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Oudini
| Oudini | |
 | |
| Born | Frank J. Rowan c. 1885 Connecticut |
|---|---|
| Died | ? |
| Flourished | 1900-1910 |
Oudini (c.1885-?) was the stage name of Frank J. Rowan, an escape artist and obvious Houdini imitator based on the name, during the early 1900s in the Boston area.
Biography
Oudini wrote a book called The Great Mysteries in 1909 in which he exposed some escapes and included many photos and press clippings of his performances. On the reverse side of the title page with the copyright date are the names "by Frank J. Rowan and E. T. Stewart".
Some thought that Robert Doidge might have been "Oudini" because he had at one time so many copies available to sell.
John Henry Grossman wrote in his MUM "Ask the Doctor" column that Walter B. Gibson informed him that Doidge told him that it was Frank J. Rowan, who lived near Haverhill, Massachusetts (where many of the press clippings from the book came from).[1]
In the 1910 census, Rowan is listed as a living in Winthrop, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, born in Connecticut about 1885 of Canadian-English parents. He listed his profession as "actor".[2][3]
Books
- Secrets of The Great Mysteries (1909)
References
- ↑ MUM March 1978
- ↑ Houdini The Key by Patrick Culliton
- ↑ http://www.mocavo.com/Frank-J-Rowan-B1885-Winthrop-Suffolk-Massachusetts-1910-United-States-Census/03410217235827704109