![]() The number of years Houdini lived in Appleton and Milwaukee isn't a decisive factor in the contest. It was a way to get the crowd on his side." "If he was playing the East Coast, he would say he was from New York. "If he was playing a show in Milwaukee, Houdini would tell them that he was from Milwaukee," Mack said. Houdini, though, was known to cater to his audience, even if it wasn't the truth. Houdini's hometown was Appleton, which takes pride in the connectionĪ bust of Harry Houdini stands at Houdini Plaza in downtown Appleton.ĭustin Mack, chief curator at the History Museum at the Castle, said Houdini's family was more comfortable financially while in Appleton, in comparison to Milwaukee, so it's natural that Houdini would have had fond memories of that impressionable time and claim Appleton as his birthplace and hometown. Houdini's fame and wealth grew from there, but his entry into the world of magic and entertainment originated in Milwaukee, Gerard said. His big break came in 1899, when manager Martin Beck, impressed by Houdini's escape magic, booked him on the Orpheum Circuit, one of the largest vaudeville chains. Houdini took his stage name in 1890 after reading the autobiography of French magician Jean-Eugene Robert-Houdin. The company used mirrors and special effects to create cycloramas, and Gerard theorizes that a young Houdini might have crossed paths with the artisans who worked there and learned secrets of the trade. was operating not far from the Milwaukee neighborhood where Houdini's family lived. He teamed with contortionist Adonis Ames and offered free shows on the Wisconsin Avenue bridge over the Milwaukee River.Īround this time, the American Panorama Co. Gerard said Houdini's first forays into magic were street performances for tips. ![]() RELATED: How a long-lost Houdini film came to get a Weyauwega premiereĪ poster touts the tremendous of success of Harry Houdini. RELATED: When Harry met Edna: 115 years ago two of Appleton's most famous residents crossed paths This is where - maybe he learned how to swim in Appleton, I don't know - but I know he swam in the Milwaukee River often, and many of his escapes were done underwater in rivers and lakes." "This is where he saw his first magician. "This is where he learned magic," Gerard said. Lynn, "The Bloodless Vivisectionist," perform "Paligenesia" at Jacob Litt’s dime museum on Wisconsin Avenue in Milwaukee. Houdini's interest in magic took root in 1885, after he saw Dr. Houdini helped his parents and siblings survive by selling and delivering newspapers and shining shoes. The family moved to Milwaukee in 1882 or 1883 and fell into poverty. In 1882, Houdini's father lost his job at Zion. ![]() ![]() The Weiss family lived on Appleton Street in the area that is now Houdini Plaza. In 1878, when he was 4, his family moved to Appleton where his father, Mayer Samuel Weisz, served as a rabbi at Zion Congregation. The family changed its name to the German spelling Weiss, and Erik became Ehrich. Houdini was born Erik Weisz in 1874 in Budapest, Hungary, even though he later would claim Appleton as his birthplace. ![]() The facts tying Houdini to Milwaukee speak for themselves, Gerard said. ![]()
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