Over 4,000 spectators watched for over an hour as he seemingly struggled. In this trick, Houdini was challenged to escape from a pair of handcuffs specially manufactured over a five-year period of time. Houdini began performing the “Daily Mirror Challenge” in 1904. In 1912, the milk can was replaced by the “Chinese Water Torture Cell” adding more difficulty to the exercise. While behind a curtain, he would free himself while encouraging his audience to hold their own breath while the feat was being accomplished.Īs the trick gained prominence, he enhanced it with the addition of the milk can being inserted into a wooden chest that was then secured by padlocked chains. This act involved him being sealed in an oversized milk container, commonly used in the early 20th century, with it being filled with water. In 1901, Houdini presented the “Milk Can Escape” for the first time. He later expressed contempt for his former hero, Houdin, whom he felt had misrepresented himself in the creation of automata and aerial suspension effects. Later, he claimed that using the name Harry was meant to honor magician Harry Kellar. When he began his career as a professional magician, he took his childhood nickname of Harry and added an “I” to the end of Houdin in reverence to Robert-Houdin, a person whom he admired at the time. Houdini performed on a trapeze at the age of nine. Approximately nine years later, the family relocated to New York City. The family settled in Appleton, Wisconsin, where his father joined them to head a Jewish congregation. Weisz traveled to the United States in July of 1878 along with his mother and four brothers. His father was a rabbi and Eric was the fourth of seven children. Harry Houdini’s given name at birth was Erik Weisz, but he was soon given the nickname “Harry.” He was born in Budapest, Austria-Hungary on March 24, 1874. This act involved law enforcement officials restraining him to the best of their ability with him eventually escaping from their constraints. He was of Hungarian and American descent and first came into prominence in Europe using the title of Harry “Handcuff” Houdini. Harry Houdini was a magician who specialized in escape scenarios.

Harry houdini water torture cell escape