An ultra-short run book printing is generally defined as a limited printing of 500 copies or less. How is short run printing relevant to magic, you ask? Well, most books about magic are ultra-short or short run books, and Ann Arbor, Michigan is a leading producer of short run books in the country. In fact, Ann Arbor has been called the “Short Run Book Capital of the United States.”

Magician authors from all over the country came to Ann Arbor to arrange the printing of their books. Stewart James, a prolific magic inventor, came from Courtright, Ontario to have his book published. Among the largest magic books ever published, the book is titled Stewart James In Print: The First Fifty Years.

Colon, Michigan, with a population of fewer than 1200 people, is widely recognized as the Magic Capital of the World, an appellation dating back more than 80 years.

It all started in the midst of the Roaring Twenties, when already world- famous stage magician Harry Blackstone bought a 208-acre farm on Sturgeon Lake. Blackstone became Colon’s most famous resident and called it home until he moved to California in 1949 for health reasons. Blackstone was one of the most famous magicians of his era, on a par with Houdini or Thurston, and like a magnet drew many other famous entertainers to the area. His son, Harry Blackstone Jr., was raised in Colon and, thanks to television, eventually became even more famous than his father.

Colon’s reputation as a “Magic Mecca” was further cemented when Percy Abbott visited Blackstone in 1927, married a local girl soon after, and eventually founded Abbott’s Magic Novelty Company in 1933. Abbott was soon joined by his partner, Recil Bordner, and Abbott’s quickly became the largest and most predominant supplier of magic in the world. In 1934, Abbott sponsored the first Magic Get Together. And, more than 80 years later, the Get Together in August is still the cornerstone of the Colon year.

Today, there are three magic shops in little Colon, which is more brick and mortar shops in most states. Many local businesses, like Illusions Hair Care and Magic City Hardware, have adopted the magic theme. In the local cemetery there are more magicians buried, some world famous, some not so much, than in any other cemetery in the world. Embedded in the downtown sidewalks are 16-by-16-inch bronze stars comprising Colon’s Magic Walk of Fame and celebrating famous magicians who have had ties to the village. The high school athletic teams are known as the Magi and are usually accompanied on field or court by a six-foot rabbit mascot named Hare E. Blackstone. One might say the village of Colon takes its long magic history very seriously.

• The first significant event of the year is usually the annual Abbott’s Close-up Convention, held on a Friday and Saturday in mid-March. Somewhere between 60 to 80 magicians crowd into the Abbott’s store on St. Joseph Street, where they will perform, compete, learn, and generally enjoy each other’s company. Call (269) 432-3235 or visit magiccapitol.com/aboutcloseup.html for more information about the event.

• On one Saturday in April, Colon’s IBM Ring 386 hosts their annual 31 Flavors of Magic, one of the most unique magic festivals in the world. For six hours, the entire village of Colon becomes a Midway of Magic, with each location and storefront hosting its own taste of mystery. All of the restaurants, bars, and magic shops participate. Visitors can enjoy close-up magic, cabaret magic, stage, gospel, mentalism, street performers, and kids’ shows simply by walking out one door and into another. For more information, please visit magic-festival.com.

• Early in May, Abbott’s hosts their annual Hank Moorehouse Flea Market and Auction. Sellers can get tables for a small price and buyers can get in for absolutely free. There’s a lot of great bargains and even more great fun. Visit magiccapitol.com/aboutfleamarket.html for details.

• Beginning Memorial Day weekend and ending Labor Day weekend, there are magic shows available every Saturday afternoon at Abbott’s store on St. Joseph Street (269) 432-3235. Call the store for times, costs, and to find out who will be performing.

• From January to October, River Lake Inn features monthly Dinner Shows. Enjoy great food and drink, with highly interactive magic shows. Call 269-432-2626 or visit riverlakemagic.com for their schedule and information.

• In spite of the village’s small size, Colon’s Fourth of July celebration is second to none. Along with a parade and fireworks, each magic shop is likely to have something interesting to entice people into their doors. 

• On the first Wednesday of August, Abbott’s typically kicks off the annual Get Together, which runs almost non-stop until late Saturday night. Some of the greatest magicians in the world will lecture and perform throughout the days, and then put on a gala show every evening at the high school for the general public. Call (269) 432-3235 or visit www.magicgettogether.com for more information.

• Early November brings the Sharing the Magic benefit show, which includes an evening of comedy and magic presented by Colon’s Ring 386 magic club. The event aids Colon’s local food bank by collecting food, clothing and cash for the needy. Visit ring386.com for more details.

• Christmas in Colon is a tradition usually held the first week in December. Sponsored and organized by the Colon Area Chamber of Commerce, virtually every business in the village participates. In addition to the parade and visits by Santa, there’s usually a magic show scheduled and often walk-around magic.

As part of the Magic Get Together that occurs each year in Colon, MI, many people take time to reflect on “magic’s final act.” A number of magicians and vaudevillians that retired from the road moved to Colon to work for Abbott’s, and some chose to spend their remaining days in the town. Colon also became the final resting place of many prominent figures in the magic community. The Lakeside Cemetery is where Harry Blackstone, Sr. (Harry Bouton), Pete and Millie Bouton, Harry Blackstone, Jr., and Robert and Elaine Lund, the founders of the American Museum of Magic, are a few among those interned there.

Of all the interesting stories that can be told in Lakeside Cemetery, two concern gravestones or markers there. The first is the marker for Little Johnny Jones, a magician who lived in Bangor, Michigan for many years. While he spent his final years in Wisconsin, Johnny wanted to be laid to rest in Colon. Johnny also wanted to be sure that his gravestone marker was completed to his liking – so it was put in Lakeside Cemetery well before he was! The final line of the stone reads: “Now I only have to fool St. Peter.” Johnny Jones died at 96 on January 15, 1995. In his piece, “Abracadabra: Magic in Michigan,” Robert Lund, the founder of the American Museum of Magic wrote: “Johnny and l decided we would not let a little thing like death interfere with our friendship, so my wife and I have the two plots next to Johnny and his wife. ‘See you down the road,’ as they say in show business.”

The second marker story is about someone who is buried in Sarasota, Florida, not in Lakeside Cemetery. It is a marker to recognize Inez Blackstone. Harry and Inez Blackstone discovered Colon and Blackstone Island together, and it was Inez’s wish that this chapter in history be remembered. The marker is located immediately in front of the monument to Blackstone and the stone simply reads, “In memory of Inez Blackstone Kitchen, 1889–1983, With Harry, she brought magic to Colon.” That final line was written by Dan Waldron of Royal Oak, Michigan. Dan is the official historian of the Blackstone show and family. The stone is there thanks to a group of Inez’s friends who arranged for it after her death.

Detroit, Michigan was the scene of one of the most famous Houdini myths. It involved a trick called the “Overboard Packing Box Escape.” For the escape, Houdini was tied-up and handcuffed in a wood box. The box was then nailed and tied shut. Finally, with Houdini inside, the crate was lowered into a river. Houdini had but seconds to escape from the restraints and the box.

The story was told — and still is being told (but less so in recent years with the internet) — of Houdini performing this particular escape off The Douglas MacArthur Bridge, better known as the Belle Isle Bridge, in Detroit.

Legend goes that Houdini performed the escape on a bitter winter day, when the Detroit River was frozen over. A hole was cut in the ice on the River and the box lowered through the hole. Then, the current trapped Houdini under an unforeseen, dangerous icy layer, and pulled the box downstream. Houdini claimed that he escaped his restraints and the box and then managed to find a sliver of air between the top of the water and the bottom of the ice, receiving just enough oxygen, until he could work his way back to the hole in the ice and climb out. This story was dramatized in the 1953 movie, Houdini, starring Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh.

However, this dramatic, icy escape never happened.

Houdini’s “Packing Box Escape off the Belle Isle Bridge” did occur, but the date was November 27, 1906. As the Detroit newspapers reported the following day, the river was not frozen over and Houdini had a 113-foot lifeline around his waist. That day, Houdini escaped from two sets of handcuffs and the packing box, but no ice. After a successful escape, a boat that had been on standby the entire time he was in the water picked him up. 

The account grew over the years to make a better story. In the early 20th century, it was harder to fact check such a claim. The story now documents Houdini’s remarkable flair for storytelling and marketing.

The following story about Harry Houdini is an account by Robert Lund, founder of the American Museum of Magic from his lecture, “Abracadabra: Magic in Michigan”:

Houdini’s best friend in Detroit was a man named Fred Black, who was also a friend of mine. I retell the story of his friendship with Houdini as I heard it from Fred. 

Fred worked for Henry Ford, the founder of the Ford Motor Company. Ford mistrusted employees who had been to college. Fred Black was one of the few executives of the company who had Mr. Ford’s confidence, despite the handicap of a higher education. Ford came in Black’s office one day with an unusual assignment. He wanted Black to find out everything he could about the death of John Wilkes Booth. 

Black spent the next year conducting interviews and collecting material on Booth. He became an authority on Booth. Ford lost Interest in the project along the way and transferred Black to another assignment. Black asked what he should do with the material he had accumulated on Booth. 

“Write something for the Independent,” Ford replied. (The Dearborn Independent was Ford’s personal newspaper.) The day the first article appeared, Black received a phone call. 

“Are you the Fred Black who wrote the story on John Wilkes Booth?” the caller asked. “I have an interest in Booth and I’d like to talk to you.” 

The caller identified himself as Houdini the magician. At the time, the name meant nothing to Black. The men eventually became close friends and exchanged many letters and photographs. Two souvenirs of the friendship survive. One is a two-volume manuscript entitled Henry Ford and the Corpse of John Wilkes Booth by Fred Black. It is in the rare book collection at Oakland University. 

The second souvenir is a bound volume of the letters and photos Black received from Houdini. Fred gave this to me in March 1961.

As was typical for stories involving Houdini, several romanticized legends about his death emerged. Legends aside, it was found that Harry Houdini died in Detroit, Michigan of peritonitis, secondary to a ruptured appendix following an unexpected challenge. His health failed over the course of a week, which came unexpectedly and quickly, as he was known for challenging and averting death in his escapes.

Eyewitnesses to an incident in Montreal gave rise to a speculation that Houdini’s death was caused by a surprise attack of multiple blows to Houdini’s midsection. Houdini was asked about the claim that he could withstand any punch to the abdomen. Houdini replied, affirming the claim, but was then hit unexpectedly without an opportunity brace himself.

Following the incident, Houdini found himself in increasing pain, but continued performing. The famous escape artist decided the show must go on and declined medical treatment, but eventually the pain became too great and he was seen by a doctor and then admitted to Grace Hospital. Houdini performed his last show at the Garrick Theater in Detroit, Michigan on October 24, 1926. He died in Grace Hospital, in Detroit, on the afternoon of Halloween, October 31, 1926.