“Houdini: Upside Down in the Water Torture Cell.” poster

In the mid-1890s, Harry Houdini was a struggling magician finding little public recognition in card and sleight-of-hand tricks. But by 1898 he was seeking out police and civic leaders across the United States at each stop on his performance tour to witness his seemingly inexplicable escapes from regulation handcuffs, shackles, and other restraints. This document from Houdini’s visit to Kansas City in 1899 bears the signature of the Inspector of Detectives, attesting to the details of Houdini’s impressive act. In 1900, the vaudeville booking agent Martin Beck encouraged Houdini to take his escape act to England, where he was received with great acclaim. This rare poster dramatizes the iconic and death-defying act that Houdini first introduced in 1911 and that secured his international renown.