Because his father never found steady work with a congregation, the family lived in poverty.Īccompanying his father to New York City in 1887, Ehrich worked as a uniformed messenger and a necktie cutter in the garment industry. As a youngster there and in Milwaukee, where the family soon moved, he appeared as an acrobat in neighborhood circuses, beginning at the age of 9. Born Erik Weisz into a large family in Budapest, Hungary, at the age of 2 he joined his rabbi-father in Appleton, Wis., where his name was Americanized to Ehrich Weiss. The saga of the legendary escape artist’s rise from humble origins to international celebrity is fascinating. To the apparent astonishment of onlookers in this carefully staged photograph, circa 1915, Houdini demonstrates his famous Needle Threading Trick. Noting that Houdini often closed his performances with the question “Will wonders never cease?,” Rapaport observes that “casting his spell on audiences today, Houdini’s persona remains as vibrant in contemporary culture as it did in the Golden Age of Magic.” Organized by guest curator Brooke Kamin Rapaport, the exhibition’s 163 objects explore the great magician’s career and legacy. Moreover, his sensational escapes from handcuffs, chains, trunks, boxes and packing crates resonated with those who sought liberation from ethnic, religious or political oppression.Īll this and more is documented in “Houdini: Art and Magic,” on view at the Jewish Museum October 29 through March 27, the first major art exhibition to examine the subject. The immigrant son of a rabbi, Houdini overcame anti-Semitic and anti-immigrant attitudes to gain mainstream acceptance, and became a source of great pride to America’s Jewish community. Photographs, posters and films captured his exploits, presaging today’s well-publicized entertainment scene. In his prime, 1890s‱920s, Houdini’s theater performances sold out, his outdoor presentations attracted tens of thousands of spectators, and his escapes made front-page news around the world. The success of his mission can be measured by the fact that he became an American superhero, the most famous magician who ever lived †and a figure whose influence on American culture persists to this day. Magician, escapologist, showman and anti-spiritualist crusader, Harry Houdini (1874‱926) spent his life in pursuit of fame. Courtesy of Library of Congress, Rare Books and Special Collections Division, McManus Young Division. Manacled hand and foot, in this 1903 photograph Houdini is shown about the time his career took off, after he was crowned “The Handcuff King†for his ability to escape all manner of cuffs.
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