The Genius of Escape
Harry Houdini — born Erik Weisz in Budapest, Hungary, on March 24, 1874 — was a struggling young magician when he abandoned tradition and began to concentrate on escapes. Houdini’s fame as the ‘King of Handcuffs’ was assured on January 7, 1906, when he escaped from the Washington, D.C., jail cell of President James Garfield’s assassin, Charles Guiteau. For the next 20 years, Houdini astounded worldwide audiences with illusions such as the ‘Upside-Down Water Torture Cell’ and straitjacket escapes. Houdini died on October 31, 1926.
Photo: Library of Congress
