Houdini the Big Magician

    Houdini invents the challenge escape act.  The concept of the escape artist is born.  Harry began offering rewards to anyone who could successfully restrain him, first in the handcuffs.  Later Harry moved on to leg irons, straight-jackets, jails and prison cells, a mail pouch, packing creates, a giant paper bag (without tearing the paper), a giant football, an iron boilers, milk cans, coffins, and the famous Water Torture Cell.

    Martin Beck, Vaudeville's most important booking agent caught Houdini's act.  He was impressed with his dynamic personality and booked him as a "challenge escape artist," a new form of entertainment.   Martin Beck booked the Orpheum circuit, the largest chain of vaudeville theaters in the country and booked all of the stars of vaudeville.  He immediately places Houdini in big time vaudeville as a supporting act.   Houdini soon began to headline in several theaters throughout the country.  Houdini having invented a new form of entertainment.  Houdini also know as "King of Handcuffs" goes to Europe at the age of 26, on advice of a friend, the greatest coin magician at the time.   Houdini created a sensation in London, England and went on to travel throughout Europe for five years as a headliner.  Houdini had so much work in Europe that he summoned his brother Theo to work under the name Hardeen.

   Houdini returned to the United States, determined to become an even bigger star in the country he loved.  On one trip he purchases a building in New York City on 113th street that was to become his residence for the rest of his life.  As escape artist imitators popped up to take the advantage of Houdini's tremendous success, Houdini began to originate new and more difficult and dangerous escapes.  Houdini invented the underwater packing box escape as a fabulous publicity stung that was copied by many others.  He was the first person to do the Straight Jacket Escape as well.  He introduced the sensational Milk Can Escape in St. Louis on January 27, 1908.

    Harry was a pioneer aviator, a fact that is not well know about him.  He was the first person to fly an airplane in Australia near Digger's Rest in 1910.  Some claim he was one of the first person to fly in 17 other countries.   In 1913 he introduced the "Chinese Water Torture Cell."  This was the same year his mother died.  He was touring Europe and was upset with his family for not telling him about his mother's illness.  When he was told of this news he was to do make the largest object know at the time to disappear, an elephant.  Harry would have a crane drop a box into a river with him in it.   Then after he would escape her would hide under the dock, to make the people think he had drowned.  It took lots of studying, practicing and conditioning to get it right.   Harry would practice holding his breath under water in the bathtub for four minutes.  He also stayed in an underwater coffin for over an hour. 

   Harry fly to make publicity

Signs & Ads promoting Harry and His tricks.

  Harry Performing for the Cameras