History/Activity Ages 9 & up C ARLSON Kids can amaze LLUSIONIST, ESCAPE ARTIST, MOVIE STAR, aviator, their family and and spy—Harry Houdini was all these and an friends by: Iinternational celebrity and the world’s most MAGICAL COIN A SLEIGHT OF HAND! famous magician. This fascinating biography looks at Stepping through all the facets of Houdini’s amazing life and includes an index card 21 magic tricks and illusions for a hands-on learning Performing an odd experience. Houdini was an artist who created his number trick Harry acts carefully, practicing them for years in some cases. Making a coin appear He performed such seemingly impossible stunts as ODD NUMBER TRICK INVENTOR! escaping several sets of handcuffs and ropes after Mind reading with a secret code jumping off a bridge into a flowing river. Kids will learn how he devised his most legendary stunts and Making a magic box for will also learn the science and logic behind many of Lifting a person Houdini’s acts including his famous milk can escape. with one hand A MAGIC BOX PHYSICALLY FIT! Laurie Carlson is the author of More Than Moccasins, Thomas Making a talking Edison for Kids, Westward Ho! and many other books. She is a board professor at Western Oregon University. And much more Distributed by LIFT A PERSON KING OF CARDS! Independent Publishers Group www.ipgbook.com LAURIE HIS AND www.chicagoreviewpress.com LIFE ADVENTURES CARLSON WITH 21 MAGIC TRICKS AND ILLUSIONS HIS LIFE AND ADVENTURES WITH 21 MAGIC TRICKS AND ILLUSIONS LAURIE CARLSON Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Cover and interior design: Joan Sommers Design Cover image credits: (Left to right) Busch Circus Carlson, Laurie M., 1952– poster, c. 1912. Postcard of the Hippodrome, New Harry Houdini for kids : his life and adventures York; Private collection. Houdini, bound and chained with 21 magic tricks and illusions / Laurie Carlson. to a large metal wheel; Photograph courtesy of the — 1st ed. Walter P. Reuther Library, Wayne State University. p. cm. Harry Houdini; Photograph courtesy of the Library Includes index. of Congress, LC-USZC4-3277. ISBN 978-1-55652-782-1 (pbk.) 1. Houdini, Harry, 1874–1926—Juvenile © 2009 by Laurie Carlson literature. 2. Magicians—United States— All rights reserved Biography—Juvenile literature. 3. Escape artists— First edition United States—Biography—Juvenile literature. Published by Chicago Review Press, Incorporated 4. Magic tricks. I. Title. 814 North Franklin Street Chicago, Illinois 60610 GV1545.H8C33 2009 978-1-55652-782-1 793.8092—dc22 Printed in Italy [B] 5 4 3 2 1 2008021404 TO BRIAN AND TYLER, BOYS WITH BIG IDEAS AND ENERGY TO MATCH. Contents Time Line vi 3. Becoming the Handcuff King 32 Introduction 1 Dissolving Rings Trick 35 1. Humble Beginnings 4 Magic Knot Trick 37 Step Through a Mind Reading with Note Card 8 Secret Code 43 Odd Number Trick 10 4. And the Crowd 2. A Star Is Born 12 Goes Wild! 50 Linking Paper Rings 14 Magic Key Trick 52 Lift a Person with Make a Magic Box 69 One Hand 23 5. Going to Extremes 72 Four Against One 25 Milk Can Escape—Measure Balls or Coins Trick 27 Volume Displacement 79 Build a Box Kite 85 6. Aviator, Actor . Spy? 92 Resources 133 Magical Money Trick 95 Further Reading 133 Write an Invisible Web Sites to Explore 133 Message 107 Sources 134 Make a Secret Spy Safe 108 Index 135 Crack a Secret Code 109 7. Ghostbuster 110 Make Some Slimy Ectoplasm 117 Make a Talking Board 122 Create Ghostly Handprints 125 8. Was It Murder? 126 Farmer’s Chop Suey 129 Time Line Time vi vi 1874 Ehrich Weisz born in Budapest, Hungary 1878 Weisz family moves to Appleton, Wisconsin, changes name to Weiss 1887 Weiss family moves to New York City 1891 Ehrich joins with a friend to create a magic act: the Houdini Brothers. He begins using the name Harry Houdini. 1892 Harry’s father dies 1893 Harry’s brother Dash replaces friend in the Houdini Brothers; they perform at Chicago World’s Fair 1893 Harry marries Bess Rahner after know- ing her for three weeks Harry and Bess, now “The Houdinis,” spend six years struggling with their act 1899 Houdinis get a big break, perform in top vaudeville theaters across the country 1900 Houdinis tour Britain and Europe 1905 Houdinis return to United States and buy a house in New York City and a small farm in Connecticut 1907 Harry begins doing handcuffed bridge jumps 1908 Harry does the Milk Can Escape 1910 Harry is the first person to fly an air- plane in Australia—he spends three and a half minutes in the air 1912 Harry does the Chinese Water Torture Cell stunt 1914 World War I begins 1918 Harry does the Vanishing Elephant act as part of a large extravaganza marking the end of World War I 1919 Harry becomes a movie star when The Master Mystery opens in theaters 1920 The Funk and Wagnalls dictionary includes the word houdinize, which means “to release or extricate oneself from (confinement, bonds, or the like), as by wriggling out” 1922 Houdini begins investigating spirit mediums 1926 In February Harry testifies before a congressional committee investigating paranormal frauds or anyone pretending to tell fortunes for money In October while at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, Harry is punched hard in the stomach. He becomes ill and a few days later has his appendix removed. After another surgery, he dies on October 31 in Detroit, Michigan. 2002 U.S. Postal Service issues a first-class commemorative stamp honoring Houdini U. S. POSTAL SERVICE U. S.POSTAL on apostagestamp! Houdini returnedin2002— vii vii introduction oudini created Houdini. When question. After World War I began, he considering the life of Ehrich found himself more determined than ever HWeisz, who would become the to be recognized as a solid citizen of the great Harry Houdini, it’s important to United States. note that some stories he told have been In many ways Houdini’s rise to fame contradicted and that he often “re-created” was a result of the conditions that existed his past for personal reasons. His birth during the era in which he lived. The date, birthplace, childhood, and other country faced internal divisions and details were often changed. In the late bitter conflicts between employees and 1800s Jewish immigrants faced discrimi- employers. Urban tenements were packed nation in the United States, a condition with frustrated people, immigrants that worsened as Houdini came to adult- continued arriving, and the country hood and led him to smooth over his for- was in turmoil as labor unions expanded eign roots. As a child, he was reared in a and pressed for a better quality of life. household where no English was spo- Parades, protests, and riots were common. ken—his parents spoke German. When Crowds gathered in the streets for a touring in Europe, he taught himself to variety of reasons, and for Houdini, speak other languages so he could better entertaining the mob grew naturally out connect with the audience, and his child- of the circumstances. He would do a stunt hood German came in handy. He also dab- as thousands gathered in the street below, bled in speaking French, Russian, and watching for hours—something the Danish. But his allegiance was never in public happily engaged in before moving 1 pictures and other forms of entertainment were invented. People were also eager to visit inexpensive circus sideshows and cheap amusements, which allowed people like Houdini to make a living from their unusual or quirky talents. As a kid, Harry Houdini began with card tricks and simple magic acts. Gradually he developed his talents as an escape artist, which became his signature act. He dared anyone to come up with something he couldn’t escape. Working against ropes, handcuffs, or whatever contraption at hand, he always wriggled loose somehow. People loved it! A lone individual against powerful forces emerg- ing free through his own wits and strength was very popular. His career really grew in Europe, where he worked for five years. The people loved him, especially in Russia and Germany, which were countries with stiff police control over the citizenry. People thrilled to see an ordinary fellow escape hand- cuffs and restraints. Houdini returned to the United States, where he marketed himself and his stunts to a wide audience. Houdini created his acts and stunts carefully, in some cases preparing and practicing them for years before ever per- forming them publicly. He took pride in 2 figuring out how to fool people, knowing chronicle magicians of the past to gain they wanted to be fooled as part of the prestige for magicians in the present. He fun. But because he did such seemingly created a magicians’ guild, the Society of impossible stunts, such as escaping American Magicians (SAM), becoming its several sets of handcuffs and ropes after first president. He wanted to be remem- jumping off a bridge into a flowing river, bered as a solidly professional magician. some people claimed he had supernatural Houdini was unique. Although his powers. For a time, many believed he education was sparse, since he had been could disintegrate and take other physical forced to go to work as a child, his forms. He hated that—he didn’t want greatest joy was his book collection— people to think his talent was due to a numbering thousands of volumes—and spirit; he wanted them to respect his he even wrote several books himself. cleverness at creating and perfecting the Like many other children at the time, he trick or illusion.