WOONSOCKET – Gregory Duhamel’s latest book explores the local connection to one of history’s most famous performers, escape artist Harry Houdini.
Duhamel said his book, “Metamorphosis: Houdini in Woonsocket, Rhode Island,” focuses on Houdini’s early, lesser-known theatrical engagements in Woonsocket, happening during 1895 and 1896, long before he became a world-famous celebrity. He focuses solely on those visits.
The book is scheduled for release on Oct. 31, coinciding with the 100th anniversary period of Houdini’s death on Halloween 1926. The 136-page book will be available for exclusive release on Amazon at midnight on Halloween.
Duhamel is a local historian, cemetery conservator, and author, leading efforts to restore local cemeteries.
The book reconstructs Harry and Bess Houdini’s early stage appearances at local venues (such as the Olympia Theatre/Music Hall era) using historical society archives, show flyers, newspaper ads, and letters. It details how a young Houdini first began utilizing handcuff and jail-cell escapes to build local publicity.
Who was the first escape artist to escape handcuffs in prison cells as a publicity stunt?
That was a heated debate for a long time, and, spoiler alert, Duhamel says he lays the 100-year-old debate to rest (by several years) that Houdini should get the credit.
He highlights a major crisis when a 1896 tour manager stole ticket sales money, leaving Harry and Bess so financially stranded that it nearly ruined them. The book details how they overcame the obstacles, among fascinating other details.
Duhamel said the book examines deeper historical questions surrounding Houdini’s life, career, and legacy, including the intersection of his magic and spiritualism.
Duhamel said he uses newspaper accounts and other literature about the Houdinis and their performances from their early days when they started in New England. He cites information from John Cox and his Wild About Houdini Blog, as well as the book “Houdini: The Man Who Died Twice,” by Larrian Gillespie. Gillespie covers Houdini’s last performance in Detroit, sharing how the performer’s problems before his death started in Providence during the first week of October. That book covers the start of October through Houdini’s death.
Duhamel said he loves the storytelling aspect of writing books.
As a skeptic of the spiritual and paranormal, Duhamel said he became fascinated with Houdini as a teenager. Houdini did a lot of debunking spiritualism and the paranormal through his work, he said.
Duhamel said he’s a big fan of the book “The Cancer of Superstition,” by Harry Houdini and C.M. Eddy, Jr., outline by H.P. Lovecraft, taken from a manuscript of a book Houdini was writing with Eddy and Lovecraft at the time of his death.
Duhamel said future talks and events will be scheduled, with physical copies available for purchase and signing.
