Harry Houdini

The magician Harry Houdini began his magic career in 1891. At the outset, he had little success. He performed in sideshows and even doubled as "The Wild Man" at a circus. Houdini focused initially on traditional card tricks. At one point, he billed himself as the "King of Cards". But he soon began experimenting with escape acts.

In 1893, while performing with his brother, Dash, at Coney Island as "The Brothers Houdini", Harry met a fellow performer, Wilhelmina Beatrice "Bess" Rahner. She and Houdini married in 1894, with Bess replacing Dash in the act, which became known as "The Houdinis." For the rest of Houdini's performing career, Bess would work as his stage assistant.

Houdini's big break came in 1899 when he met manager Martin Beck in rural Woodstock, Illinois. Impressed by Houdini's handcuffs act, Beck advised him to concentrate on escape acts and booked him in at the Orpheum theatre. Within months, he was performing at the top theatres in the country. In 1900, Beck arranged for Houdini to tour Europe. After some days of unsuccessful interviews in London, Houdini managed to interest Dundas Slater, the manager of the Alhambra Theatre. He gave a demonstration of escape from handcuffs at Scotland Yard and succeeded in baffling the police so effectively that he was arrested for a short period. After his release, he performed at the Alhambra for six months.