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Houdini & Daily MIrror Challenge
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Houdini & Daily MIrror Challenge
Houdinis great lock-picking feat at the London Hippodrome. Harry Houdini shown on stage at the London Hippodrome, having specially made cuffs locked to his wrists in the presence of representatives of some London newspapers. The cuff was allegedly made by a Birmingham blacksmith, Nathaniel Hart, who had spent five years perfecting its locks. On 17 March, In a challenge by the Daily Mirror (then called the Daily Illustrated Mirror), Houdini was manacled into the cuffs and took over an hour to escape in front of a packed theatre. There are various conspiracy theories about how Houdini managed the escape and it is possible he and the Mirror colluded together. Date: 1904
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Media ID 23274940
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Challenge Cuff Cuffs Daily Difficult Escape Escapologist Escapology Feat Handcuff Handcuffs Harry Hippodrome Houdini Lock Locked Mirror Nov19 Papers Press Secure Secured Witnesses Manacled
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In this photograph, Harry Houdini, the renowned escapologist, stands before a packed audience at the London Hippodrome in 1904, ready to take on the challenge of escaping from a pair of handcuffs that had been specifically made to thwart him. Representatives of several London newspapers, including the Daily Mirror (then known as the Daily Illustrated Mirror), look on in anticipation as Houdini allows them to witness the locking of the cuffs onto his wrists. The cuffs, allegedly made by a Birmingham blacksmith named Nathaniel Hart, were said to have taken him five years to perfect, boasting unpickable locks. The Daily Mirror, eager to test Houdini's abilities, had issued a challenge for him to escape from the cuffs in front of a live audience. The magician accepted, and on March 17, 1904, he took the stage, manacled and determined. The clock ticked as Houdini worked tirelessly to unpick the locks, leaving the audience and the press in a state of suspense. The escape took over an hour, leaving many wondering how the master escapologist had managed to free himself from the seemingly impenetrable restraints. Conspiracy theories have since emerged, suggesting that Houdini and the Daily Mirror may have colluded to orchestrate the escape. Regardless of the truth behind the escape, Houdini's feat remains a testament to his incredible skill and the enduring allure of the impossible. This photograph captures a moment in history when the boundaries of human capability were pushed, and magic and reality blurred.
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