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.
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.