The Magician and the Spirits Read online

  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.