Happy Birthday, Harry! 🥳
On this day, the 24th of March, we celebrate the 150th birthday of the legendary Harry Houdini, the master escape artist, illusionist and magician who captivated audiences worldwide during the heyday of vaudeville. Born Erik Weisz in Budapest, Hungary, in 1874, he emigrated to America with his family and settled in New York City. From a young age, Houdini displayed a keen interest in athletics and magic, eventually adopting the stage name “Houdini” as a tribute to the pioneering French conjurer Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin.
Harry Houdini’s rise to fame began in 1899 when he embarked on the Orpheum Vaudeville Circuit, astounding crowds with his incredible handcuff tricks, earning him the moniker “Handcuff Harry”. His daring escapes from seemingly inescapable confines—jail cells, straitjackets, chains, ropes suspended from skyscrapers, and even a metal can filled to the brim with milk—solidified his reputation as one of the greatest escape artists of all time. His most iconic feat, the Chinese Water Torture Cell, remains etched in the collective memory of magic enthusiasts worldwide.
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| Houdini in a publicity shoot bound in chains and padlocks, circa 1899. Photo Credit: Library of Congress. |
Tragically, Houdini’s life was cut short at the age of 52 due to peritonitis caused by a ruptured appendix, although some historians have disputed this cause of death. Nevertheless, his legacy as a master illusionist and daredevil has transcended time, and he remains one of the most celebrated magicians in history.
Recently, I was surprised to discover that Harry Houdini had two birthdays! His actual birthday was recorded on his birth certificate as the 24th of March. However, he publicly acknowledged the 6th of April as his “official” birthday. Houdini was not mistaken. He deliberately chose to celebrate his birthday on the 6th of April, even though he knew it was not his actual date of birth. In a letter to his brother Hardeen, Houdini explained that he adopted the 6th of April as his birthday because their mother would always write to him. As he put it, “As SHE always wrote me on the 6th of April, that will be my adopted birthdate.” 1
Houdini’s Two Pocket Watches
In 1910, on his 36th birthday, his beloved wife, Bess, gave her husband an exquisite gift: an engraved pocket watch bearing his true birth date of March 24th. The engraving reads:
“FOR HARRY
EVER HOUDINI
REMEMBERING IN
COMPLETE HAPPINESS
BESS
3 - 24 - 10”
The first letter of each word spells out “EHRICH,” Houdini’s given name that he adopted when he moved to Wisconsin as a four-year-old boy. This engraving reveals that he was indeed aware of and celebrated his true birth date, at least privately, with his wife (see photo below). However, in public, he continued to celebrate his birthday on the 6th of July.
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| Houdini’s pocket watch. Photo Credit: Kevin Connolly via Conjuring Arts Research Centre. |
Houdini may also have been inspired by the tradition of British monarchs celebrating two birthdays—an “official” birthday for public celebrations and an actual birthday reserved for personal observances. This tradition dates back to the 18th century and was started by King George II, who reigned from 1727 to 1760.
George II was born on the 9th of November, meaning his actual birthday fell during a chilly and unpredictable time of the year. Because a November birthday was too cold for a celebratory parade, in 1748, King George II decided to tie his birthday celebrations with the annual Trooping the Colour summer military parade in the warmer month of June. This ensured his subjects could partake in outdoor festivities and celebrations without worrying about the cold weather. Thus, the concept of the “official” birthday was born.
Incidentally, this wasn’t the only pocket watch Houdini was gifted. Just as he had two birthdays, Houdini also owned two pocket watches. During his “Grand Magical Revue” tour in England, Houdini’s English manager, Harry Day, presented him with a handsome 18K gold hunter-cased minute repeating chronograph with calendar and moon phases (see image below).
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| A close-up of the face of Houdini’s gold pocket watch. Image Credit: Hodinkee. |
This was around the time Houdini bought his famous “Walking Through A Brick Wall” illusion. It was also Houdini’s final tour of the UK before the outbreak of World War I. He sailed home on the SS Imperator in June and did not return until December 1919. For this reason, the gift might have been a farewell gesture from Day. 2
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| The SS Imperator. Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons. |
Like the pocket watch that he received from his wife four years earlier, the timepiece from Day was also engraved with a personal message:
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| A close-up of the engraving on Houdini’s gold pocket watch. Photo Credit: Hodinkee. |
“TO MY DEAR PAL
HOUDINI
FROM HIS
SINCERE FRIEND
HARRY DAY
MAY 1914”
In 2012, the watch was sold at an auction for $25,000 (including buyer’s premium). 3 This lot was an extraordinary one because it came with a short chain and locket with pictures of Houdini’s wife and mother on each side. The lot also included a dried clover leaf and a note in Houdini’s hand stating that in June 1922, his wife Bess was to give the watch to Brother Bill’s son, Sam. The note was signed by Houdini himself (see photos below).
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| Photo of Bess Houdini in the locket attached to the pocket watch. Photo Credit: Hodinkee. |
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| Photo of Harry’s mother in the locket attached to the pocket watch. Photo Credit: Hodinkee. |
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| Hand-wrHandwritteny Houdini included with the watch when it sold in 2012. Photo Credit: Hodinkee. |
The pocket watch was later purchased by Aaron Faber in midtown Manhattan and went on sale in 2018 for $45,000.
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| The gold pocket watch once owned by Harry Houdini. Photo Credit: Aaron Faber Gallery New York. |
The birthday boy is shown below, and it looks like he’s wearing one of these pocket watches on his waistcoat. This photo was taken circa 1913, so the watch in his pocket is, most likely, the one given to him by his wife.
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| Three-quarter length portrait of Harry Houdini. Photo Credit: Library of Congress. |
These two pocket watches serve as tangible reminders of his deep affection for his family and the esteem in which he was held by those close to him. The watch from Bess symbolises the enduring love between husband and wife, while the gift from Harry Day represents the camaraderie and respect shared among colleagues in the magical arts.
Moreover, these timepieces hold a special significance as they connect Houdini to his early inspiration, Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin, who was not only a skilled illusionist but also a renowned clockmaker. The watches reflect the profound influence that Robert-Houdin had on the young Houdini, who sought to emulate and surpass his hero’s achievements. (In a strange twist of fate, Houdini would eventually denounce the French magician and brandish him as a liar and a fraud in his book The Unmasking of Robert-Houdin.)
As we celebrate Harry Houdini’s 150th birthday, these pocket watches serve as powerful reminders of this legendary figure’s multifaceted nature—a master performer, a devoted son and husband, and a pioneer who pushed the boundaries of what was deemed possible in the world of magic, illusion and escapology.
Happy birthday, Harry Houdini! 🥳 Your legacy continues to inspire and captivate generations of magicians and audiences alike.
Footnotes
John Cox, “The Houdini birth year conundrum,” Wild About Harry, March 24, 2019, https://www.wildabouthoudini.com/2019/03/the-houdini-birth-year-conundrum.html.
John Cox, “Houdini’s pocket watch at auction,” Wild About Harry, May 16, 2012, https://www.wildabouthoudini.com/2012/05/houdinis-pocket-watch-at-auction.html.
Bonhams, “An 18K gold hunter cased minute repeating chronograph with calendar and moon phases presented to the magician Houdini,” Bonhams, June 12, 2012, https://www.bonhams.com/auction/20003/lot/43/an-18k-gold-hunter-cased-minute-repeating-chronograph-with-calendar-and-moon-phases-presented-to-the-magician-houdinidated-1914/.
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