hand-forged iron, the cuffs joined by a swivel link, overall length 230mm.
⁂ Included with the handcuffs is a long and fascinating typed letter addressed to John Fisher, signed by Billy McComb, 1990, describing how he acquired the handcuffs while in the United States in 1960. They were in a large accumulation of props kept in three garages, bought by Douglas Jefferies (or Jeffreys) from the widow of Theo Hardeen, Houdini’s brother. They were apparently made in Birmingham, England, and like most of the props very rusty. When cleaning them on his return Billy McComb discovered that they had been specially prepared by Houdini to provide a sure release, probably for use in his Underwater Escape. Handcuffs originally belong to Houdini appear on the market from time to time, but none sold recently have been been prepared in this way.