ROBERT HOUDIN, MAGICIANS’ FATHER

From the American David Copperfield to the French Jan Madd, the magicians of today owe all to Robert-Houdin (Jean Eugène ROBERT-HOUDIN 1805- 1871). Its magic remains in many fields unsurpassable and often unexplained.

A confusion exists between the French magician Jean Eugène ROBERT-HOUDIN and the american illusionist, Harry HOUDINI whose true name was Eric Weiss (1874 - 1926), who took this name because he admired so much Robert Houdins and who was a specialist of evasion.

LEVITATION

Robert Houdin is the inventor of the ether suspension, the first levitation.
With it, Robert Houdin invented a new field in which other magician successors precipitated:
the great illusions i.e. the stage experiments in which a person is used as object by the magician.

TRICKED AUTOMATS AND ANDROIDS

Robert Houdin was also a clock maker exceptional, a mechanician and a genious scientist.

Robert Houdin interested in the magic by chance when
he bought in 1827 the Encyclopaedic Dictionary for recreations of mathematical and physical sciences.
Thanks to this book, he discovered the basis of jugglury that he mixted with his knowledge in mechanics for creating a new field.

His genius for the automats enormously contributed to his notoriety like his famous orange tree.
The foliage of this tree gradually covered itself of flowers and fruits which were given to the witnesses.
Only one orange remained on the tree which opened itself in four parts from where two butterflies escaped which deployed the handkerchief of a lady of the assistance.
Another automat was a charming miniature shop where left a small pastrycook. It brought to the public a cake... in which one finds a ring subtilized a few moments before.
And final miracle: the small baker’s toy returns some small change to the witnesses.

THE ETHER SUSPENSION

En 1847, he invented the "ether suspension". His son, 6, sat down on a stool, with canes placed under his arms. Then Robert Houdin made him breathe ether vapor to deaden him.
Rober Houdin removed the stool and the child remained suspended in the airs. The canes were removed except one and miracle... the little boy remained suspended in the airs horizontally.
Thunder of applause of the assistance.

David Copperfield improved this juggling at the most point with his famous "flying".
Robert Houdin also innovated in the mentalism (prediction, divination, thought transmission...) being distinguished from spiritism of which it did not have of cease to fight the charlatanism.