The first thing I remember ever hearing about Houdini, was that he could escape from a straitjacket while hanging upside down from a skyscraper. I was about seven, and that was unthinkably amazing to my mind. Now I think Houdini is one of the most interesting men who ever lived. His untimely death on Halloween 1926 certainly adds to his legend and mystical appeal. My #1 favourite thing about the 1920's was the rather creepy, carnival-like vibe. Houdini embodies this perfectly!
What an incredible photo! He definitely had the distinctive, otherworldly look of a 1920's man. Why don't men wear eyeliner anymore?
If not for his incredible physical strength, his feats would have been impossible.
Rare early photo of a young Houdini and his stage assistant/wife Bess. I think he looks a little like Johnny Cash in this photo!
"The Milk Can Escape," taken around 1908.
At the New York Hippodrome in 1918, Houdini made a 10,000 pound elephant vanish before the audience's eyes. What a showman!
Making prosthetic hands, which he used in demonstrations to expose phony seances.
Looking very austere and handsome with his wife
For awhile, Houdini was good friends with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, author of Sherlock Holmes.
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