His name is synonymous with magic, but Harry Houdini (born Erich Weiss) rose to fame as an escape artist and stunt performer.
Long before David Blaine, Houdini perfected the art of death-defying public spectacle. He hung from skyscrapers while tied in a straightjacket, he immersed himself in a freezing river while trapped in a barrel.
The son of a rabbi, Houdini became a strong moral figure in the magic community often resolving disputes between competing magicians. In 1906 he started the magazine Conjurer's Monthly which helped unite magicians who had no union at the time.
Later in life he became a debunker of fraudulent spiritualists and psychics. His life ended at age 52 when he was blindsided by a punch in the stomach from an overzealous fan (causing fatal appendicitis). The attached woodcut is based on a 1915 poster for Pathe's serialized Houdini Film The Master Of Mystery. (woodcuttingfool.blogspot.com)
