Selected Special Collections

Harry Houdini Collection

Publications, scrapbooks, and other material relating to spiritualism and magic.

[Harry Houdini, half-length portrait, seated, facing slightly right, holding book, with his head propped on his left hand, and arm on back of chair]. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress

Harry Houdini (1874-1926), master magician and escape artist, wrote in A Magician Among the Sprits, (1924) that he had "accumulated one of the largest libraries in the world on psychic phenomena, Spiritualism, magic, witchcraft, demonology, evil spirits, etc., some of the material going back as far as 1489." In 1927, through Houdini's bequest, the Library received 3,988 volumes from his collection. While strongest in nineteenth and twentieth century publications on spiritualism- Houdini doubted "if any one in the world has so complete a library on modern Spiritualism: - the Houdini Collection contains a number of magic books inscribed or annotated by well-known magicians. Leonard N. Beck. discusses significant items in "Things Magical in the Collections of the Rare Book Division," QJLC, v. 31, October 1974, p. 208-234. Also in the collection are prints, playbills, printed ephemera, periodicals, and many volumes of pamphlets on such topics as card tricks, mediums, hypnotism, handcuff escape methods, and chalk-talking. Of special note are over one hundred unannotated scrapbooks containing theatre notices and news clippings on subjects of personal interest. Houdini's theatrical collection was sold after his death to Messmore Kendall and later donated to the University of Texas.

Supporting Resources

• Related Digitized Content: Science, Magic and Mathematics
• Webcast: Magical Momentos: Harry Houdini Scrapbooks
• Blog Post: Harry Houdini's Rare Magic Books

Digitized Materials Available from the Harry Houdini Collection

	Variety Stage: Harry Houdini
	Apian, Peter, 1495-1552. Cosmographiae Introductio: Cum Quibusdam Geometriae ac Astronomiae Principijs ad eam rem Necessarijs. Venetijs: In calcographia Francisci Bindonis, et Maphei Pasini, Socijs ..., mense Maij 1537. Page Turner - Bibliographic Information
	Arnolds, Gottfried. Unpartheyische Kirchen- und Ketzer-Historie : vom Anfang des Neuen Testaments biss auf das Jahr Christi 1688. Franckfurt am Mayn: Bey Thomas Fritschens sel. Erben, 1729. Page Turner - PDF (739 MB) - Bibliographic Information
	Bits of Patter. [Minneapolis, Minn : Eagle Magic Co.], c1915. Page Turner - PDF (226.22 MB) - Bibliographic Information
	Bright-Wits, Prince of Mogadore. Page Turner - PDF (37.41MB) Bibliographic Information
	Eckartshausen, Karl von, 1752-1803. Aufschlüsse zur Magie aus geprüften Erfahrungen über verborgene philosophische Wissenschaften und verdeckte Geheimnisse der Natur / geschrieben von Karl von Eckartshausen ... München : Bei Joseph Lentner, 1791-1795. Page Turner - PDF - (250.75 MB) Bibliographic Information
	Eckartshausen, Karl von, 1752-1803. Verschiedenes zum Unterricht und zur Unterhaltung für Liebhaber der Gauckeltasche, des Magnetismus, und anderer Seltenheiten. Gesammelt und herausgegeben von dem Hofrath von Eckhartshausen ... München, J. Lindauer, 1791. Page Turner - PDF - (184.11 MB) Bibliographic Information
	Erdnase, S. W. Artifice, Ruse, and Subterfuge at the Card Table: a Treatise on the Science and Art of Manipulating Cards. Chicago: Frederick J. Drake & Co., 1905. Page Turner - PDF (89.69 MB)- Bibliographic Information
	Funk, Christlieb Benedict, 1736-1786. Natürliche Magie. Berlin und Stettin: Bey Friedrich Nicolai, 1783. Page Turner - PDF -(161.32 MB) Bibliographic Information
	Guyot. Neue Physikalische und Mathematische Belustigungen, oder Sammlung von Neuen Kunststücken, Zum Vergnügen. Augsburg, E. Kletts sel. wittwe, 1772-77. Page Turner - PDF (315.16 MB) - Bibliographic Information
	Hocus Pocus Junior: the Anatomie of Legerdemain,... The second edition, with many additions. London: Printed by T.H.[arper] for R.M.[ab], 1635. Page Turner - PDF (28.89 MB) - Bibliographic Information
	Halle, Johann Samuel, 1727-1810. Magie, oder, Die Zauberkräfte der Natur. Berlin: Bey Joachim Pauli, Buchhändler, 1783-1786. Page Turner - PDF (259.45 MB) - Bibliographic Information
	Hildebrand, Wolfgang, fl. 1622-1631. Magia Naturalis; Wolffgangi Hildebrands Neu-vermehrt, Vortrefflich, Ausserlesen Curieuses Kunst und Wunderbuch. Franckfurt am Mayn: In Henning Grossens Buchladen, Gedruckt im Jahr 1704. Page Turner - PDF (48.53 MB) - Bibliographic Information
	Hooper, William, M.D. Rational Recreations, in Which the Principles of Numbers and Natural Philosophy are Clearly and Copiously Elucidated... London, L. Davis [etc.], 1782-1783. Volume 1: Page Turner - PDF (105.8MB) Volume 2: Page Turner - PDF Volume 3: Page Turner - PDF Volume 4: Page Turner - PDF Bibliographic Information
	Robert-Houdin, Jean-Eugène, 1805-1871. Memoirs of Robert-Houdin: Ambassador, Author, and Conjurer/Written by Himself; edited by Dr. R. Shelton Mackenzie. Philadelphia: Geo. G. Evans, 1859. Page Turner - PDF (161.51 MB) - Bibliographic Information
	von Nettesheim, Agrippa. Heinrich Cornelius, 1486?-1535. Magische Werke: Sammt den Geheimnitzvollen Schriften des Petrus von Abano, Pictorius von Villingen, Gerhard von Cremona, Abt Tritheim von Spanheim, dem Buche Arbatel, der Sogenannten Heil. Geist-Kunst und Verschiedenen Anderen. Zweites Bändchen/zum ersten Male vollständig in’s Deutsche übersetzt. Stuttgart: Verlag von J. Scheible, 1855. Page Turner - PDF (127.30 MB) - Bibliographic Information
	Onomatologia Curiosa Artificiosa et Magica, Oder, Ganz Natürliches Zauber-Lexicon. Nürnberg: Auf Kosten der Raspischen Handlung, 1764. Page Turner - PDF (423.15) - Bibliographic Information
	Pinetti, Philadelphia und Enslin, Oder die Enthullten Zauberkräfte, eine Sammlung Auseriesener Leicht aus Zuführender Magischer- Chemischer- und Karten-Kunststücke Nebst den Intersessantesten Scherz- und Pfanderspielen zu r Belustigung und Interhaltung fur Frohe Geseilschaften, pp. I. Hamburg und Altona, G. Vollmer [1819- Page Turner - PDF (54.97 MB) - Bibliographic Information
	Popular Recreator. London; Paris; New York: Cassell, Petter & Galpin, [1873-1874]. Page Turner - PDF (350 MB) - Bibliographic Information
	Robertson, E. G. (Etienne Gaspard), 1763-1831. Mémoires Récréatifs, Scientifiques et Anecdotiques du Physicien-Aéronaute E.G. Robertson... A Paris, Chez l’auteur et à la Librairie de Wurtz, 1831-33. Page Turner - PDF (162.06) - Bibliographic Information
	Schwenter, Daniel, 1585-1636. Deliciæ Physico-Mathematicæ. Oder Mathemat: und Philosophische Erquickstunden ... am Tag Gegeben Durch m. Danielem Schwenterum ... Nürnberg, J. Dümler, 1636-92. Volume One: Page Turner - PDF (239.67)- Bibliographic Information Volume Two: Page Turner - PDF - Bibliographic Information Volume Three: Page Turner - PDF (283.85) - Bibliographic Information
	Ventriloquism Explained: and Juggler’s Tricks, or Legerdemain Exposed: with Remarks on Vulgar Superstitions. Amherst, Ms., J. S. and C. Adams, 1834. Page Turner - PDF (59.78 MB) - Bibliographic Information
	Wiegleb, Johann Christian, 1732-1800. Die Natürliche Magie: Aus Allerhand Belustigenden und Nützlichen Kunststücken Bestehend. Berlin und Stettin: Bey Friedrich Nicolai, 1789. Page Turner - PDF - (272.41 MB) Bibliographic Information