100 Rare Houdini Items up for Auction 100 Years After Houdini’s Death

Centennial Sale Brings Never-Before-Sold Collection to Market at World Famous Magic Castle in LA on 100th Anniversary of Houdini’s Death

CHICAGO, IL, UNITED STATES, September 30, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Houdini Returns: The Centennial Auction

100 Rare Objects Cross the Auction Block 100 Years After the Death of Harry Houdini

Marking 100 years since the death of Harry Houdini, Potter & Potter Auctions will present a landmark sale of Houdini memorabilia on October 31, 2026 at the famed Magic Castle in Hollywood, California. Titled Houdini Returns: The Centennial Auction, the sale brings to the public for the very first time 100 historic items, many of which were personally owned by Houdini. Selected highlights below.

Drawn from the lifelong collection of noted Houdini collector Kevin Connolly, the auction represents one of the most significant single-owner offerings of Houdini material ever assembled. The sale spans the magician’s early career through his rise to international fame, and beyond.

Featured lots include signed works from Houdini’s library, Houdini-owned handcuffs, his family photographs, personal correspondence, rare posters, and a striking life-size lobby photograph used to promote Houdini’s shows. Among the most remarkable items is an early photograph of Houdini and his wife Bess alongside the cast of the Welsh Brothers Circus. Annotated in Houdini’s own hand this photograph was recently featured on the cover of a major publication pertaining to Houdini’s early career.

“Houdini has been represented in Potter & Potter’s auctions from day one, and he has appeared in nearly every magic sale we’ve conducted over the past two decades,” said Gabe Fajuri, President of Potter & Potter Auctions. “Even now, 100 years after his death, Houdini’s name remains synonymous with magic itself. We’re honored to partner with lifelong collector Kevin Connolly to present 100 rare relics that he has spent decades assembling. These are deeply personal objects – items Houdini owned, used, and lived with, and many will be offered publicly for the first time. To present them in a live auction at the world-famous Magic Castle on the centennial of his death makes this a truly once-in-a-lifetime event.”

Potter & Potter estimates the total value of these collectibles between $300,000 and $500,000. Individual lots are expected to reach as much as $25,000. The sale offers collectors an unprecedented opportunity to acquire objects of value which were personally handled and preserved by Houdini himself.

Potter & Potter Auctions has long been at the forefront of the market for magic memorabilia, surpassing virtually all other auction house sales that pertain to material related to Harry Houdini. Notable results include Houdini’s Automatic Flowering Rosebush which was used during his final American tour. This piece of apparatus realized $324,000 at auction, the highest price paid for any magic related object. Record-setting prices for Houdini pieces such as performance artifacts, signed books, autographed manuscripts, and rare posters have defined the market for Houdini memorabilia and has established the firm as the world’s leading destination for collectors.

Select highlights include:
• Houdini and Bess with the Welsh Brothers Circus, annotated in Houdini’s hand. Estimated $10,000 – $20,000

• Houdini-owned handcuffs, bearing his name stamped in the metal. Estimated $8,000 – $12,000

• Invitation to the Final Houdini Séance signed by Beatrice Houdini. Estimated $1,000 – $2,000

• Houdini Spirit Photograph, taken at his New York Brownstone. Estimated $1,500 – $3,000

• Magic Made Easy pitch book, issued during Houdini’s earliest days, with spirit photo on the front wrapper. Estimated $3,000 – $5,000

• Full-length portrait of Houdini in chains. Amsterdam, 1903. Inscribed and signed by Houdini on the verso to a fellow magician. Estimated $3,000 – $6,000

Bidding will take place live at the Magic Castle for invited guests and club members. Interested parties may also participate via phone or online at www.potterauctions.com. Seating for the live event is limited.

All lots will be available for the public to view at Potter & Potter’s Chicago gallery throughout the month of October. In advance of the sale, Potter and Potter will offer a rare opportunity to preview the highlights of the auction at the Magic Castle. A panel discussion on Houdini’s life and legacy will take place the day before the live auction.

A full-color auction catalog will accompany the event, as well as a limited edition of 100 deluxe hardbound copies produced to commemorate the centennial. The day following the live event, Potter & Potter will conduct a second online-only auction of associated Houdiniana and magic memorabilia.

About Potter & Potter Auctions:
Potter & Potter, founded in 2007, is a Chicago-based auction house specializing in paper Americana, vintage advertising, rare books, playing cards, gambling memorabilia, posters, fine prints, vintage toys, and magicana, antiques and collectibles related to magic and magicians. Follow us on Facebook (potterandpotterauctions) and Instagram (potterauctions).
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Kelsey Moorhouse
Cathy Taylor Public Relations
+1 608-790-5548
kelsey@cathytaylorpr.com