pages: unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf, 104
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unmaskingrobert00houdgoog.pdf | 104 | THE WRITING AND DRAWING FIGURE the Dutch inventor, who was unquestionably Robert- Houdin's assistant for years. In 1844 he claims to have borrowed the writing and drawing figure from the obliging Monsieur G- to exhibit it at the Quinquennial Exposition, where it attracted the attention of Louis Philippe and his court, thus insuring its exhibitor the silver medal. At this point Robert-Houdin deliberately drops the writing and drawing figure, leaving his readers to believe that it was returned to its rightful owner, Monsieur G , but, unfortunately for his claims, another historian steps in here to cast reflections on Monsieur G- owner- ship of the figure. This writer is the world's greatest showman, the late P. T. Barnum, who purchased the figure at this same exposition of 1844, paying for it a goodly sum, and this incident is one of the significant omissions of the Robert-Houdin "Memoirs." Either Robert-Houdin sold the figure to Mr. Barnum for Mon- sieur G , or such a person as Monsieur G never existed, for in his own book Mr. Barnum writes: "When I was abroad in 1844 I went to Paris expressly to attend the "Quinquennial Exposition'-a exhibition then held every five years. I met and became well ac- quainted with a celebrated conjurer, as he called himself, Robert-Houdin, but who was not only a prestidigitateur and legerdemain performer, but a mechanic of absolute genius. I bought at the exposition the best automaton he exhibited and for which he obtained a gold medal. I paid a round price for this most ingenious little figure, which was an automaton writer and artist. It sat on a small table, pencil in hand; and, if asked, for instance, [87] |