Houdini French Torture Thumkin. Cast metal restraint used to secure a prisoner’s thumbs. A letter of provenance signed by Sidney Radner, Honorary Curator of the Houdini Historical Center, states, “In 1905, while playing the Alhambra Theater in Paris[,] the keeper of the Bastille relics challenged Houdini to get out of these thumb cuffs. If he could escape in plain view of the audience the keeper would give the thumkin to him. He did – thus the thumkin became part of the Houdini collection. This torture device was used on prisoners during the revolution. After being secured by this device a rope was passed under the hands, tossed over a large tree limb, so the prisoner could be pulled up and hung by the thumbs.” Framed with the letter and a reproduction photo of Houdini, to an overall size of 17 ½ x 15 ½”. A detailed photograph and description of the Thumkin appears in The Great Houdini Handcuffs and Legirons by Dick Wresch (Corberry Press, 1961).
Sales History: Butterfield & Butterfield, November 15, 1999, lot 337.