The museum, opened in 2012, is within the Fantasma Magic shop and has a couple hundred objects on display, as well as some 1,500 items in its archives. Yet go through the nondescript Midtown lobby and take the elevator to the third floor and you’ll find yourself in the Houdini Museum. Just think- you can own a piece of magical history.Few who walk the busy blocks around Penn Station in New York likely notice the small signs for a magic shop below the scaffolding on Seventh Avenue. Something that was handled by the great Harry Houdini in his daily life! This is a one-of-a-kind collectible, perfect for framing. This is one of the envelopes found in Harry Houdini's personal desk.

The envelope is addressed to Houdini at his NYC address. Though it is not known who sent this letter, on the back is a list of names of English mediums of the day. Perhaps these are in Houdini's hand- we make no claim, but see some similarities in the letter structures, especially the spiky 'n's.Īt this time, Houdini was keeping a steady correspondence with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and several other magicians in England, debating the authenticity of spiritualism. This envelope may have contained such correspondence, and Houdini may have made his own notes on the back. See a larger version of the front of the envelope here. See a larger version of the back of the envelope here.

In the late 1980's, magician Peter Monticup (owner of ), purchased Harry Houdini's ornate personal desk. The desk had been in storage in Houdini's former NYC home from 1926 until it was sold in 1980. Peter purchased the desk from this buyer, along with some other personal items from the Houdini home. The desk had a number of secret compartments and hidden drawers.

Inside one of the drawers was a stack of envelopes from correspondence Houdini had received. The envelopes were from all different sources- his lawyers, his fans, fellow magicians, etc. He even wrote notes on some of the envelopes, either noting the importance of the contents, or just scribbling on them as scrap paper. In researching each of the envelopes, we've found an important connection to an event or person in Houdini's life.

Houdini magic store