Houdini, Harry, 1874-1926

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Harry Houdini (born Erik Weisz; March 24, 1874 – October 31, 1926) was a Hungarian-born American escape artist, illusionist, stunt performer and mysteriarch, noted for his escape acts.

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. 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.

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. Another stunt saw him buried alive and only just able to claw himself to the surface, emerging in a state of near-breakdown. While many suspected that these escapes were faked, Houdini presented himself as the scourge of fake spiritualists. As President of the Society of American Magicians, he was keen to uphold professional standards and expose fraudulent artists. He was also quick to sue anyone who imitated his escape stunts.

Houdini made several movies but quit acting when it failed to bring in money. He was also a keen aviator and aimed to become the first man to fly a powered aircraft in Australia.

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf Houdini, Harry, 1874-1926. Signature / Houdini. Dartmouth College Library
referencedIn Larry Turnbull Circus Scrapbooks and Audio Recordings, c.1930s-1980s V & A Department of Theatre and Performance
referencedIn Baker, George Pierce, 1866-1935. George Pierce Baker papers, 1878-1958 (inclusive). Yale University Library
referencedIn Orr, James, 1952-. Young Harry Houdini / by James Orr and Jim Cruickshank. University of Nevada, Las Vegas Libraries
referencedIn Haldeman-Julius, Marcet, 1887-1941. [Notes on the murder trial of Dr. Ossian M. Sweet] / Marcet Haldeman-Julius. Pittsburg State University, Leonard H. Axe Library
creatorOf Houdini, Harry, 1874-1926. [Miscellany] Library of Congress
creatorOf Society of American Magicians. Society of American Magicians records, 1916-1918; 1920. New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn Katharine Amend Kellock Papers, 1924-1969 Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
creatorOf Houdini, Harry, 1874-1926. Letters, 1923. Campbell University, Wiggins Memorial Library
creatorOf Houdini, Harry, 1874-1926. Harry Houdini letter to Leone Cass Baer [manuscript], 1915 October 30. Oregon Historical Society Research Library
referencedIn Black, Edith O'Dell. Papers, 1911-1974. Campbell University, Wiggins Memorial Library
creatorOf Wilson, A. M. (Albert M.), 1854-1930. Dr. Wilson of the Sphinx papers, circa 1905-1926 predominant 1921-1926. Library of Congress
referencedIn Morris Werner papers, 1920-1981, 1940-1950 New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
referencedIn De Meo, Paul. The Houdini deception : a Sherlock Holmes adventure / by Paul De Meo & Danny Bilson. University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
creatorOf Harry Houdini letter to Leone Cass Baer, 1915 October 30 Oregon Historical Society Research Library
referencedIn Lawes, Lewis Edward, 1883-1947. Papers, 1856-1967. Campbell University, Wiggins Memorial Library
referencedIn Katharine Amend Kellock Papers, 1924-1969 Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
creatorOf Edwin Francis Edgett letters from others Houghton Library
referencedIn Autograph File, H Houghton Library
creatorOf Houdini, Harry, 1874-1926. Harry Houdini letters, 1924. Cornell University Library
referencedIn George Pierce Baker papers, 1878-1958 Yale University. Department of Manuscripts and Archives
referencedIn Union Camp Corporation. Harry Houdini promotional kit undated. Boulder Public Library
creatorOf Houdini, Harry, 1874-1926. Letter : Chicago, Ill., to Mary Edwards Lincoln Brown, Springfield, Ill., 1924 Feb. 13. Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library
referencedIn Helms, Harry, d. 1924. Scraps-clippings : magicians, programs, etc., from 1915-1918 / Harry Helms ..., [1915-1921]. Library of Congress
referencedIn Kittle, C. Frederick. C. Frederick Kittle collection of Doyleana, 1836-2000. Newberry Library
creatorOf Adams, Bertram Ernest. Papers, ca. 1917-1962. Boston Public Library, Central Library in Copley Square
referencedIn Edward Sanford Martin correspondence and compositions, 1882-1939 (inclusive), 1900-1938 (bulk). Houghton Library
creatorOf Houdini, Harry, 1874-1926. Manuscripts, 1888-1925. Library of Congress
referencedIn Records of the Selective Service System (World War I). 1917 - 1939. Draft Registration Cards. 1917 - 1918. World War I Draft Registration Card for Harry Handcuff Houdini National Archives at Atlanta
referencedIn American Vaudeville Museum collection, 1845-2007, (bulk 1910-1940) University of Arizona Libraries, Library Special Collections
referencedIn La Rue, Grace, 1882-1956. Dear me : autobiography : ADS, ca. 1950. UC Berkeley Libraries
referencedIn Waitt, Joseph E.,. Harry Houdini collection, 1900-1928 (inclusive), 1900-1914 (bulk). Houghton Library
referencedIn Howard P. Lovecraft collection, Lovecraft (Howard P.) collection, 1894-1971 John Hay Library, Special Collections
referencedIn Houdini posters, 19-- New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn John Eldon Thayer collection of motion picture memorabilia, 1916-1979. Harvard Theater Collection, Houghton Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard University
referencedIn Kelly, Tim J. The adventure of the clouded crystal / by Tim Kelly. University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
creatorOf Rosenbach Company. Correspondence, 1903-1953 Rosenbach Museum & Library
creatorOf Werner, M. R. (Morris Robert), 1897-1981. Morris Werner papers, 1920-1981, bulk(1940-1950) New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn Magic Scrapbooks, 1832-1959 and undated. New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn Ragtime : the musical / music by Stephen Flaherty ; lyrics by Lynn Ahrens ; book by Terrence McNally ; based on the novel Ragtime by E.L. Doctorow, 2009. New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn Society of American Magicians records, 1916-1918; 1920 New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
referencedIn Ruppersberg, Allen, 1944-. A lecture on Houdini [videorecording] / Allen Ruppersberg. Getty Research Institute
referencedIn Houdini, Beatrice, 1876-1943. [Oversize materials and clippings from McManus-Young Collection,] [1862-1947]. Library of Congress
creatorOf Houdini, Harry, 1874-1926. Trick drawings, [between 1900 and 1926?] Library of Congress
creatorOf Houdini, Harry, 1874-1926. [Scrapbook comprising letters, photographs, clippings, etc. of/or relating to Harry Houdini [microform] 1904-1926 / Quincy Kilby, compiler]. Boston Public Library, Central Library in Copley Square
referencedIn Clarke, Kit. Press clippings, 1880-1916. Princeton University Library
creatorOf Harry Houdini Collection (Library of Congress). [Oversize materials and loose items removed for rehousing from Houdini scrapbooks,] [1860-1925]. Library of Congress
referencedIn Abraham Aaron Roback papers, 1909-1965. Houghton Library
referencedIn Celebrities of Wisconsin collection, 1947-1992. Milwaukee Jewish Historical Society
creatorOf Houdini, Harry, 1874-1926. [Newspaper and magazine clippings.] Library of Congress
Role Title Holding Repository

Filters:

Connection Graph Radial Graph
Relation Name
associatedWith Adams, Bertram Ernest. person
associatedWith American Museum of Vaudeville corporateBody
correspondedWith Baer, Leone Cass family
correspondedWith Baer, Leone Cass person
associatedWith Baker, George Pierce, 1866-1935. person
associatedWith Black, Edith O'Dell. person
associatedWith Boston Public Library. Dept. of Rare Books and Manuscripts. corporateBody
associatedWith Brown, Mary Edwards, 1866-1958, person
correspondedWith Burgess, Clinton, 1880-1932 person
associatedWith Clarke, Kit. person
associatedWith Cullen, Frank, 1936- person
associatedWith De Meo, Paul. person
correspondedWith Edgett, Edwin Francis, 1867-1946 person
correspondedWith Fay, Anna Eva person
associatedWith Flaherty, Stephen. person
associatedWith Haldeman-Julius, Marcet, 1887-1941. person
associatedWith Harry Houdini Collection (Library of Congress) corporateBody
associatedWith Helms, Harry, d. 1924. person
associatedWith Holmes, Burton, b. 1870. person
correspondedWith Houdini, Harry, family
associatedWith Irwin, Charles David. person
associatedWith Kellock, Katharine Amend, b. 1892. person
associatedWith Kelly, Tim J. person
associatedWith Kilby, Quincy. person
associatedWith Kittle, C. Frederick. person
associatedWith La Rue, Grace, 1882-1956. person
associatedWith Lawes, Lewis Edward, 1883-1947. person
associatedWith Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865 person
associatedWith Lovecraft, H. P. (Howard Phillips), 1890-1937 person
correspondedWith Martin, Edward Sanford, 1856-1939 person
associatedWith McNeilly, Donald, 1945- person
associatedWith Orr, James, 1952- person
associatedWith Prince, Walter Franklin, 1863-1934. person
correspondedWith Roback, A. A. (Abraham Aaron), 1890-1965 person
associatedWith Rosenbach Company. corporateBody
associatedWith Society of American Magicians. corporateBody
associatedWith Thayer, John Eldon, 1899-1980 person
associatedWith Turnbull, Larry person
associatedWith Union Camp Corporation. corporateBody
associatedWith Waitt, Joseph E., person
associatedWith Werner, M. R. (Morris Robert), 1897-1981. person
correspondedWith Wilson, A. M. (Albert M.), 1854-1930. person
Place Name Admin Code Country
United States 00 US
Subject
Entertainers
Escapes
Ghosts
Magic
Magicians
Magic tricks
Magic tricks
Performing arts
Psychical research
Spiritualism
Occupation
Magicians
Activity

Person

Birth 1874-03-24

Death 1926-10-31

Hungarians,

Americans

German,

French,

English

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