Harry Houdini’s Greatest Trick

The Early Days in Show Business

Houdini began performing magic under his new stage name in 1894. Initially, his tricks did not attract much attention, and he struggled to establish a name for himself in New York. However, this began to change when he pivoted to performing feats of escape using handcuffs.

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8/5/1926-New York, NY: Photo shows Harry Houdini in Casket shortly before it was sealed for submersion. Photo Credit: Getty Images

These tricks were seen as a very novel for the time, and as the scenarios grew in complexity, so to did Houdini’s fame in the local area. He would continue to perform regionally for moderately-sized crowds during the remainder of the 1890’s, but it wasn’t before the turn of the century that the magician would see his first major commercial breakthrough.

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