![]() He was also quick to sue anyone who imitated his escape stunts. As President of the Society of American Magicians, he was keen to uphold professional standards and expose fraudulent artists. While many suspected that these escapes were faked, Houdini presented himself as the scourge of fake spiritualists. Another stunt saw him buried alive and only just able to claw himself to the surface, emerging in a state of near-breakdown. In 1904, thousands watched as he tried to escape from special handcuffs commissioned by London's Daily Mirror, keeping them in suspense for an hour. Soon he extended his repertoire to include chains, ropes slung from skyscrapers, straitjackets under water, and having to escape from and hold his breath inside a sealed milk can with water in it. He first attracted notice in vaudeville in the United States and then as "Harry ' Handcuff' Houdini" on a tour of Europe, where he challenged police forces to keep him locked up. His pseudonym is a reference to his spiritual master, French magician Robert-Houdin (1805–1871). Interestingly, many of the stories and folklore about Houdini blur the real history, some of it made up by Houdini himself.Harry Houdini ( / h uː ˈ d iː n i/, born Erich Weisz Ma– October 31, 1926) was an American escape artist, magic man, and stunt performer, noted for his escape acts. ![]() By the time he was 15 he was a boxer, a newsboy, bicycle messenger, magician and trapeze artist. The young Houdini grew up very fast while living in Milwaukee. Houdini went on to Detroit to perform and collapsed. It was reported as an accident which, in fact it was not. What is left out in most history books is that Whitehead actually punched Houdini with intent. Houdini shrugged Whitehead off as some “psycho” but didn’t realize his appendix burst. Observers had to break up the confrontation. When he asked Houdini, “I heard that you are able to absorb a powerful blow to your abdomen” (a strongman stunt Houdini been doing since he was boxer in Milwaukee), Houdini replied “Yes, I can do that” and without any warning Whitehead unleashed vicious punches. Mediums preyed upon the grieving families, using magician methods. The spirit medium racket was a big deal back then because so many young soldiers were killed in World War I. The student was a huge follower and supporter of the spirit medium movement and Houdini was not. While having his portrait painted in his dressing room a student by the name of Whitehead came in the room. He was giving a lecture on fraudulent spirit mediums at a university in Canada. Unfortunately, his life came to an end when he was 52 years old. We thereon moved to Milwaukee where such hardships and hunger became our lot that the less said on the subject the better.” Due to these hardships, Houdini rarely spoke of his life in Milwaukee. When asked about living in Milwaukee, Houdini was quoted as saying, “One morning my father awoke to find himself thrown upon the world, his long locks of hair having silvered in service, with seven children to feed, without a position, and without any visible means of support. In 1882 he delivered papers for The Milwaukee Daily Journal and claimed to have sold the first edition of the paper when it began publishing. Erich dropped out of school to help his parents and siblings survive by selling and delivering newspapers and shining shoes. Mayer had difficulties finding a good job in Milwaukee. The family then moved to Milwaukee in 1882 when Erich was nine years old. Plus, for unknown reasons, there was tension between Mayer and one other Rabbi. Mayer spoke Yiddish and many people in the congregation had a difficult time understanding him. The family enjoyed four years living in Appleton until Houdini’s father was fired from the congregation. ![]() Houdini's home in Milwaukee, possibly where MATC is today on 6th & Highland. ![]()
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