Metamorphosis: A breathtaking illusion performed by Houdini and his wife Beatrice.

Harry and Beatrice ‘Bessie’ Houdini (picture: Corbis)ħ. Houdini would simply hand back the lookalike key before miraculously escaping using the real one. For the specialty handcuffs with only one key, Houdini would ask to inspect the cuffs and the key, secretly handing the key to an assistant – who would go back stage and choose a similar-looking key for Houdini’s vast collection. Most times, however, he had a skeleton key hidden in the palm of his hand or sleeve. Other times a thin piece of string was enough to pull a screw from the locking mechanism and open it. Sometimes he could just hit the handcuffs, at a certain angle and with enough force, for them to spring open. What really happened: Many thought that he had trick-release stage cuffs but the truth was more simple – Houdini studied picking locks from a very early age. Even specialty one-off handcuffs with a single bespoke key could not hold Harry. Twice it took him over an hour to free himself, but none ever succeeded in keeping him cuffed. People came to his stage shows with elaborate sets of their own, and the local police were encouraged by Houdini to try to keep him restrained. He often added a river or lake to the escape trick to spice things up a bit.

Handcuffs: Harry Houdini could get out of any set of handcuffs.

Harry Houdini in chains at the edge of a pier ready to dive in (Picture: Corbis)ġ.

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