Final installment of the ‘Houdini’s My Homeboy’ mini-series. Here’s photographs taken from Fall 2009, at the annual Broken Wand ceremony.
The term ‘broken wand’ is used when a magician dies. Since Harry Houdini was a president of the Society of American Magicians (S.A.M.), the organization continues to gather at Machpelah cemetery every year to mark his passing.
The broken wand ceremony for Houdini is usually held sometime around Halloween. The exact date itself varies because Houdini was Jewish. Therefore S.A.M. follows the Jewish calendar in honor of him.
The exact ceremony itself only takes a few minutes. A small speech is said, then silence as the wand is symbolically snapped in half.
At the time these photos were taken, the original bust of Harry Houdini’s head was missing. Due to the bust being vandalized four times, S.A.M. kept their own copy. Their bust would only be taken out and put on Houdini’s burial site during special occasional such as this. Since then, a new replica has been made, and discovery of another Houdini bust came to light.
Taken Fall 2009. Replica of Houdini bust at burial site for Broken Wand ceremony. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.Photo dated 2009. Replica of Harry Houdini bust at his burial site for the annual Broken Wand ceremony. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.Dated Fall 2009. Upclose shot of Houdini bust. A replica since other Houdini bust have been vandalized in the past. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.Dated Fall 2009. Members of the Society of American Magicians (S.A.M.) gather around just seconds before the annual Broken Wand ceremony. Location: Machpelah Cemetery in Glendale/Ridgewood, Queens, NY. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.
If you’re curious about burial grounds in the outer borough of Queens NY, here’s another link. Dated June 2013:
Ever since doing book report on him during elementary school, I’ve been slightly fascinated by magician Harry Houdini. Houdini and the rest of his immediate family are buried in Machpelah Cemetery, located in Ridgewood, Queens (although it’s really closer to Glendale).
Photo taken Nov. 2009. Office. Machpelah Cemetery, final resting place for Harry Houdini. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.
Machpelah Cemetery 8230 Cypress Hills Street Ridgewood Queens NY 11385
Photo taken Nov. 2009. Machpelah Cemetery, final resting place for Harry Houdini. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.Photo taken Nov. 2009. Machpelah Cemetery, final resting place for Harry Houdini. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.Photo taken Nov. 2009. Machpelah Cemetery, final resting place for Harry Houdini. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.Photo taken Nov. 2009. Machpelah Cemetery, final resting place for Harry Houdini. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.Photo taken Nov. 2009. Machpelah Cemetery, final resting place for Harry Houdini. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.
There is a supposedly a telephone listed with the address, but don’t bother calling it. As you can tell by the photos, the office hasn’t been in use for quite some time.
Photo taken Nov. 2009. Abandoned office of Machpelah Cemetery, the final resting place for Harry Houdini. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.Photo taken Nov. 2009. Machpelah Cemetery, final resting place for Harry Houdini. Office. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.
As I was leaving Machpelah Cemetery, I noticed a sign screwed into one of the nailed up doors. The sign states that the Houdini site is solely cared for The New York chapter of the Society of American Magicians. The sign’s statement ends with a quote “We never pay the bill.”
Sign of misquote. Photo taken Nov. 2009. Machpelah Cemetery, final resting place for Harry Houdini. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.
When I got home I did some research to discover the entire exact quote.
“Turns out, someone does come and shape up the grave once in a while. The New York chapter of the Society of American Magicians has a Houdini Gravesite Committee, and a Brooklyn man named George Schindler is the committee chairman. He said that the bust of Houdini that once adorned the grave site was often vandalized and is now kept in storage by the committee, whose members bring landscaping tools to the cemetery and tidy up the grave site several times a year.
“Houdini paid for perpetual care, but there’s nobody at the cemetery to provide it,” he said, adding that the operator of the cemetery, David Jacobson, “sends us a bill for upkeep every year but we never pay it because he never provides any care.”
Photo taken Nov. 2009. Machpelah Cemetery, final resting place for Harry Houdini. The seal of The New York Chapter of The Society of American Magicians. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.
Photo taken Nov. 2009. Machpelah Cemetery, final resting place for Harry Houdini. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.
Machpelah Cemetery is right next door to other Queens cemeteries, all which are way better maintained that the one Houdini is buried in. However, despise Machpelah’s negligence, the final resting place for Harry Houdini still hold much more mystery.
Photo taken Nov. 2009. Machpelah Cemetery, final resting place for Harry Houdini. Photo and design by Michele Witchipoo.
“Just the two of us Here on a blanket of love Writing love letters in the sand As long as there’s sand And as long as there’s the sea You’ll be my Coney Island baby” – Coney Island Baby, The Excellents. 1962
“Ahhh, but remember that the city is a funny place Something like a circus or a sewer And just remember different people have peculiar tastes…” Coney Island Baby, Lou Reed. 1975
What hasn’t been said about Coney Island? It’s been an urban escape for many generations of New Yorkers, and part of the Brooklyn folklore. My parents first took me to the rabbit land during the ’70s. Back then it was a gritty, diminished former shell of itself. There was Astroland, the Cyclone, Nathan’s, and your average amusement park rides. In my pre-teen ’80s years, my buddy found her first boyfriend. An Hispanic guy in his late teens or early twenties. While I was too busy trying to copy Boy George’s style, she ended up losing her virginity to him. Later on as the ’80s progressed, I more or less forgot about Coney. Except for one time me and my other friend cut school to visit Coney in the winter. It was dead, dead, dead, as some wretched hag made fun of my Siouxsie hairstyle.
Coney slowly started its resurgence during the late ’90s and early 2000s. First there was the Coney Island Freakshow. Later I discovered the Mermaid parade, and followed the celebrants to Ruby’s Bar and Grill. Then there was talk of property being brought, and rumors of assorted changes. Throughout all of this, memories continued to be created. Some fond ones: me, one of my oldest friends along with his girlfriend shucking down raw clams and beer one fond September night in 1998. Discovering an ex-boyfriend’s hidden racism when a young African American boy asked him for spare change in 2004. Seeing Squeeze, Joan Jett and assorted ’70s Disco acts for in concert for free last year. The list goes on.
For me no summer in NYC would be complete without at least one visit to Coney Island. Although I only managed to visit Coney twice, I could still spot some of the sandy magic. Like watching the 1980 film Fame on an inflated big screen while locals sat on the beach. The sun was going down, the ocean was to my left, and my cynical self was reminded of what dreams were made of. Sounds corny, no? Even when switching Astroland back to it’s original name of Luna Park, Shoot The Freak was replaced by a pricey tourist shop, and Applebee’s with its cruel shark tank, there’s always going to be the core gem which is Coney Island.
Neon letters of the famous Coney Island Wonder Wheel. Aug 2013. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.Williams Candy. Long time candy store in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York. Aug. 2013. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.Yummy display and for sale in Willaims Candy. Coney Island, Brooklyn NYC. Aug. 2013. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.Organ animation next to haunted house attraction. August 2013. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.Williams Candy display. Coney Island. August 2013. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.Carny game. Try to throw the ball through the toilet seat. Coney Island, Brooklyn. New York. August 2013. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.Entrance to the Coney Island Freak Show. August 2013. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.Coney Island Freakshow. Aug. 2013. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.No photo essay on Coney Island would be complete without one or two things. First one: the Cyclone. August 2013. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.Long time bumpercar ride in Coney Island. Never tried out this attraction. Aug. 2013. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.As with all things in life…always bump your ass off. Coney Island. August 2013. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.The other thing Coney Island is known for. Nathan’s. Many like the hot dogs. I like the thick fries that come with a pitchfork. Aug. 2013. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.The original Nathan’s location in Coney Island. August 2013. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.Site of the annual Coney Island Hot Dog eating contest. Happens every Fourth of July. Always wanted to go, haven’t done it yet. Only in America is gluttony a sport. Aug. 2013. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.In 2013 a few new businesses opened. Here’s two of them. A Rainbow clothing store, and Brooklyn Rock, a tee-shirt/used book store. Aug. 2013. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.Entrance to the Coney Island subway station. Aug. 2013. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.
Who doesn’t know about Coney Island? It’s been an iconic part of NYC for who knows how long. When I was growing up in NYC, Coney was in a state of decline and disarray. Now it’s having a resurgence somewhat. Even though most of Brooklyn’s character has been wiped out by the current gentrification, there’s still elements of the old NYC coming through. For example – last time I visited Coney, three people wearing tee shirts with the word “fuck” could be seen. Two of the shirts read “fuck you you fucking fuck” and “fuck you I have enough friends.” Stay classy Coney Island.
I took some photos of the ever changing Coney, once inhabited by rabbits. I’ll break these posts into two parts, since plenty were snapped. Without further ado, here’s part one.
Refurbished Parachute Jump. August 2013. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.Upclose shot of the refurbished Parachute Jump. August 2013. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.Carousel ride now open in Steeplechase Park. Coney Island, Brooklyn NYC. August 2013. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.Entrance to the carousel ride. Coney Island, Brooklyn NY. August 2013. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.One of the horses from the carousel ride in Coney Island. August 2013. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.Ruby’s Bar and Grill. Serving customers on the Coney Island boardwalk since 1934. First discovered this place after attending the Coney Island Mermaid parade. Survived Hurricane Sandy. August 2013. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.Inside Ruby’s Bar and Grill, located in Coney Island, Brooklyn. Old photographs line the wall behind the bar. August 2013. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.Saturday night inside Ruby’s Bar and Grill. Coney Island, Brooklyn. August 2013. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.One of my favorite places in Coney Island. Lola Star is an awesome little gift shop selling stylish souvenirs. I suggest purchasing one of their tee shirts. Still have mine from 2004. Brooklyn, NY. August 2013. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.No post about Coney Island can be complete without a photo of the world famous Wonder Wheel. August 2013. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.Entrance to the world famous Wonder Wheel. Brooklyn, NY. August 2013. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.Inside the entrance to Coney Island’s Wonder Wheel. August 2013. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.Good old fashioned mechanical fortune telling. August 2013. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.More of that good old fashioned mechanical fortune telling. There’s a few of these Zoltar contraptions around. August 2013. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.Haunted house dragon in front of the Deno Wonder Wheel. August 2013. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.Up-close of the dragon from the haunted house. Coney Island, Brooklyn. August 2013. Photography and Photoshop manipulation by Michele Witchipoo.
Stay tuned for some more Coney Island photography part two.
Been meaning to photograph all the graffiti and street art that can be seen around the Bushwick area of Brooklyn. Then the annual BOS, short for Bushwick Open Studios rolled around. For those who don’t know what BOS is, it’s when artist around and from the Bushwick area open their studios to the general public. Sponsored by Arts In Bushwick, the audience can see various paintings, sculptures, jewelry, photography, etc., by various artists. The public can explore different parts of Bushwick, particularly on the L subway line. Stops such as Morgan Avenue, Dekalb Avenue, Jefferson Street, and continuing up to where the borderline crosses into Ridgewood, Queens.
Last year I participated in BOS 2012. This year, I was content just checking out places around the Jefferson stop on the L line. After stopping in a few scattered studios, and coming across some real pretentious artist who advised me to “create the problem, then solve the problem…”, I snapped these photos.
Street art/graffiti in Bushwick. Late May/Early June 2013. Photography by Michele Witchipoo.Street art/graffiti in Bushwick. Late May/Early June 2013. Photography by Michele Witchipoo.
The early summer sun was already in full blast. This started to remind me of some of the street art I had seen during my visit to San Francisco during April 2000.
Street art/graffiti in Bushwick. Late May/Early June 2013. Photography by Michele Witchipoo.Street art/graffiti in Bushwick. Late May/Early June 2013. Photography by Michele Witchipoo.Street art/graffiti in Bushwick. Late May/Early June 2013. Photography by Michele Witchipoo.Street art/graffiti in Bushwick. Late May/Early June 2013. Photography by Michele Witchipoo.Street art/graffiti in Bushwick. Late May/Early June 2013. Photography by Michele Witchipoo.Street art/graffiti in Bushwick. Late May/Early June 2013. Photography by Michele Witchipoo.
The street art below reminded me of contemporary artist Kenny Scharf. Maybe this was his work.
Street art/graffiti in Bushwick. Late May/Early June 2013. Photography by Michele Witchipoo.Street art/graffiti in Bushwick. Late May/Early June 2013. Photography by Michele Witchipoo.Street art/graffiti in Bushwick. Late May/Early June 2013. Photography by Michele Witchipoo.
Suddendly me and two others stumbled upon this car wreck. Actually we discovered this wreck a month earlier. Happily this wreck was not removed, making it a perfect photo opp.
Here in my car/I feel safest of all/I can lock all my doors/It’s the only way to live/In cars – Cars by Gary Numan. 1979. Photo by Michele Witchipoo June 2013.
A few pop culture references came to mind. The song by Gary Numan Cars, Warm Leatherette by The Normal (later covered by Grace Jones, Giddle and Boyd, and countless others), the novel Crash by J. G. Ballard, and the pretend car accident scene in John Waters’ flick Female Trouble. So a little bit fun was had as we joined the car crash set.
See the breaking glass/ In the underpass/ See the breaking glass/ In the underpass/ Warm leatherette – Song “Warm Leatherette” originally recorded by The Normal in 1978. Photo by Michele Witchipoo June 2013.Warm leatherette, Feel the crushing steel, Feel the steering wheel. Warm leatherette melts, On your burning flesh, You can see your reflection, On the luminescent dash. – Warm Leatherette. Song originally covered by The Normal, 1978 on Mute Records. Photo by Michele Witchipoo June 2013.
Onwards we continued out quest for more street art, graffiti and more BOS festivities.
Traveling onwards in my quest to capture the street art in Bushwick, Brooklyn near Jefferson Street. Photo by Michele Witchipoo June 2013.Disgruntled texting woman among the Bushwich street art. Photo by Michele Witchipoo June 2013.
Lots of arty revelers were out in the streets of Bushwick. Spoted a topless woman walking around with a drawn on mustache. Out of respect I didn’t take a photo of her. This other lady caught in the middle of street texting was caught in the digital crossfire instead. The heat was beating upon us cynical folks. Therefore it was onto to Cobra Bar to cool off.
Cooling off at Cobra Bar with an iced coffee and good tap brew. Photo by Michele Witchipoo June 2013.
At the Cobra there was tri-hawked artist Antoinette Johnson showing her paintings and photos of her hair sculptures. The battery was dying in my digital camera at this point, so this was the best I could come up with.
Painting by artist Antoinette Johnson, who showcased art and photos of her hair sculptures. Photo by Michele Witchipoo June 2013.Artist Antoinette Johnson, who exhibited paintings and photos of her hair sculptures. Photo by Michele Witchipoo June 2013.
Cause the weather was getting too hot, we stayed at the Cobra for a few rounds. Bringing us to the end of this blog post. Hopefully next year I’ll tale part in the next BOS fest.
FYI…if anyone knows any of the artists, whose work is shown in the street art photographs, please send me an email to Witchipoo@witchesbrewpress.net. I’ll update this post with the proper info asap.
Photographs may not be used without permission. Again, please email me if you wish to use any of the above photography. Thank you.
Since early this year, I’ve been working on my photography. Taking one step beyond the beloved Instagram, I like to take the photo imperfections, and blend them into the process.
It all started when my good friend found a working manual film camera for under twenty bucks. He passed the goods onto me. Six months later as a belated birthday present, he also found an old digital camera. Added a bit of Photoshop skills to the mix for that unique look.
Here’s a brief collection of what I’ve taken so far:
Solo drum set from Evangelical Holy Drums, performing at the Space Porn Art Show. Hi-5 Bar & Gallery, located in Ridgewood, Queens NY. August 2012. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.Local NYC punk/post-punk band Dust Angel. Performing at the Hi-5 Bar & Gallery, located in Ridgewood, Queens NY. August 2012. Photo by Michele WitchipooRecent photo, taken this past weekend. Local band SuperFunFacePunch performing at Trash Bar, located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. September 28th, 2012. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.Also taken the same weekend. Gottscheer Hall, located in Ridgewood Queens NY. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.Necklaces for sale inside the magickal suppy store Enchantments. September 2012. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.One of the resident cats inside Enchantments, East Village NYC. September 2012. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.
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