Houdini's Hollywood Legacy Is No Illusion at Skirball Exhibit

From mysterious prison breakouts to epic escapes from glass-paneled Chinese water torture cells, Harry Houdini is known as one of history’s most influential magicians.

An exhibition on the illusionist with many ties to Hollywood recently opened at the Skirball Cultural Center in the Sepulveda Pass.

Those ties include a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame; a mansion in the Hollywood Hills rumored to be outfitted with a deep-water pool in which he practiced his underwater escapes; and several films. But most often, he is cited as a source of inspiration for many world-renowned performers at Hollywood’s famous Magic Castle.

"A lot of the tricks that I assist with on stage, as well as those performed by many of the magicians in the castle, are inspired by the early work of Houdini," said Susanne Peterson, a magician assistant. "He was so instrumental in pushing boundaries and taking magical risks. His legacy is apparent throughout every hallway of the Magic Castle."

The Skirball Cultural Center's “Houdini: Art and Magic” contains more than 150 artifacts that tell the life story of Houdini. The exhibit includes a collection of photographs from his early life, promotional paraphernalia, playbills, silent film footage, original apparatuses used in Houdini’s performances, and commemorative works by contemporary artists.

Through astonishing visuals and artistic renditions, Houdini’s life is celebrated from the days of a young Jewish immigrant to his early 2oth century rise as a celebrity performer and Hollywood film star.

Also included in the exhibit is a look at Houdini’s influence on his colleagues, highlighting the array of copycats who tried to outdo the magician at his own tricks, and modern magical acts such as Criss Angel and David Copperfield who incorporate elements of his performance into their stage show.

One film features a black and white episode projected onto a gallery wall that shows Houdini’s famous escape from a straitjacket while hanging upside down from a crane. The Skirball was able to project this on the wall so that viewers are looking up at the stunt from the same perspective you would have originally seen it performed on the street.

“Houdini: Art and Magic” was originally displayed at The Jewish Museum in New York. The Skirball has adapted the exhibit for its museum. The L.A. version contains a piece that visitors won’t find anywhere else in the world—an exact copy of the Chinese water torture cell that Houdini used, one of only two in existence.

Houdini’s original cell was almost entirely destroyed in a 1996 fire and the owner employed magic equipment manufacturer John Gaughan to rebuild a faithful copy using the original hardware.

“We’re very lucky to get this," said managing curator Erin Clancey. "It’s only here in Los Angeles and won't travel to the other venues of the exhibition.”

To provide a deeper look into the realm of magic history, the Skirball is also showing “Masters of Illusion: Jewish Magicians of The Golden Age” in conjunction with the Houdini exhibit.

The exhibit includes many pieces from private magic collections and items on loan from museums and venues such as Magic Castle.

The “Houdini: Art and Magic” exhibit ends with the obituary of Harry Houdini from The Jewish Daily Forward. Houdini died on Halloween of 1926 as a result of complications from acute appendicitis.

“This is the point where legend takes over," Clancey said. "Although now 80-something years after his death, we’re still talking about him as if he were alive. The exhibition really hits on all the ways in which his legend has been interpreted through all of his followers."

“Houdini: Art and Magic” and “Masters of Illusion: Jewish Magicians of The Golden Age” will be on display at the Skirball Cultural Center through Sept. 4. 

A variety of events are planned around both exhibits including appearances by award-winning magicians, Family and Friends Magic Day, weekly magic performances, an interactive gallery program for students and an excursion to the Magic Castle.

For more information, check the Skirball's website