Renowned escape artist Harry Houdini met a painful end after receiving several blows to the stomach. Already hobbled by a fractured ankle, Houdini was punched several times by a visitor in his dressing room at the Princess Theater in Montreal, Canada. While the official cause of Houdini's death is listed as peritonitis derived from a ruptured appendix, his doctors believed the punches administered by J. Gordon Whitehead on 10/22/26 caused traumatic appendicitis, a diagnosis accepted by his insurance company, which paid out a double indemnity accidental death benefit to his widow.

Recall the master showman's grim ending, with this c.1926 Princess Theater photograph. This 3-5/8 x 5-3/4" photo presents handsomely with nice gloss and a fairly clean surface, however light to moderate wear forces a rating of (VG-EX+). An attendant is pictured changing the light bulbs on the topmost portion of the marquee, which contains the name "Princess". The lower section of the marquee reads "Master Mystifier - Houdini -3 Shows In 1" on the front, and "Fraud Mediums Exposed" on the side.