HOUDINI, Harry (Erik Weisz, 1874 - 1926). Houdini Welsh Brothers Circus Annotated Photograph. 1898. Oversize imperial cabinet card or boudoir card pictures the cast of the Welsh Brothers Circus, including Harry and Beatrice Houdini, gathered for a group portrait under a circus tent. Embossed photographer's mount. Framed and matted, 12 x 14" overall.

On the mount below the image, ENTIRELY IN HOUDINI'S HAND, are his numbered notations identifying the individuals in the photograph (including the Bard Brothers, clowns, and the "dog man"), and with his caption, reading, "Welsh Brothers Circus Season 1896. Great 10 cent circus in out of the way places we played to 25 [cent] audiences."

This remarkable image was an important personal keepsake for Houdini and his wife, serving as a reminder of their earliest days as struggling entertainers. The Houdinis, seated at the lower right in the portrait, presented their combination magic and escape act in the circus ring, in the company of the acrobats and clowns also pictured. The Welsh Brothers show toured America via rail, playing small towns, primarily in rural areas. 

The photograph has been widely exhibited and used to illustrate books including The Secret Life of Houdini by William Kalush and Larry Sloman. It has also been a focal point of public exhibitions about Houdini's life, including Houdini: Art and Magic at the Jewish Museum of New York. A billboard-size reproduction was the focal point of Inescapable: The Life and Legacy of Harry Houdini at the Jewish Museum of Baltimore. 

The photograph was kept by the Houdinis for years, it then passed to the Dunninger family, and finally to the consignor, Kevin Connolly.