From Houdini to Copperfield, a Century of Jewish Magicians

On view through September 16, “Summer of Magic: Treasures From the David Copperfield Collection“ tells the history of magic as a performative art. The treasures at the New-York Historical Society, magically transported from David Copperfield’s International Museum and Library of the Conjuring Arts in Las Vegas, will delight magic lovers of all ages. Copperfield’s grandly titled museum and library is actually a locked warehouse containing over 200,000 artifacts that Copperfield has collected over the years; a handful of the most mysterious items therein (it’s a small show) are displayed publicly at the New-York Historical Society for the first time. The society’s summer schedule is full of magic-related movie screenings, workshops, parlor mind readings with a spiritualist (a phenomenon Harry Houdini loathed), fortunetellers, Victorian magic-lantern shows and more.

Of course, you can’t tell the history of magic without Houdini. Born Erik Weisz, was the most famous illusionist of his time. You can check out his “Metamorphosis Trunk,” in which Harry and his newly wed bride Bess mysteriously traded places. You can ooh and aah at a glamorous costume Bess wore in performance. You can study vintage posters, a milk can from which Houdini escaped; a regulation straitjacket from which he also escaped; vintage films of Houdini escaping from a straitjacket while hanging from his feet outside a building; and the “inescapable” handcuffs that nearly proved the end of Houdini’s career … whereby hangs a tale.

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