Probably the most worldwide known magician ever is Harry Houdini (Erik Weisz) 1874 – 1926. He started out as as a handcuff escape artist and became widely known for his prominent escape tricks. Houdini released himself from a straitjacket while hanging off a skyscraper, being underwater, and even buried alive. And while a lot of his tricks were really dangerous, he died from a ruptured appendix.
Chinese Water Torture Cell
The Vanishing Elephant
The Milk Can Escape
Due to excellent presentation, “The Milk Can Escape” became one of Houdini’s most famous and captivating illusions. Ads warned spectators that “failure means a drowning death.” Everyone on the show could examine and even kick 1 meter (3 ft) tall milk can, which had the lid with six hasps that slipped over six eyelets attached to the can’s collar. After the can was filled with water Houdini asked the audience to hold their breath and timed it. (Most of us can hold breath for 30 or 40 seconds, few for 60 seconds.) Then Houdini climbed into the milk can, the lid was placed atop it, and the six hasps were secured, and locks were clasped on the eyelets. Then a screen was erected around the can. By then one minute already passed and in 2 minutes, Houdini emerged. The secret of that illusion was revealed after magician’s death. The collar was not really riveted to the can. Because the collar was tapered and greased, anyone who examined the milk can could not pull the collar off or even budge it. But anyone inside could easily push the collar up and climb out without disturbing the locks.
The East Indian Needle Trick
This illusion is actually very old and Houdini was not the first to demonstrate it. Standing in front of audience he would swallow 50 to 100 needles and and 18 meters (60 ft) of thread. How it was done? The needles were threaded with a knot before and after it to keep them from coming loose in magician’s mouth. The knots were spaced to give the needles a natural play on the thread. The thread was then rolled into a flattened packet and inserted in the magician’s mouth like a tobacco plug. Houdini then placed the loose needles and thread on his tongue and pretended to swallow them with a drink of water. In reality, Houdini spat the needles and thread into the glass.
Escape From Murderer’s Row
What really made Houdini famous all over the United States and Europe, was his trick as a jail breaker. For example in 1906, illusionist escaped from the South Wing of Washington, D.C.’s Old Jail, also known as Murderer’s Row. He was stripped of all clothes and shut in a cell. His stuff were shut in another cell. In 21 minutes he went out of a prison, wearing his clothes and guards found all the prisoners in other eight locked cells switched around. How did he escape from all those jail cells? The secret was in a prick hidden in Houdini’s hair or a hidden key, that was specially made. The key where hidden sometimes in magicians instep, sometimes in his shoes and he picked it while undressing, sometimes his wife helped him, giving a last kiss with a key in her mouth.
Overboard Box Escape
Illusionist performed many variations of box escapes throughout his career. But the most notable was, perhaps, the Overboard Box Escape. On July 7, 1912 Houdini was placed in a wooden crate with manacles on his hands and feet. Then the box was bound with rope and weighed down with 200 pounds of lead and then dropped into New York’s East River. In less than a minute Houdini was free.
Straitjacket Escape
The Radio of 1950
The future of radio as it was imagined in 1920-s
Notwithstanding the name of the trick, Houdini started to demonstrate this illusion on his evening shows in 1925. The giant radio “of the future” where opened and demonstrated to the audience. Then it was closed and illusionist himself turned the radio on. Music started and beautiful assistant jumped out and started dancing. The secret of a trick was in a table, which had two tops. Assistant just had to climb to the radio from the area between table tops while Houdini was dialing the radio station. On the photo you can see how surprisingly thick is the table and that’s why the cloth were used.