Harry Houdini Escapes from the Library of Congress
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
By Ezra Glinter February 2, 2010
The great escape artist Harry Houdini may have been finally done in by a well-aimed punch to the gut, but his spirit endures. And not just because of the yearly séance, either.
Besides being the “Handcuff King and Jail Breaker,” Houdini was also a prolific author. Now, the entirety of The Harry Houdini Collection from the Library of Congress — some 31 texts or so — is available on Google Books.
Though remembered for his death-defying escapes rather than his literary output or his religious piety, Houdini (also known as Ehrich Weiss) was a Jewish immigrant from Budapest whose father, Mayer Samuel Weiss, served as the Rabbi of the Zion Reform Jewish Congregation in Appleton, Wisconsin.
Perhaps the spirit of Talmudic skepticism was transmitted to him, however, because Houdini was also a notorious debunker of paranormal phenomena. This fact is reflected by the Library of Congress Collection, which includes such tantalizing titles as “Confessions of a Medium” and “The Right Way To Do Wrong: An Exposé of Successful Criminals.”
Consider our curiosity piqued.
This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news this Passover. All donations are being matched by the Forward Board - up to $100,000.
This is a moment of great uncertainty for the news media, for the Jewish people, and for our sacred democracy. It is a time of confusion and declining trust in public institutions. An era in which we need humans to report facts, conduct investigations that hold power to account, tell stories that matter and share honest discourse on all that divides us.
With no paywall or subscriptions, the Forward is entirely supported by readers like you. Every dollar you give this Passover is invested in the future of the Forward — and telling the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
The Forward doesn’t rely on funding from institutions like governments or your local Jewish federation. There are thousands of readers like you who give us $18 or $36 or $100 each month or year.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
