret is his birthday. He normally told people that he was born in Appleton, Wi. on April 6, 1874. The paperwork from 1939 shows that he was indeed born in Pest on March 24, 1874.
Budapest used to be 2 different cities, Buda and Pest, each on its side of the Danube. Houdini and his family resided on the poorer Pest side.

In locating more info about the address listed on the birth certificate, I read that Wild About Harry contributor Botund Kelle who lives nearby, was able to search records and discovered that the street name had changed and the new name of the street made it possible to find the original place where young Houdini lived during his first 4 years. A quick email to Botund produced excelled results when he asked me to write to his friend David Merlini, an escape artist of amazing talent. He hold the worlds record for holding his breath underwater. His new record now stands at 21 minutes, 29 seconds. He also performed an escape from a concrete block lowered into the Danube river.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uivnz2YB2aw

Who could have guessed that this random email would lead to this wonderful day where I got to meet these fine folks.
David had previously worked on the new Houdini movie as Technical Advisor and had access to the props used in the movie. A visit to the warehouse was a fantastic way to spend my first day in Budapest.
He was a great host and took me by limousine to the HH birth place and Royal Hotel where HH promised and delivered the "Finest Meal in all of Budapest".
The movie was filmed in the city and David pointed out many of the film locations.

As a simple tourist of Budapest, I was blown away by the hospitality of Botund and David.
My other shipmates were out buying paprika and ordering goulash while I was having this amazing tour.
Time was short as my ship was about to head out out to Vienna.
The Houdini Connection made my trip unbelievable and certainly unforgettable.
There just wasn't enough time to learn more about them in person. I hope we will be reunited another time.
I promised not to spill the beans about some future happenings, but I will tell you to expect some very great things along these lines in the near future.








We are not sure if this apartment house was where HH lived. This apartment house may have replaced an older structure. This used to be 2 stories tall but 2 more floors got added in the last 10 - 15 years.





This is the address where the birth certificate indicates. A street name change occurred sometime in the past several years.



A Weiss resides in this unit. Perhaps an heir to the Houdini fortune?


Did HH come out of these doors to play with the neighbor kids?




As a tenant went in through the door, we were able to sneak a peak inside. Just a few botanical specimens and balconies in this courtyard.



The Royal Hotel. It looks almost the same as when HH dined here. When HH's father was dying, he promised him that he would take good care of his mother. He promised her the best meal in the city. She was very disbelieving that he would ever be able to afford this luxury. He also took other family members to this feast and later said that this was his proudest moment.


Queen Victoria died before she could wear this dress. HH snapped it up and it proved to be good enough for his mom.









Koln or Cologne
HH has to go to court to see if he is tricking the citizens of the city. Claims of this is was the police charged him with.
He wins his day in court and tries the policeman for slander of his good name.
3 trials later, the good name of Houdini is restored and the police have to print an apology in the newspaper....a big one!
Not 100% sure this is the exact court house but a great deal of probability exists that it is.




Opening locks and handcuffs in front of the judge is very rare now, but financial crimes are the typical cases being heard these days.






The London Hippodrome.
A handcuff with 5 years in the making will be a big enough challenge to make the headlines in 1904.
The London Daily Mirror newspaper challenged HH to escape from the "Mirror Cuffs" that locksmith Nathaniel Hart made which took him 5 years to construct. Is this fact or is it fiction?



Exactly 110 years later, we are still discovering and contemplating, How did he do it?
The cabinet or "Ghost House"where HH would do his mastery in secret.


The stage where HH performed is a bit lower than the stage flooring of today.


The Hippodrome is now a Vegas style casino.
4,000 people were said to be in attendance 110 years ago. An hour later, Houdini was free.


Various props used in the newest Houdini movie.


Hope you enjoyed

mark
O--O

Click to expand...

Hi Ron,
You were invited to the convention. Next chance in less than two years from now
Take care,
Peter

In planning my trip to Munster Germany for the Handcuff Convention, I decided to book an 8 day scenic river cruise on the Danube River in Austria. The trip which turned out to be very wonderful started out in Budapest, Hungary.
The trip had several options and was finalized early in the summer. Several days elapsed since I signed the paperwork when I awoke in the middle of the night when it occurred to me that I was about to travel to Houdini's birthplace.

I never seen a picture or recalled any kind of tribute to Houdini so I mailed the tourism board in Budapest to see if there was a statue, plaque, or marker anywhere in the city. They replied that unfortunately there was none.

I wondered how could the greatest showman of all time not have anything honoring him. They offered no help.

A quick look at John Cox's Wild About Houdini turned up a copy of a birth certificate which lists the address of Houdini's first home. This certificate was obtained from records in Budapest.



It is interesting to see the name "Erik" on the certificate instead of "Erich" as he usually spelled it.
Another interesting fact and perhaps Houdini's biggest secret is his birthday. He normally told people that he was born in Appleton, Wi. on April 6, 1874. The paperwork from 1939 shows that he was indeed born in Pest on March 24, 1874.
Budapest used to be 2 different cities, Buda and Pest, each on its side of the Danube. Houdini and his family resided on the poorer Pest side.

In locating more info about the address listed on the birth certificate, I read that Wild About Harry contributor Botund Kelle who lives nearby, was able to search records and discovered that the street name had changed and the new name of the street made it possible to find the original place where young Houdini lived during his first 4 years. A quick email to Botund produced excelled results when he asked me to write to his friend David Merlini, an escape artist of amazing talent. He hold the worlds record for holding his breath underwater. His new record now stands at 21 minutes, 29 seconds. He also performed an escape from a concrete block lowered into the Danube river.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uivnz2YB2aw

Who could have guessed that this random email would lead to this wonderful day where I got to meet these fine folks.
David had previously worked on the new Houdini movie as Technical Advisor and had access to the props used in the movie. A visit to the warehouse was a fantastic way to spend my first day in Budapest.
He was a great host and took me by limousine to the HH birth place and Royal Hotel where HH promised and delivered the "Finest Meal in all of Budapest".
The movie was filmed in the city and David pointed out many of the film locations.

As a simple tourist of Budapest, I was blown away by the hospitality of Botund and David.
My other shipmates were out buying paprika and ordering goulash while I was having this amazing tour.
Time was short as my ship was about to head out out to Vienna.
The Houdini Connection made my trip unbelievable and certainly unforgettable.
There just wasn't enough time to learn more about them in person. I hope we will be reunited another time.
I promised not to spill the beans about some future happenings, but I will tell you to expect some very great things along these lines in the near future.








We are not sure if this apartment house was where HH lived. This apartment house may have replaced an older structure. This used to be 2 stories tall but 2 more floors got added in the last 10 - 15 years.





This is the address where the birth certificate indicates. A street name change occurred sometime in the past several years.



A Weiss resides in this unit. Perhaps an heir to the Houdini fortune?


Did HH come out of these doors to play with the neighbor kids?




As a tenant went in through the door, we were able to sneak a peak inside. Just a few botanical specimens and balconies in this courtyard.



The Royal Hotel. It looks almost the same as when HH dined here. When HH's father was dying, he promised him that he would take good care of his mother. He promised her the best meal in the city. She was very disbelieving that he would ever be able to afford this luxury. He also took other family members to this feast and later said that this was his proudest moment.


Queen Victoria died before she could wear this dress. HH snapped it up and it proved to be good enough for his mom.









Koln or Cologne
HH has to go to court to see if he is tricking the citizens of the city. Claims of this is was the police charged him with.
He wins his day in court and tries the policeman for slander of his good name.
3 trials later, the good name of Houdini is restored and the police have to print an apology in the newspaper....a big one!
Not 100% sure this is the exact court house but a great deal of probability exists that it is.




Opening locks and handcuffs in front of the judge is very rare now, but financial crimes are the typical cases being heard these days.






The London Hippodrome.
A handcuff with 5 years in the making will be a big enough challenge to make the headlines in 1904.
The London Daily Mirror newspaper challenged HH to escape from the "Mirror Cuffs" that locksmith Nathaniel Hart made which took him 5 years to construct. Is this fact or is it fiction?



Exactly 110 years later, we are still discovering and contemplating, How did he do it?
The cabinet or "Ghost House"where HH would do his mastery in secret.


The stage where HH performed is a bit lower than the stage flooring of today.


The Hippodrome is now a Vegas style casino.
4,000 people were said to be in attendance 110 years ago. An hour later, Houdini was free.


Various props used in the newest Houdini movie.


Hope you enjoyed

mark
O--O

Click to expand...

Mark,

Oh, would you like to write this up and I can post it as a "Guest Blog" on my site? I would love that if you're willing.

In planning my trip to Munster Germany for the Handcuff Convention, I decided to book an 8 day scenic river cruise on the Danube River in Austria. The trip which turned out to be very wonderful started out in Budapest, Hungary.
The trip had several options and was finalized early in the summer. Several days elapsed since I signed the paperwork when I awoke in the middle of the night when it occurred to me that I was about to travel to Houdini's birthplace.

I never seen a picture or recalled any kind of tribute to Houdini so I mailed the tourism board in Budapest to see if there was a statue, plaque, or marker anywhere in the city. They replied that unfortunately there was none.

I wondered how could the greatest showman of all time not have anything honoring him. They offered no help.

A quick look at John Cox's Wild About Houdini turned up a copy of a birth certificate which lists the address of Houdini's first home. This certificate was obtained from records in Budapest.



It is interesting to see the name "Erik" on the certificate instead of "Erich" as he usually spelled it.
Another interesting fact and perhaps Houdini's biggest secret is his birthday. He normally told people that he was born in Appleton, Wi. on April 6, 1874. The paperwork from 1939 shows that he was indeed born in Pest on March 24, 1874.
Budapest used to be 2 different cities, Buda and Pest, each on its side of the Danube. Houdini and his family resided on the poorer Pest side.

In locating more info about the address listed on the birth certificate, I read that Wild About Harry contributor Botund Kelle who lives nearby, was able to search records and discovered that the street name had changed and the new name of the street made it possible to find the original place where young Houdini lived during his first 4 years. A quick email to Botund produced excelled results when he asked me to write to his friend David Merlini, an escape artist of amazing talent. He hold the worlds record for holding his breath underwater. His new record now stands at 21 minutes, 29 seconds. He also performed an escape from a concrete block lowered into the Danube river.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uivnz2YB2aw

Who could have guessed that this random email would lead to this wonderful day where I got to meet these fine folks.
David had previously worked on the new Houdini movie as Technical Advisor and had access to the props used in the movie. A visit to the warehouse was a fantastic way to spend my first day in Budapest.
He was a great host and took me by limousine to the HH birth place and Royal Hotel where HH promised and delivered the "Finest Meal in all of Budapest".
The movie was filmed in the city and David pointed out many of the film locations.

As a simple tourist of Budapest, I was blown away by the hospitality of Botund and David.
My other shipmates were out buying paprika and ordering goulash while I was having this amazing tour.
Time was short as my ship was about to head out out to Vienna.
The Houdini Connection made my trip unbelievable and certainly unforgettable.
There just wasn't enough time to learn more about them in person. I hope we will be reunited another time.
I promised not to spill the beans about some future happenings, but I will tell you to expect some very great things along these lines in the near future.








We are not sure if this apartment house was where HH lived. This apartment house may have replaced an older structure. This used to be 2 stories tall but 2 more floors got added in the last 10 - 15 years.





This is the address where the birth certificate indicates. A street name change occurred sometime in the past several years.



A Weiss resides in this unit. Perhaps an heir to the Houdini fortune?


Did HH come out of these doors to play with the neighbor kids?




As a tenant went in through the door, we were able to sneak a peak inside. Just a few botanical specimens and balconies in this courtyard.



The Royal Hotel. It looks almost the same as when HH dined here. When HH's father was dying, he promised him that he would take good care of his mother. He promised her the best meal in the city. She was very disbelieving that he would ever be able to afford this luxury. He also took other family members to this feast and later said that this was his proudest moment.


Queen Victoria died before she could wear this dress. HH snapped it up and it proved to be good enough for his mom.









Koln or Cologne
HH has to go to court to see if he is tricking the citizens of the city. Claims of this is was the police charged him with.
He wins his day in court and tries the policeman for slander of his good name.
3 trials later, the good name of Houdini is restored and the police have to print an apology in the newspaper....a big one!
Not 100% sure this is the exact court house but a great deal of probability exists that it is.




Opening locks and handcuffs in front of the judge is very rare now, but financial crimes are the typical cases being heard these days.






The London Hippodrome.
A handcuff with 5 years in the making will be a big enough challenge to make the headlines in 1904.
The London Daily Mirror newspaper challenged HH to escape from the "Mirror Cuffs" that locksmith Nathaniel Hart made which took him 5 years to construct. Is this fact or is it fiction?



Exactly 110 years later, we are still discovering and contemplating, How did he do it?
The cabinet or "Ghost House"where HH would do his mastery in secret.


The stage where HH performed is a bit lower than the stage flooring of today.


The Hippodrome is now a Vegas style casino.
4,000 people were said to be in attendance 110 years ago. An hour later, Houdini was free.


Various props used in the newest Houdini movie.


Hope you enjoyed

mark
O--O

Click to expand...

John,

Yes, of course. A "Guest Blog" would suit me fine.
It would be an honor and a tribute to your site, Handcuffs.org, Botund Kelle, David Merlini, Mick Hanzlik, Paul Bickley @ Scotland Yard and the Kirsches in Munich who made this Houdini Dream Cruise possible for me.

I am a bit overwhelmed with things to do after this trip but I will get started soon.

mark
O--O

In planning my trip to Munster Germany for the Handcuff Convention, I decided to book an 8 day scenic river cruise on the Danube River in Austria. The trip which turned out to be very wonderful started out in Budapest, Hungary.
The trip had several options and was finalized early in the summer. Several days elapsed since I signed the paperwork when I awoke in the middle of the night when it occurred to me that I was about to travel to Houdini's birthplace.

I never seen a picture or recalled any kind of tribute to Houdini so I mailed the tourism board in Budapest to see if there was a statue, plaque, or marker anywhere in the city. They replied that unfortunately there was none.

I wondered how could the greatest showman of all time not have anything honoring him. They offered no help.

A quick look at John Cox's Wild About Houdini turned up a copy of a birth certificate which lists the address of Houdini's first home. This certificate was obtained from records in Budapest.



It is interesting to see the name "Erik" on the certificate instead of "Erich" as he usually spelled it.
Another interesting fact and perhaps Houdini's biggest secret is his birthday. He normally told people that he was born in Appleton, Wi. on April 6, 1874. The paperwork from 1939 shows that he was indeed born in Pest on March 24, 1874.
Budapest used to be 2 different cities, Buda and Pest, each on its side of the Danube. Houdini and his family resided on the poorer Pest side.

In locating more info about the address listed on the birth certificate, I read that Wild About Harry contributor Botund Kelle who lives nearby, was able to search records and discovered that the street name had changed and the new name of the street made it possible to find the original place where young Houdini lived during his first 4 years. A quick email to Botund produced excelled results when he asked me to write to his friend David Merlini, an escape artist of amazing talent. He hold the worlds record for holding his breath underwater. His new record now stands at 21 minutes, 29 seconds. He also performed an escape from a concrete block lowered into the Danube river.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uivnz2YB2aw

Who could have guessed that this random email would lead to this wonderful day where I got to meet these fine folks.
David had previously worked on the new Houdini movie as Technical Advisor and had access to the props used in the movie. A visit to the warehouse was a fantastic way to spend my first day in Budapest.
He was a great host and took me by limousine to the HH birth place and Royal Hotel where HH promised and delivered the "Finest Meal in all of Budapest".
The movie was filmed in the city and David pointed out many of the film locations.

As a simple tourist of Budapest, I was blown away by the hospitality of Botund and David.
My other shipmates were out buying paprika and ordering goulash while I was having this amazing tour.
Time was short as my ship was about to head out out to Vienna.
The Houdini Connection made my trip unbelievable and certainly unforgettable.
There just wasn't enough time to learn more about them in person. I hope we will be reunited another time.
I promised not to spill the beans about some future happenings, but I will tell you to expect some very great things along these lines in the near future.








We are not sure if this apartment house was where HH lived. This apartment house may have replaced an older structure. This used to be 2 stories tall but 2 more floors got added in the last 10 - 15 years.





This is the address where the birth certificate indicates. A street name change occurred sometime in the past several years.



A Weiss resides in this unit. Perhaps an heir to the Houdini fortune?


Did HH come out of these doors to play with the neighbor kids?




As a tenant went in through the door, we were able to sneak a peak inside. Just a few botanical specimens and balconies in this courtyard.



The Royal Hotel. It looks almost the same as when HH dined here. When HH's father was dying, he promised him that he would take good care of his mother. He promised her the best meal in the city. She was very disbelieving that he would ever be able to afford this luxury. He also took other family members to this feast and later said that this was his proudest moment.


Queen Victoria died before she could wear this dress. HH snapped it up and it proved to be good enough for his mom.









Koln or Cologne
HH has to go to court to see if he is tricking the citizens of the city. Claims of this is was the police charged him with.
He wins his day in court and tries the policeman for slander of his good name.
3 trials later, the good name of Houdini is restored and the police have to print an apology in the newspaper....a big one!
Not 100% sure this is the exact court house but a great deal of probability exists that it is.




Opening locks and handcuffs in front of the judge is very rare now, but financial crimes are the typical cases being heard these days.






The London Hippodrome.
A handcuff with 5 years in the making will be a big enough challenge to make the headlines in 1904.
The London Daily Mirror newspaper challenged HH to escape from the "Mirror Cuffs" that locksmith Nathaniel Hart made which took him 5 years to construct. Is this fact or is it fiction?



Exactly 110 years later, we are still discovering and contemplating, How did he do it?
The cabinet or "Ghost House"where HH would do his mastery in secret.


The stage where HH performed is a bit lower than the stage flooring of today.


The Hippodrome is now a Vegas style casino.
4,000 people were said to be in attendance 110 years ago. An hour later, Houdini was free.


Various props used in the newest Houdini movie.


Hope you enjoyed

mark
O--O

Click to expand...

No rush, Mark. Whenever you get to it is fine. And I will of course credit all and link back here to Handcuffs.org. Thanks.

In planning my trip to Munster Germany for the Handcuff Convention, I decided to book an 8 day scenic river cruise on the Danube River in Austria. The trip which turned out to be very wonderful started out in Budapest, Hungary.
The trip had several options and was finalized early in the summer. Several days elapsed since I signed the paperwork when I awoke in the middle of the night when it occurred to me that I was about to travel to Houdini's birthplace.

I never seen a picture or recalled any kind of tribute to Houdini so I mailed the tourism board in Budapest to see if there was a statue, plaque, or marker anywhere in the city. They replied that unfortunately there was none.

I wondered how could the greatest showman of all time not have anything honoring him. They offered no help.

A quick look at John Cox's Wild About Houdini turned up a copy of a birth certificate which lists the address of Houdini's first home. This certificate was obtained from records in Budapest.



It is interesting to see the name "Erik" on the certificate instead of "Erich" as he usually spelled it.
Another interesting fact and perhaps Houdini's biggest secret is his birthday. He normally told people that he was born in Appleton, Wi. on April 6, 1874. The paperwork from 1939 shows that he was indeed born in Pest on March 24, 1874.
Budapest used to be 2 different cities, Buda and Pest, each on its side of the Danube. Houdini and his family resided on the poorer Pest side.

In locating more info about the address listed on the birth certificate, I read that Wild About Harry contributor Botund Kelle who lives nearby, was able to search records and discovered that the street name had changed and the new name of the street made it possible to find the original place where young Houdini lived during his first 4 years. A quick email to Botund produced excelled results when he asked me to write to his friend David Merlini, an escape artist of amazing talent. He hold the worlds record for holding his breath underwater. His new record now stands at 21 minutes, 29 seconds. He also performed an escape from a concrete block lowered into the Danube river.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uivnz2YB2aw

Who could have guessed that this random email would lead to this wonderful day where I got to meet these fine folks.
David had previously worked on the new Houdini movie as Technical Advisor and had access to the props used in the movie. A visit to the warehouse was a fantastic way to spend my first day in Budapest.
He was a great host and took me by limousine to the HH birth place and Royal Hotel where HH promised and delivered the "Finest Meal in all of Budapest".
The movie was filmed in the city and David pointed out many of the film locations.

As a simple tourist of Budapest, I was blown away by the hospitality of Botund and David.
My other shipmates were out buying paprika and ordering goulash while I was having this amazing tour.
Time was short as my ship was about to head out out to Vienna.
The Houdini Connection made my trip unbelievable and certainly unforgettable.
There just wasn't enough time to learn more about them in person. I hope we will be reunited another time.
I promised not to spill the beans about some future happenings, but I will tell you to expect some very great things along these lines in the near future.








We are not sure if this apartment house was where HH lived. This apartment house may have replaced an older structure. This used to be 2 stories tall but 2 more floors got added in the last 10 - 15 years.





This is the address where the birth certificate indicates. A street name change occurred sometime in the past several years.



A Weiss resides in this unit. Perhaps an heir to the Houdini fortune?


Did HH come out of these doors to play with the neighbor kids?




As a tenant went in through the door, we were able to sneak a peak inside. Just a few botanical specimens and balconies in this courtyard.



The Royal Hotel. It looks almost the same as when HH dined here. When HH's father was dying, he promised him that he would take good care of his mother. He promised her the best meal in the city. She was very disbelieving that he would ever be able to afford this luxury. He also took other family members to this feast and later said that this was his proudest moment.


Queen Victoria died before she could wear this dress. HH snapped it up and it proved to be good enough for his mom.









Koln or Cologne
HH has to go to court to see if he is tricking the citizens of the city. Claims of this is was the police charged him with.
He wins his day in court and tries the policeman for slander of his good name.
3 trials later, the good name of Houdini is restored and the police have to print an apology in the newspaper....a big one!
Not 100% sure this is the exact court house but a great deal of probability exists that it is.




Opening locks and handcuffs in front of the judge is very rare now, but financial crimes are the typical cases being heard these days.






The London Hippodrome.
A handcuff with 5 years in the making will be a big enough challenge to make the headlines in 1904.
The London Daily Mirror newspaper challenged HH to escape from the "Mirror Cuffs" that locksmith Nathaniel Hart made which took him 5 years to construct. Is this fact or is it fiction?



Exactly 110 years later, we are still discovering and contemplating, How did he do it?
The cabinet or "Ghost House"where HH would do his mastery in secret.


The stage where HH performed is a bit lower than the stage flooring of today.


The Hippodrome is now a Vegas style casino.
4,000 people were said to be in attendance 110 years ago. An hour later, Houdini was free.


Various props used in the newest Houdini movie.


Hope you enjoyed

mark
O--O

Click to expand...

why not publish it here as well so we can see it without having to click off to another place.

In planning my trip to Munster Germany for the Handcuff Convention, I decided to book an 8 day scenic river cruise on the Danube River in Austria. The trip which turned out to be very wonderful started out in Budapest, Hungary.
The trip had several options and was finalized early in the summer. Several days elapsed since I signed the paperwork when I awoke in the middle of the night when it occurred to me that I was about to travel to Houdini's birthplace.

I never seen a picture or recalled any kind of tribute to Houdini so I mailed the tourism board in Budapest to see if there was a statue, plaque, or marker anywhere in the city. They replied that unfortunately there was none.

I wondered how could the greatest showman of all time not have anything honoring him. They offered no help.

A quick look at John Cox's Wild About Houdini turned up a copy of a birth certificate which lists the address of Houdini's first home. This certificate was obtained from records in Budapest.



It is interesting to see the name "Erik" on the certificate instead of "Erich" as he usually spelled it.
Another interesting fact and perhaps Houdini's biggest secret is his birthday. He normally told people that he was born in Appleton, Wi. on April 6, 1874. The paperwork from 1939 shows that he was indeed born in Pest on March 24, 1874.
Budapest used to be 2 different cities, Buda and Pest, each on its side of the Danube. Houdini and his family resided on the poorer Pest side.

In locating more info about the address listed on the birth certificate, I read that Wild About Harry contributor Botund Kelle who lives nearby, was able to search records and discovered that the street name had changed and the new name of the street made it possible to find the original place where young Houdini lived during his first 4 years. A quick email to Botund produced excelled results when he asked me to write to his friend David Merlini, an escape artist of amazing talent. He hold the worlds record for holding his breath underwater. His new record now stands at 21 minutes, 29 seconds. He also performed an escape from a concrete block lowered into the Danube river.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uivnz2YB2aw

Who could have guessed that this random email would lead to this wonderful day where I got to meet these fine folks.
David had previously worked on the new Houdini movie as Technical Advisor and had access to the props used in the movie. A visit to the warehouse was a fantastic way to spend my first day in Budapest.
He was a great host and took me by limousine to the HH birth place and Royal Hotel where HH promised and delivered the "Finest Meal in all of Budapest".
The movie was filmed in the city and David pointed out many of the film locations.

As a simple tourist of Budapest, I was blown away by the hospitality of Botund and David.
My other shipmates were out buying paprika and ordering goulash while I was having this amazing tour.
Time was short as my ship was about to head out out to Vienna.
The Houdini Connection made my trip unbelievable and certainly unforgettable.
There just wasn't enough time to learn more about them in person. I hope we will be reunited another time.
I promised not to spill the beans about some future happenings, but I will tell you to expect some very great things along these lines in the near future.








We are not sure if this apartment house was where HH lived. This apartment house may have replaced an older structure. This used to be 2 stories tall but 2 more floors got added in the last 10 - 15 years.





This is the address where the birth certificate indicates. A street name change occurred sometime in the past several years.



A Weiss resides in this unit. Perhaps an heir to the Houdini fortune?


Did HH come out of these doors to play with the neighbor kids?




As a tenant went in through the door, we were able to sneak a peak inside. Just a few botanical specimens and balconies in this courtyard.



The Royal Hotel. It looks almost the same as when HH dined here. When HH's father was dying, he promised him that he would take good care of his mother. He promised her the best meal in the city. She was very disbelieving that he would ever be able to afford this luxury. He also took other family members to this feast and later said that this was his proudest moment.


Queen Victoria died before she could wear this dress. HH snapped it up and it proved to be good enough for his mom.









Koln or Cologne
HH has to go to court to see if he is tricking the citizens of the city. Claims of this is was the police charged him with.
He wins his day in court and tries the policeman for slander of his good name.
3 trials later, the good name of Houdini is restored and the police have to print an apology in the newspaper....a big one!
Not 100% sure this is the exact court house but a great deal of probability exists that it is.




Opening locks and handcuffs in front of the judge is very rare now, but financial crimes are the typical cases being heard these days.






The London Hippodrome.
A handcuff with 5 years in the making will be a big enough challenge to make the headlines in 1904.
The London Daily Mirror newspaper challenged HH to escape from the "Mirror Cuffs" that locksmith Nathaniel Hart made which took him 5 years to construct. Is this fact or is it fiction?



Exactly 110 years later, we are still discovering and contemplating, How did he do it?
The cabinet or "Ghost House"where HH would do his mastery in secret.


The stage where HH performed is a bit lower than the stage flooring of today.


The Hippodrome is now a Vegas style casino.
4,000 people were said to be in attendance 110 years ago. An hour later, Houdini was free.


Various props used in the newest Houdini movie.


Hope you enjoyed

mark
O--O

Click to expand...

Euhm anonymous, because to answer your question: you weren't there and we spent a lot of tima and money to put the convention together and don't feel the results have to be out in the open. I know some of the 'hard-core-collectors' will get to see the lectures but the pictures of the convention are not public, sorry. If you are someone we know, you can always ask for a couple of pics ... You'll know how to reach us.

Peter

In planning my trip to Munster Germany for the Handcuff Convention, I decided to book an 8 day scenic river cruise on the Danube River in Austria. The trip which turned out to be very wonderful started out in Budapest, Hungary.
The trip had several options and was finalized early in the summer. Several days elapsed since I signed the paperwork when I awoke in the middle of the night when it occurred to me that I was about to travel to Houdini's birthplace.

I never seen a picture or recalled any kind of tribute to Houdini so I mailed the tourism board in Budapest to see if there was a statue, plaque, or marker anywhere in the city. They replied that unfortunately there was none.

I wondered how could the greatest showman of all time not have anything honoring him. They offered no help.

A quick look at John Cox's Wild About Houdini turned up a copy of a birth certificate which lists the address of Houdini's first home. This certificate was obtained from records in Budapest.



It is interesting to see the name "Erik" on the certificate instead of "Erich" as he usually spelled it.
Another interesting fact and perhaps Houdini's biggest secret is his birthday. He normally told people that he was born in Appleton, Wi. on April 6, 1874. The paperwork from 1939 shows that he was indeed born in Pest on March 24, 1874.
Budapest used to be 2 different cities, Buda and Pest, each on its side of the Danube. Houdini and his family resided on the poorer Pest side.

In locating more info about the address listed on the birth certificate, I read that Wild About Harry contributor Botund Kelle who lives nearby, was able to search records and discovered that the street name had changed and the new name of the street made it possible to find the original place where young Houdini lived during his first 4 years. A quick email to Botund produced excelled results when he asked me to write to his friend David Merlini, an escape artist of amazing talent. He hold the worlds record for holding his breath underwater. His new record now stands at 21 minutes, 29 seconds. He also performed an escape from a concrete block lowered into the Danube river.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uivnz2YB2aw

Who could have guessed that this random email would lead to this wonderful day where I got to meet these fine folks.
David had previously worked on the new Houdini movie as Technical Advisor and had access to the props used in the movie. A visit to the warehouse was a fantastic way to spend my first day in Budapest.
He was a great host and took me by limousine to the HH birth place and Royal Hotel where HH promised and delivered the "Finest Meal in all of Budapest".
The movie was filmed in the city and David pointed out many of the film locations.

As a simple tourist of Budapest, I was blown away by the hospitality of Botund and David.
My other shipmates were out buying paprika and ordering goulash while I was having this amazing tour.
Time was short as my ship was about to head out out to Vienna.
The Houdini Connection made my trip unbelievable and certainly unforgettable.
There just wasn't enough time to learn more about them in person. I hope we will be reunited another time.
I promised not to spill the beans about some future happenings, but I will tell you to expect some very great things along these lines in the near future.








We are not sure if this apartment house was where HH lived. This apartment house may have replaced an older structure. This used to be 2 stories tall but 2 more floors got added in the last 10 - 15 years.





This is the address where the birth certificate indicates. A street name change occurred sometime in the past several years.



A Weiss resides in this unit. Perhaps an heir to the Houdini fortune?


Did HH come out of these doors to play with the neighbor kids?




As a tenant went in through the door, we were able to sneak a peak inside. Just a few botanical specimens and balconies in this courtyard.



The Royal Hotel. It looks almost the same as when HH dined here. When HH's father was dying, he promised him that he would take good care of his mother. He promised her the best meal in the city. She was very disbelieving that he would ever be able to afford this luxury. He also took other family members to this feast and later said that this was his proudest moment.


Queen Victoria died before she could wear this dress. HH snapped it up and it proved to be good enough for his mom.









Koln or Cologne
HH has to go to court to see if he is tricking the citizens of the city. Claims of this is was the police charged him with.
He wins his day in court and tries the policeman for slander of his good name.
3 trials later, the good name of Houdini is restored and the police have to print an apology in the newspaper....a big one!
Not 100% sure this is the exact court house but a great deal of probability exists that it is.




Opening locks and handcuffs in front of the judge is very rare now, but financial crimes are the typical cases being heard these days.






The London Hippodrome.
A handcuff with 5 years in the making will be a big enough challenge to make the headlines in 1904.
The London Daily Mirror newspaper challenged HH to escape from the "Mirror Cuffs" that locksmith Nathaniel Hart made which took him 5 years to construct. Is this fact or is it fiction?



Exactly 110 years later, we are still discovering and contemplating, How did he do it?
The cabinet or "Ghost House"where HH would do his mastery in secret.


The stage where HH performed is a bit lower than the stage flooring of today.


The Hippodrome is now a Vegas style casino.
4,000 people were said to be in attendance 110 years ago. An hour later, Houdini was free.


Various props used in the newest Houdini movie.


Hope you enjoyed

mark
O--O

Click to expand...

cuffman, I was talking about the guest article at John Cox's site, why not post it here at the forum and there at the blog so some of us don't have to go from one to another.

why not promote this site with good article rather than someone else's site

In planning my trip to Munster Germany for the Handcuff Convention, I decided to book an 8 day scenic river cruise on the Danube River in Austria. The trip which turned out to be very wonderful started out in Budapest, Hungary.
The trip had several options and was finalized early in the summer. Several days elapsed since I signed the paperwork when I awoke in the middle of the night when it occurred to me that I was about to travel to Houdini's birthplace.

I never seen a picture or recalled any kind of tribute to Houdini so I mailed the tourism board in Budapest to see if there was a statue, plaque, or marker anywhere in the city. They replied that unfortunately there was none.

I wondered how could the greatest showman of all time not have anything honoring him. They offered no help.

A quick look at John Cox's Wild About Houdini turned up a copy of a birth certificate which lists the address of Houdini's first home. This certificate was obtained from records in Budapest.



It is interesting to see the name "Erik" on the certificate instead of "Erich" as he usually spelled it.
Another interesting fact and perhaps Houdini's biggest secret is his birthday. He normally told people that he was born in Appleton, Wi. on April 6, 1874. The paperwork from 1939 shows that he was indeed born in Pest on March 24, 1874.
Budapest used to be 2 different cities, Buda and Pest, each on its side of the Danube. Houdini and his family resided on the poorer Pest side.

In locating more info about the address listed on the birth certificate, I read that Wild About Harry contributor Botund Kelle who lives nearby, was able to search records and discovered that the street name had changed and the new name of the street made it possible to find the original place where young Houdini lived during his first 4 years. A quick email to Botund produced excelled results when he asked me to write to his friend David Merlini, an escape artist of amazing talent. He hold the worlds record for holding his breath underwater. His new record now stands at 21 minutes, 29 seconds. He also performed an escape from a concrete block lowered into the Danube river.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uivnz2YB2aw

Who could have guessed that this random email would lead to this wonderful day where I got to meet these fine folks.
David had previously worked on the new Houdini movie as Technical Advisor and had access to the props used in the movie. A visit to the warehouse was a fantastic way to spend my first day in Budapest.
He was a great host and took me by limousine to the HH birth place and Royal Hotel where HH promised and delivered the "Finest Meal in all of Budapest".
The movie was filmed in the city and David pointed out many of the film locations.

As a simple tourist of Budapest, I was blown away by the hospitality of Botund and David.
My other shipmates were out buying paprika and ordering goulash while I was having this amazing tour.
Time was short as my ship was about to head out out to Vienna.
The Houdini Connection made my trip unbelievable and certainly unforgettable.
There just wasn't enough time to learn more about them in person. I hope we will be reunited another time.
I promised not to spill the beans about some future happenings, but I will tell you to expect some very great things along these lines in the near future.








We are not sure if this apartment house was where HH lived. This apartment house may have replaced an older structure. This used to be 2 stories tall but 2 more floors got added in the last 10 - 15 years.





This is the address where the birth certificate indicates. A street name change occurred sometime in the past several years.



A Weiss resides in this unit. Perhaps an heir to the Houdini fortune?


Did HH come out of these doors to play with the neighbor kids?




As a tenant went in through the door, we were able to sneak a peak inside. Just a few botanical specimens and balconies in this courtyard.



The Royal Hotel. It looks almost the same as when HH dined here. When HH's father was dying, he promised him that he would take good care of his mother. He promised her the best meal in the city. She was very disbelieving that he would ever be able to afford this luxury. He also took other family members to this feast and later said that this was his proudest moment.


Queen Victoria died before she could wear this dress. HH snapped it up and it proved to be good enough for his mom.









Koln or Cologne
HH has to go to court to see if he is tricking the citizens of the city. Claims of this is was the police charged him with.
He wins his day in court and tries the policeman for slander of his good name.
3 trials later, the good name of Houdini is restored and the police have to print an apology in the newspaper....a big one!
Not 100% sure this is the exact court house but a great deal of probability exists that it is.




Opening locks and handcuffs in front of the judge is very rare now, but financial crimes are the typical cases being heard these days.






The London Hippodrome.
A handcuff with 5 years in the making will be a big enough challenge to make the headlines in 1904.
The London Daily Mirror newspaper challenged HH to escape from the "Mirror Cuffs" that locksmith Nathaniel Hart made which took him 5 years to construct. Is this fact or is it fiction?



Exactly 110 years later, we are still discovering and contemplating, How did he do it?
The cabinet or "Ghost House"where HH would do his mastery in secret.


The stage where HH performed is a bit lower than the stage flooring of today.


The Hippodrome is now a Vegas style casino.
4,000 people were said to be in attendance 110 years ago. An hour later, Houdini was free.


Various props used in the newest Houdini movie.


Hope you enjoyed

mark
O--O

Click to expand...

Well, he did post it all above. I believe we are just talking about pretty much the same thing Mark has shared here, just on my site as a "guest blog."

I could just link to this thread, which was all I was asking originally. But it's up to Mark. He has shared it here first, and now maybe he'd like to share it with an audience that might not come here to read it.

And, of course, I will credit Handcuffs.Org and provide a link back here as well. I always do.

In planning my trip to Munster Germany for the Handcuff Convention, I decided to book an 8 day scenic river cruise on the Danube River in Austria. The trip which turned out to be very wonderful started out in Budapest, Hungary.
The trip had several options and was finalized early in the summer. Several days elapsed since I signed the paperwork when I awoke in the middle of the night when it occurred to me that I was about to travel to Houdini's birthplace.

I never seen a picture or recalled any kind of tribute to Houdini so I mailed the tourism board in Budapest to see if there was a statue, plaque, or marker anywhere in the city. They replied that unfortunately there was none.

I wondered how could the greatest showman of all time not have anything honoring him. They offered no help.

A quick look at John Cox's Wild About Houdini turned up a copy of a birth certificate which lists the address of Houdini's first home. This certificate was obtained from records in Budapest.



It is interesting to see the name "Erik" on the certificate instead of "Erich" as he usually spelled it.
Another interesting fact and perhaps Houdini's biggest secret is his birthday. He normally told people that he was born in Appleton, Wi. on April 6, 1874. The paperwork from 1939 shows that he was indeed born in Pest on March 24, 1874.
Budapest used to be 2 different cities, Buda and Pest, each on its side of the Danube. Houdini and his family resided on the poorer Pest side.

In locating more info about the address listed on the birth certificate, I read that Wild About Harry contributor Botund Kelle who lives nearby, was able to search records and discovered that the street name had changed and the new name of the street made it possible to find the original place where young Houdini lived during his first 4 years. A quick email to Botund produced excelled results when he asked me to write to his friend David Merlini, an escape artist of amazing talent. He hold the worlds record for holding his breath underwater. His new record now stands at 21 minutes, 29 seconds. He also performed an escape from a concrete block lowered into the Danube river.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uivnz2YB2aw

Who could have guessed that this random email would lead to this wonderful day where I got to meet these fine folks.
David had previously worked on the new Houdini movie as Technical Advisor and had access to the props used in the movie. A visit to the warehouse was a fantastic way to spend my first day in Budapest.
He was a great host and took me by limousine to the HH birth place and Royal Hotel where HH promised and delivered the "Finest Meal in all of Budapest".
The movie was filmed in the city and David pointed out many of the film locations.

As a simple tourist of Budapest, I was blown away by the hospitality of Botund and David.
My other shipmates were out buying paprika and ordering goulash while I was having this amazing tour.
Time was short as my ship was about to head out out to Vienna.
The Houdini Connection made my trip unbelievable and certainly unforgettable.
There just wasn't enough time to learn more about them in person. I hope we will be reunited another time.
I promised not to spill the beans about some future happenings, but I will tell you to expect some very great things along these lines in the near future.








We are not sure if this apartment house was where HH lived. This apartment house may have replaced an older structure. This used to be 2 stories tall but 2 more floors got added in the last 10 - 15 years.





This is the address where the birth certificate indicates. A street name change occurred sometime in the past several years.



A Weiss resides in this unit. Perhaps an heir to the Houdini fortune?


Did HH come out of these doors to play with the neighbor kids?




As a tenant went in through the door, we were able to sneak a peak inside. Just a few botanical specimens and balconies in this courtyard.



The Royal Hotel. It looks almost the same as when HH dined here. When HH's father was dying, he promised him that he would take good care of his mother. He promised her the best meal in the city. She was very disbelieving that he would ever be able to afford this luxury. He also took other family members to this feast and later said that this was his proudest moment.


Queen Victoria died before she could wear this dress. HH snapped it up and it proved to be good enough for his mom.









Koln or Cologne
HH has to go to court to see if he is tricking the citizens of the city. Claims of this is was the police charged him with.
He wins his day in court and tries the policeman for slander of his good name.
3 trials later, the good name of Houdini is restored and the police have to print an apology in the newspaper....a big one!
Not 100% sure this is the exact court house but a great deal of probability exists that it is.




Opening locks and handcuffs in front of the judge is very rare now, but financial crimes are the typical cases being heard these days.






The London Hippodrome.
A handcuff with 5 years in the making will be a big enough challenge to make the headlines in 1904.
The London Daily Mirror newspaper challenged HH to escape from the "Mirror Cuffs" that locksmith Nathaniel Hart made which took him 5 years to construct. Is this fact or is it fiction?



Exactly 110 years later, we are still discovering and contemplating, How did he do it?
The cabinet or "Ghost House"where HH would do his mastery in secret.


The stage where HH performed is a bit lower than the stage flooring of today.


The Hippodrome is now a Vegas style casino.
4,000 people were said to be in attendance 110 years ago. An hour later, Houdini was free.


Various props used in the newest Houdini movie.


Hope you enjoyed

mark
O--O

Click to expand...

Hi all,

What I posted here is the bulk of my story.
I offered a slightly more detailed account of how it came to be that I was able to meet and become friends with other Houdini fans across the world and their willingness to show me around on Johns, site.
Basically, a Handcuff/Houdini twist on Handcuffs.org and Houdini/Handcuff twist on Wild about Harry site.

mark
O--O