The Unmasking of Robert-Houdin

Houdini was upset that the widow of Robert-Houdin did not want to meet him. As a revenge Harry Houdini wrote The Unmasking of Robert-Houdin, in which Houdini tries to push Robert-Houdin from his pedestal. He tries to show that most tricks Robert-Houdin claimed as his invention were infact not his invention and that Robert-Houdin was not this great magician he usually is thought he was. But most of Houdini's alegations are fabricated and do not stand close inspection. Jean Hugard wrote as response to Houdini's nasty book Houdini's Unmasking, where Hugard point for point refutes Houdini's argumentation. I personally favor Hugard's opinion, but you can now find out for yourself and get both books for a few bucks.

In any case The Unmasking of Robert-Houdin is insofar very interesting as it shows a lot of images, clippings, and programs of well known magicians. It documents an interesting part of magic history. In fact, at the time of publication in 1906 it was the first such history of European conjuring pre-1850 which was reliable. It was quite unprecedented in its day in it's depth, and scope of scholarship. In fact, it remained the most distinguished book on the subject until quite recently beginning with the contributions of Milbourne Christopher and continuing to the present. It was of course completely overshadowed by the marvelous "The Annals Of Conjuring" twenty years later, but that was not a book, it was a serial appearing in The Magic Wand in the late 1920's.

1st edition, 1906, George Routledge & Sons, London; later reprinted by Magico Magazine, New York; 319 pages.

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