Houdini: Art and Magic

There is an exhibition currently being held at the Jewish Museum called “Houdini: Art and Magic.” It’s about (you guessed it), the most famous magician of all time, Houdini. When I first heard of this exhibition, I was curious about what it would consist of. Would they display all of Houdini’s props and reveal the secrets to how he was able to perform such wild stunts and mind-blowing tricks? Out of respect for the artist and his crafts, the boxes and cartons (which obviously contain trick compartments, like all other magicians’ props) are kept shut, so that the audience can still think of the mysterious Houdini with awe and wonder.

An interesting aspect of the exhibit is that it focuses on Houdini’s magic, as well as his personal life and how he was affected by it. His diary, which is also on display, reveals how upset he was with the deaths of his parents, and how he wanted to contact the spirits of them. During a seance in which his mother was contacted, Houdini was very skeptical, because his mother would never have sent a message in English, because she didn’t even speak the language. He hoped that magic was real, as he kept attending seances, but he was also very critical and didn’t just accept the idea of it.

I think it would be really interesting to see this exhibit because it actually explores Houdini as a person instead as opposed to a performer. He was great at his craft, and is considered to be the best magician of all time, but how much do we know about his thoughts and emotions and how they influenced his work?

Houdini: Art and Magic is currently at the Jewish Museum until March 27, 2011.
NY Times Article