Houdini’s Legacy on Display in NYC
A fascinating collection of tools and tricks once used by the iconic magician Harry Houdini is now available for public viewing, marking a century since his passing. This unique exhibit features handcuffs and shackles used in Houdini’s infamous escapes.
The exhibit is a part of a larger presentation opening this month at the New York Public Performing Arts Library. It showcases over 300 rare and previously unseen artifacts from the golden age of magic in New York, aptly titled “Mystery & Wonder: The Legacy of New York City’s Golden Age Magicians.”
Curated to resemble an early 20th-century magic shop, the exhibit also boasts an array of wands, striking magic show posters, and instructional books dating back a century.
Annemarie van Rossel, the exhibit’s curator, shared insights about the collection, noting that it’s the first retrospective to delve into how magic was shared and learned in the city during its peak, whether through stage performances, magic shops, or gatherings of the American Society of Magicians.
“There are no history of magic professors. We have a responsibility to create our own history,” Van Rossel mentioned at the opening reception on Wednesday.
Many magicians during this “Golden Age,” which spanned from 1875 to the 1930s, were immigrants who found ample opportunities in New York City’s vibrant arts scene. Van Rossel added that they contributed to significant cultural exchanges between New York and London, both of which were bustling centers for magic.
Steve Cohen, an experienced magician behind the 25-year running Chamber Magic Show, pointed out that it’s hardly surprising that magicians are drawn to New York just as much now as they were back then. “This is an arts hub. When you come to New York, you expect to see the best,” he remarked.
The core collection includes 1,500 rare books on witchcraft donated to the library by Dr. Salam Ellison, co-founder of the American Magical Society, before his death in 1918. This collection even features the first book on witchcraft published in the U.S.
Van Rossel noted that contemporary magicians frequently visit the library, which houses the largest public collection of magic literature, to explore old tricks or uncover new ones. “Magicians come here to investigate their mentors and their mentors’ mentors,” she said, adding that some of the finest tricks originated a century ago.
A unique show poster preserved in a scrapbook has also been digitally displayed, having been untouched for decades. The warm reception among New York’s magic community has made this exhibit feel like a collaborative work that continues to evolve.
With its specialized focus, many of the 20th-century magicians featured in archival photographs remain unidentified, prompting curators to call upon current performers for assistance in naming these faces lost to history. “It’s important just to help identify some of the faces in these photos,” van Rossel said. “We’re bringing them back from the dead.”
She hopes shine a light on lesser-known figures like Adelaide Herman, dubbed the “Queen of Magic,” giving them the attention they deserve alongside Houdini.
Cohen expressed that the exhibition provides an essential opportunity for the public to appreciate not just the legends but also the enduring nature of magic as an art form. “I hope this exhibit helps people realize that magic has a rich history and that it’s living history,” he stated. “This exhibit gives magic the institutional recognition and respect it always deserves.”
