and spirit photographs, 55, 63–66
on suicides/murders, 91
as torch bearer of Spiritualism, 41, 47
ectoplasm, 71–72, 75, 76, 121, 125
elephant, disappearing, 44
escapes. See illusions and escapes of Houdini
evolutionary theory, 19
fairies in photographs, 65
Faraday, Michael, 70
Fay, William, 24
Film Development Corporation, 38
fingerprint fraud, 92
“The First Authentic History of Magic Ever Published” (Houdini), 23
Fox, Kate, 17–21, 42, 43, 104, 115
Fox, Leah, 18–19
Fox, Maggie, 17–21, 42, 79, 115
Gambols with the Ghosts catalog, 116
Gardner, H. F., 56–59
gossiping, 9–10
Guiteau, Charles J., 90
handcuffs, 10, 15, 25
Heller, Robert, 21
Herrmann, Alexander, 114
Hill, Thomas, 8, 10, 12
Home, Daniel Dunglas, 93, 95–96, 104, 106
Hope, William, 63–65, 66
Houdini, Bess
and death of mother-in-law, 31
and dime museums, 14
and Doyle’s séance, 49–50
and library of Houdini, 39
married life, 8, 9
and partnership with Houdini, 49
séances held for Houdini, 130
stage career of, 7–8, 10–14, 49
superstitious nature of, 49
Houdini, Harry
childhood of, 1–2
competitors and imitators of, 25, 36, 37
death of, 128–129
early stage career of, 7–15
film roles of, 38
intellectual interests of, 39, 88, 104
lecture tour of, 88–89, 123
magic of (see illusions and escapes of Houdini)
married life, 8, 9 (see also Houdini, Bess)
open-minded approach of, 3, 46, 74, 78, 109, 128
parents of, 2, 3 (see also Weiss, Cecilia; Weiss, Mayer Samuel)
personal losses and grief of, 3, 27, 29–33, 35
physical strength of, 2, 26, 39, 104
stage name of, 2, 22, 23
works published (see Miracle Mongers and Their Methods; A Magician Among the Spirits; “The First Authentic History of Magic Ever Published”; The Unmasking of Robert-Houdin)
Houghton, Georgiana, 119
hypnotism, 20
illusions and escapes of Houdini
from assassin’s cell, 90
audiences’ expectations for, 33
disappearing elephant, 44
in films, 38
from handcuffs, 10, 15, 25
Metamorphosis, 10–11, 12, 49
and mourning of Houdini, 33
Needle-Swallowing, 74, 75
as skill-based methods, 26, 27, 122
Suspended Straitjacket Escape, 35–37
Walking Through a Brick Wall, 36
Water Torture Cell Escape, 25, 73
James, William, 45, 107–109
Keller, Harry, 21, 112–113
Kukol, Franz, 31
levitation acts, 97
Lincoln, Mary Todd, 61
Lodge, Sir Oliver, 102–103
madness, Houdini’s fascination with, 37–38
A Magician Among the Spirits (Houdini)
conclusions of, 3, 127–128
on deceptive practices in Spiritualism, 93
on Doyle, 89
on fingerprint fraud, 92
on information collected by mediums, 81
on investigating séances, 112
and lecture tour of Houdini, 89
on levitation acts, 97
on mental health effects of Spiritualism, 92
on methods of Houdini, 122
on spirit photography, 57
magicians
aiding investigations of mediums, 112–113, 114
and audience-controlled test conditions, 22–23
and Doyle, 87
exposing secrets of, 118–119
and phantasmagoria shows, 62
and spirit photographs, 118
and Spiritualism’s theatricality, 21–26
turned mediums, 114
magic of Houdini. See illusions and escapes of Houdini
Mann, Thomas, 76
Margery, 120–121, 123, 124–125
Marriott, William, 116
Maskelyne, John Nevil, 117–118
mediums
and altered states of consciousness, 71
catalog of tools for, 116
conditions imposed by, 74–75, 106
and confederates, 79–80, 81–82
Debar, 93–94, 114
deceptive methods of, 42, 75–76, 78–83, 93–97
and detractors, 21
distancing of Houdini from, 27
and Doyle, 46, 69–71, 75–76, 123
and ectoplasm, 71–72, 75, 76, 121, 125
Eva C., 71–77, 78, 87
exposing secrets of, 118
and facial cues of attendees, 117
as former magicians, 114
Fox sisters, 17–21, 42, 43, 108, 115
Home, 93, 95–96, 104, 106
Houdini’s meetings with, 69–77
and Houdinis’ stage act, 8–13, 12, 27, 44
information collected by, 81–83
investigations of (see scientists and scientific investigations)
and magicians, 21–26, 118
Margery, 120–121, 123, 124–125
mental vs. physical mediumship, 72, 109
misdirection used by, 114, 115
and mourning families, 20, 27, 78
Mrs. Wriedt, 51, 69–70, 87
and pilgrims, 77
Piper, 107–109, 114
popularity of, 20
strip searches of, 26
See also séances
mental health issues, 90–92
mesmerism, 20
Metamorphosis trick, 10–11, 12, 49
mind-reading routines, 8–13, 79
Miracle Mongers and Their Methods (Houdini), 14, 101
misdirection, 114, 115
mortality, Houdini’s fascination with, 37–38, 78
mourning families and Spiritualism, 20, 27, 42, 78, 91, 102–103
Mumler, William, 55–61
murders, 90–91
musical instruments, 71, 117–118
Needle-Swallowing Trick, 74, 75
Orloff, Count, 14
Ouija boards, 72
paintings produced in séances, 119
Palladino, Eusapia, 114, 115
phantasmagoria shows, 62
photographs of spirits. See spirit photographs
phrenology, 20
Piper, Leonora, 107–109, 114
postmortem photography, 58
Price, Harry, 64, 65, 66, 67
Prince, Walter Franklin, 122
rapping of spirits, 17–19, 42, 78–79, 106, 116
rewards offered for proof of psychic manifestations, 122, 125
Robert-Houdin, Jean Eugène, 22–23
Roosevelt, Theodore, 34
Scientific American, 122, 123, 124–125
scientists and scientific investigations
and conditions imposed by mediums, 75, 106
and credulity of investigators, 76, 101–103, 104–105
and deceptive practices of mediums, 80–81
and Eva C., 74–76
and Fox sisters, 21
/>
magicians’ assistance with, 112–113, 114
and Margery, 121–125
of mental mediums, 107–109
and misdirection of mediums, 115
organizations for, 42, 45
and Price, 64, 65, 66, 67
of séances, 74–77, 80, 81, 111–112
Seybert Commission, 106–107, 111–112
of slate writing, 111–113
and spirit photographs, 64
See also Society for Psychical Research (SPR)
séances
attended by Houdini, 69–70, 74–77, 87
attended by investigators, 74–77, 80, 81, 105, 111–112
audiences of, 116
confederates in, 79–80, 81–82
and Doyle, 47, 49–51, 77–78, 86
and ectoplasm, 75
and fingerprint fraud, 92
and Fox sisters, 20–21
held for Houdini, 130
of Homes, 96
of Hope, 64
of Margery, 120–121, 124–125
musical instruments at, 71
popularity of, 20
and reputation of Houdini, 123
for Roosevelt, 34
and spirit paintings, 119
and strip searches of mediums, 26
and table tipping/levitation, 70, 79
and traveling medicine shows, 8, 13
and written communication, 50–51, 76–77
Senate and House subcommittee hearings, Houdini’s testimony for, 123–124
Seybert Commission, 106–107, 111–112
Slade, Henry, 106–107, 111, 113
slate writing, 88, 106, 111–113
Society for Psychical Research (SPR)
and Margery, 122, 125
membership of, 42, 45
and spirit photographs, 64, 65, 66
study of séances, 74–76
Society of American Magicians (SAM), 118–119
spirit hands, 87, 88, 89
spirit photographs, 54–67
of Buguet, 61–63
of Deane, 65–66
and double exposures, 56, 57, 62
and Doyle, 55, 63–66
of Hope, 63–65
and magicians, 118
of Mumler, 55–61
rewards offered for proof of, 67
Spiritualism
Doyle as torch bearer of, 41, 47
and lecture tour of Houdini, 88–89
and magicians’ stagecraft, 21–26
and mourning families, 20, 27, 42, 78, 91, 102–103
newsletters of, 76–77
popular belief in, 42
and Roosevelt, 34
and scientific advances, 19, 20
social/historical context of, 19
suicides and murders related to, 90–92
and World War I, 42, 92, 118
See also mediums; séances; spirit photographs
suicides, 90–91
Suspended Straitjacket Escape, 35–37
table tipping and levitation, 70, 79, 113
teakettle, talking, 119
technological advances, 20
telepathy, 72
Thurston, Howard, 21, 118–120
traveling medicine shows, 7–12
The Unmasking of Robert-Houdin (Houdini), 23, 43
vaudeville tours, 7, 14, 27, 38
Walking Through a Brick Wall illusion, 36
Wallace, Alfred Russel, 107
Water Torture Cell Escape, 25, 73
Weiss, Bill, 30
Weiss, Cecilia
death of, 29–31
and Doyle’s séance, 50–51, 77–78, 86
funeral of, 31–32
gravesite of, 109
and grief of Houdini, 3, 31–32, 35
Houdini’s devotion to, 29–30, 32–33
and Houdini’s youth, 2
Weiss, Ehrich, 2, 22, 23. See also Houdini, Harry
Weiss, Hardeen, 36
Weiss, Mayer Samuel, 2, 32–33, 39, 109
Weiss, Nat, 32
Weiss, Theo, 31, 32, 35
Welsh Brothers Circus, 13
women, impoverished, 114–115
World War I, 35, 36, 42, 92, 102, 118
Wriedt, Etta, 51, 69–70, 87
Wright, Elsie, 65
What’s next on
your reading list?
Discover your next
great read!
* * *
Get personalized book picks and up-to-date news about this author.
Sign up now.
The Magician and the Spirits Page 12
