Legendary magician and escape artist Harry Houdini (front left) appearing before a US Congressional committee in 1926.
Magician and escape artist Harry Houdini (front left) appearing before a US Congressional committee in Washington DC on February 26 1926 a few months before his death. Houdini (1874 - 1926) was there to speak in support of a bill which proposed to prosecute anyone "pretending to tell fortunes for reward or compensation". The legendary escapologist spent much of his time during the 1920s debunking spiritualists, self-proclaimed psychics and mediums and often exposed frauds. He testified that in all his life he had "never seen one genuine medium". Pictured alongside him is Kansas Republican Senator Arthur Capper. Houdini, a Hungarian Jew born Erik Weisz (later spelt Ehrich Weiss), moved with his family to the United States in 1878 at the age of four and became a renowned magician, escapologist and stunt performer as well as an actor and film producer. Picture by the National Photo Company.
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Photo credit: © Archive Pics / Alamy / Afripics
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