The online Houdini site contains 143 photographs and 29 related items of memorabilia. Young jointly presented their 20,000-item magic collection to the Library in 1955. The other major source for Houdini online is the McManus-Young Collection, also in the Rare Book and Special Collections Division. The special relationship that he forged with the nation's library through this remarkable gift gives a person dimension to Houdini's return to the world stage via cyberspace. Those who visit the site ( ///) encounter Houdini through images and text masterminded by the illusionist as he effected his metamorphosis from unknown sideshow performer to international celebrity.Ī formidable collector, Houdini willed his holdings on magic and spiritualism to the Library of Congress.

Here, more than 140 high-resolution graphics and documents, derived from primary source materials in multiple Library collections, chronicle an extraordinary life.

Last fall, 70 years after the death of Harry Houdini, the Library of Congress released a home page devoted to the legendary magician as part of its American Memory online collections.

Houdini chain escape