Editing Harry Houdini (section)

===''Daily Mirror'' challenge===
[[File:HandCuffHarryHoudini.jpg|thumb|left|upright|"Handcuff" Harry Houdini, c. 1905]]
In 1904, the London ''[[Daily Mirror]]'' newspaper challenged Houdini to escape from special handcuffs that it claimed had taken Nathaniel Hart, a locksmith from [[Birmingham]], five years to make. Houdini accepted the challenge for March 17 during a matinée performance at London's Hippodrome theatre. It was reported that 4000 people and more than 100 journalists turned out for the much-hyped event.<ref name="copperfield-2021">{{Cite book |last1=Copperfield |first1=David |title=David Copperfield's history of magic |last2=Wiseman |first2=Richard |last3=Britland |first3=David |date=2021 |isbn=978-1-9821-1291-2 |location=New York, NY |oclc=1236259508 |author-link=David Copperfield (illusionist) |author-link2=Richard Wiseman}}</ref> The escape attempt dragged on for over an hour, during which Houdini emerged from his "ghost house" (a small screen used to conceal the method of his escape) several times. At one point he asked if the cuffs could be removed so he could take off his coat. The ''Mirror'' representative, Frank Parker, refused, saying Houdini could gain an advantage if he saw how the cuffs were unlocked. Houdini promptly took out a [[penknife]] and, holding it in his teeth, used it to cut his coat from his body. Some 56&nbsp;minutes later, Houdini's wife appeared on stage and gave him a kiss. Many thought that in her mouth was the key to unlock the special handcuffs. However, it has since been suggested that Bess did not in fact enter the stage at all, and that this theory is unlikely due to the size of the six-inch key.<ref>''The Secret Life of Houdini'', Kaulush & Sloman, 2006.</ref> Houdini then went back behind the curtain. After an hour and ten minutes, Houdini emerged free. As he was paraded on the shoulders of the cheering crowd, he broke down and wept. At the time, Houdini said it had been one of the most difficult escapes of his career.<ref>{{cite web |title=Houdini's Great Victory |date=18 March 1904 |url=http://www.handcuffs.org/mirror/ |publisher=Daily Illustrated Mirror}}</ref>

After Houdini's death, his friend Martin Beck was quoted in [[Will Goldston]]'s book, ''Sensational Tales of Mystery Men'', admitting that Houdini was bested that day and had appealed to his wife, Bess, for help. Goldston goes on to claim that Bess begged the key from the ''Mirror'' representative, then slipped it to Houdini in a glass of water. It was stated in the book ''The Secret Life of Houdini'' that the key required to open the specially designed Mirror handcuffs was six inches long, and could not have been smuggled to Houdini in a glass of water. Goldston offered no proof of his account, and many modern biographers have found evidence (notably in the custom design of the handcuffs) that the ''Mirror'' challenge may have been arranged by Houdini and that his long struggle to escape was pure showmanship.<ref>Silverman, pp.&nbsp;59–62.</ref> [[James Randi]] believes that the only way the handcuffs could have been opened was by using their key, and speculates that it would have been viewed "distasteful" to both the ''Mirror'' and to Houdini if Houdini had failed the escape.<ref name="randi" />{{rp|165}}

This escape was discussed in depth on the Travel Channel's ''[[Mysteries at the Museum]]'' in an interview with Houdini expert, magician and escape artist Dorothy Dietrich of Scranton's Houdini Museum.<ref name=mysteries>{{cite web |title=Keys To Houdini's Secrets |publisher=[[Travel Channel]]| series=[[Mysteries at the Museum]] |date=November 23, 2010 |access-date=November 9, 2015 |url=http://www.travelchannel.com/shows/mysteries-at-the-museum/video/the-secret-to-houdini-s-tricks}}</ref>

A full-sized construction of the same Mirror Handcuffs, as well as a replica of the [[Bramah lock|Bramah style]] key for them, are on display to the public at [[The Houdini Museum]] in [[Scranton, Pennsylvania]].<ref name=Genii>{{cite web |url=http://www.geniimagazine.com/magicpedia/Mirror_Cuffs |title=Mirror Cuffs| work=Genii Magazine |access-date=November 30, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUNaBSfO3p4| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/ZUNaBSfO3p4| archive-date=2021-12-11 | url-status=live| title=Travel Channel Dorothy Dietrich Promo Houdini Mirror Cuffs |publisher=Travel Channel| series=Mysteries at the Museum | date=November 2, 2011|access-date=November 29, 2011}}{{cbignore}}</ref> This set of cuffs is believed to be one of only six in the world, some of which are not on display.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wildabouthoudini.com/2013/03/guest-blog-replica-mirror-cuffs.html |title=The Replica Mirror Cuffs |first=Mick |last=Hanzlik |publisher=Wild About Harry |date=March 16, 2013}}</ref>