VANISH MAGIC BACK ISSUES ANDREW GERARD | Page 10

news latest ideas • what’s on • keep up to date • stop press Congratulations to Mick Peck Our editor of VANISHLIVE.com gets recognised for his great work and we couldn’t be prouder to have him on the team of VANISH. If you have a story or a news related item please e-mail the editor at editor@vanishmagazine.com We try to keep the news as current as possible and generally this is the last piece we work on prior to the magazine going live. VANISHLIVE.com editor receives AWARD New Zealand magician and our VanishLive.com content editor Mick Peck was presented with a special Magic New Zealand award in October. The award was presented in recognition of his long term service to the New Zealand magic community. Mick is pictured here with Magic New Zealand directors Michele and Alan Watson GMM. 10 HOUDINI’S GRAVE TO BE RESTORED Nestled next to the late Lewins, Blums and Levys in a spooky old cemetery in New York City lies the final resting place of America’s most legendary magician, interred under a granite monument that bears his stage name in bold letters: Houdini. The gravesite features an undulating bench known as an exedra, plus a Houdini bust, a vase, two benches and markers for each person buried. A mosaic emblem VANISH - International Magic Magazine of the magician society adorns the site; Houdini was president when he died. Cemetery managers say thanks to a steady stream of gawkers, the grave is usually stuffed with wands and other trinkets — plus refuse. Dorothy Dietrich, a magician who runs a Houdini museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania and serves on a national Society of American Magicians committee is working to raise money to restore Houdini’s gravesite and allow for the permanent www.VanishMagazine.com care of the monument at Machpelah Cemetery in Queens. It will cost about $1,200 annually to maintain the grounds, plus thousands more for restoration. the national magician society — not the local chapter — is working with Dietrich and the cemetery to pay for the upkeep and plans to clean and recaulk the granite, give the mosaic a face lift and fix the damaged markers. He doesn’t have a cost estimate yet but says repairs