Harry Houdini
I just came across a really interesting post from a correspondent from mid-day.com.
Seeing as how I don’t have anything about Harry Houdini on the site, I thought this would be a great opportunity to place something about the great man… rather than just sharing direct to the facebook page.
Their post includes:
- Being Buried Alive (24 Oct, 1926). He died a week later.
- The Mirror Challenge (17 March, 1904) (according to this article Houdini said this was the most difficult escape of his career).
- Performed in front of 4 000 people at the London Hippodrome Theatre. It took Houdini 1 hour and 10 minutes to escape. The challenge was issued by the Mirror newspaper (explaining the name).
- A full size design of the Mirror handcuffs, as well as a replica of the key – is on display at the Houdini Museum in Pennsylvania.
- Milk Can Escape (1908). Houdini kept this escape in his regular act for 4 years. It involved Houdini being handcuffed and sealed in a milk can filled with water (he had bad experiences with other liquids due to the gases they give off affecting air to breathe).
- in later years, the milk can would be locked and sealed inside a wooden chest (which was also chained and locked and padlocked).
- The Milk can and box are on display at the American Museum of Magic.
- Chinese Water Torture Cell escape (21 Sept, 1912).
- This escape replaced the Milk Can escape in his repertoire (too many copycats). There are many pictures of Houdini doing this escape, which speaks to its popularity.
- The Suspended Straight- Jacket escape. Houdini performed this regularly. It is great for getting attention from passers-by. This is probably the most performed escape since Houdini… for precisely the same reason- it is a great attention getter, taking place high above peoples heads and quite a dramatic escape.
- The Overhead Box escape. In this escape Houdini would be handcuffed and manacled with leg irons, placed in a wooden crate- which was also roped and nailed shut. Houdini would then be lowered in the crate into water. He also performed this in extremely cold water… I can only imagine the fear that could set in after being placed into icy water in the dark in a crate.
It has now been almost 90 years since Houdini’s death on the 31st of Oct 1926. What is truly amazing is that he is still making news so long after his death. R.I.P Erich.
Here is the link to the original post: http://www.mid-day.com/articles/hungarian-american-magician-harry-houdinis-most-daring-escapes/16628230
