“Just aside from it being used in an illusion, it is beautifully made, and you can see all the joints and the makers’ names on it.”

“There are only a couple of trunks that remain that he used for this illusion,” said Chidester. The show also features a trunk from the 1890s used in one of Houdini’s other famous illusions, called Metamorphosis.

“This is probably the crown jewel for Dr. “After Houdini’s death, Hardeen was selling quite a bit of locks and picks that he claimed were Houdini’s but were fakes,” Chidester said.Īll of the artifacts in Bell’s collection have been authenticated by auction houses, including the milk can. Theodore “Dash” Hardeen, Houdini’s younger brother, was also a magician and escape artist, and after his brother’s death, he sold many of Houdini’s stage props - and fabricated others. “There is a lot of conspiracy around the authenticity of a lot of Houdini artifacts,” Chidester said.

Bell began collecting authentic memorabilia in the 1990s, and the milk can is said to have come from the basement of Houdini’s house. It is a collection Bell has gathered since reading a book about Houdini as a young boy turned him into a lifelong fan. 22, the world-premiere exhibit features first-edition books, personal letters and contracts, handcuffs, stage props and locks along with the famed milk can. Randall Bell, and everything that he owns has not been on display before.” “’Houdini Unchained: The Legacy of Harry Houdini’ is a collection from one singular collector,” said Kelly Chidester, executive director at Muzeo Museum and Cultural Center.

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