An Original Card Would Have A Raised Rib In Center
It seems this card has surfaced again. I thought I posted something about it here over the years, but I couldn’t find it. If you are interested in buying one someday, you might want to keep this nugget in the back of your brain. When encountering this card, to be original, the center of the card should have a raised rib in the middle. This raised rib is very pronounced, visible with the naked eye and located between Harry And Bess. If the card is smooth across the surface, it’s a later reproduction. With an original Houdini & Bess card selling for around $400.00 and a repro for about $5.00, you may want to keep this mind when stalking Houdini ephemera down the road.
What was this card used for, Kevin? I am guessing the rib was so that it could be folded in half.
I would say these were all purpose greeting cards the Houdini’s used during their time in England in 1913. The sentiment for the card is “Best Wishes” instead of Merry Christmas, Happy New Year etc.
The card was designed to be folded. I would think the rib was there to make it easier to fold evenly.