Snapshots of the Past

[Houdini letterhead, with head-and-shoulders portrait of Houdini] – Antique Photo Print

[Houdini letterhead, with head-and-shoulders portrait of Houdini], [1900 or 1901] — historic print
[Houdini letterhead, with head-and-shoulders portrait of Houdini], [1900 or 1901]. Historic print from the Astrology & Magic collection.

(Originally scanned by the Library of Congress. Each image is professionally and digitally cleaned of artifacts such as color bars and extra borders prior to printing.)

Description

This rare historic print captures [Houdini letterhead, with head-and-shoulders portrait of Houdini] in remarkable detail. Sourced directly from the Library of Congress, it represents an authentic piece of documented history.

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[Houdini letterhead, with head-and-shoulders portrait of Houdini]

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Printed in Frankfurt, Germany, this letterhead pairs a head-and-shoulders portrait of Houdini with the bold self-promotion that marked his early career. Dated to 1900 or 1901, when he was building his reputation in Europe, it shows a magician who treated stationery and business cards as tools for keeping his persona before the public. Houdini later annotated a sample of the sheet in 1916, and Oscar Teale, who kept a scrapbook devoted to Houdini, preserved it, which is why the piece survives today.

Created / published[1900 or 1901]
Medium2 prints.
GenreLetterheads Color 1900-1910.Portrait prints 1900-1910.
NotesLetterhead printed in Frankfurt, Germany. Who would remember a modest magician, or one who failed to advertise? Letterhead and business cards promote the persona and, at this point in his career, Houdini was never understated. In 1916, The King of Handcuffs annotated this stationary on the sample shown here. The paper was then carefully preserved by Oscar Teale who placed it in a scrapbook he maintained about Houdini.
SubjectsHoudini, Harry,--1874-1926--Associated objects. Magic--1900-1910. Magicians--1900-1910.
SourceLibrary of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
Original scan1,124 × 1,430 px · prints to 4 × 5 in at 300 dpi
ReferenceAMZ-SOTP-HPA-217289

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