Dr. Eric Colleary: Houdini's Library

Harry Houdini was one of the greatest collectors of his era. Every corner of his Harlem townhouse held books, playbills, prints, and ephemera. Within months of his death in 1926, the collection was split, sold, and scattered. Dr. Eric Colleary, Cline Curator of Theatre and Performing Arts at the Harry Ransom Center, spent a decade piecing the story back together. He discusses his new book, the librarian Houdini kept in his attic, a bargain bought in wartime, and how Texas ended up with the rest.