Houdini collectors are about to face off for bragging rights they never expected to have: ownership of the magician’s bathtub. And his laundry sink, too.
Potter & Potter Auctions is making this one-of-a-kind treasure available for bids on July 25th as part of a larger sale of magic memorabilia.
Lot #380 had been in Houdini’s New York City home at 278 W. 113th Street since he lived there in the early 1900s. After his death in 1926, his wife Bess sold the home to their neighbors, whose family remained in the house until 1980. It changed hands in 1990, and again just a few years ago. The new owners consigned the tub, a laundry sink, a garden sink, and a wine press to Potter & Potter.
The enameled, cast iron tub, which once sat on the third floor in Bess’s bathroom, had been moved to the basement and spent time outdoors as a planter as well. Its age shows, but it is intact and structurally sound. Extensive documentation and photographs related to its provenance will be included with the auction.
Though it’s not known if the tub was used for anything more than bathing, the possibilities are intriguing. After all, Houdini was well known for his ability to hold his breath under water during escapes.
“I love the idea,” says Gabe Fajuri, Potter & Potter’s president and founder. “I love the way it gets your brain going—that he possibly practiced something in the tub, the whole thing is kind of this wild out-of-left-field curveball that really sets the imagination running.”
So, how much is a bathtub from Houdini’s house worth? Potter & Potter, which has sold countless Houdiniana items, is basing its estimate on what other one-of-a-kind pieces have sold for.
“We call it a blind item, in the sense that there’s no comparable item out there,” Fajuri says. “I’d be shocked if someone wouldn’t spend $4,000 – that’s the opening bid. You’re not going to find another one of these any time soon.”
You’ll have your chance to give Houdini’s tub and other fixtures a new home on July 25th, at 10:00 am, CDT. The sale will be streamed live from Potter & Potter’s gallery and held on potterauctions.com. Bids can be placed online. Phone and absentee bidding are available as well.
