He fell in love with the landscape and the people, and he never left. He came to northern Arizona in the early '80s to pursue a career in journalism. "No matter how related I am to Houdini, my horses don't care and my dogs don't care," George says. But that didn't matter to them, because I'm the guy that's got the DNA."Īnd then the guy with the DNA - who seance attendees say looks an awful lot like Houdini - went home to Tuba City, Ariz., on the Navajo Nation. That was a bit strange for George Hardeen, because admittedly, he knows little about his great-uncle. "And I think that's the purpose of these seances - to give an opportunity for folks to come back and talk about Houdini," he says. They would beseech him to just show a sign, move something on the table."Īfter about half an hour, he says, "they threw in the towel, and then it was over." The group went to a really nice bar, drank some scotch and just talked. "They had a medium, and he was very entertaining, calling upon Houdini in a very dramatic way. Starting in San Francisco, in 1899, he often stripped naked in his handcuff routines. They had some articles that belonged to Houdini," he says. Even before the milk-can stunt, Houdini had gone further than other magicians. Government is a great source of information about Houdini. postage stamp that does a magic trick Houdini's ornate desk was all carved bat wings, fanciful figures, and hidden compartments. "The Houdini legacy has taken a new branch," says Hardeen, "because my wife is Navajo, and my children are enrolled members of the Navajo Nation." Harry Houdini actually patented a special diving suit, perfect for performing his underwater escapes Learn about the official U.S. George Hardeen is shown with his wife, Lena Fowler, and one of his three children, Shonie Fowler Hardeen.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |