LoC Blog: Harry Houdini: (How to Be a) Smooth Criminal

Harry Houdini, July 7, 1912. The crate will be sealed and lowered into 

New York Harbor; he’ll escape. Photo: Carl Dietz. Prints and Photographs Division.

One of the most recognizable figures of the 20th century, Harry Houdini — 
escape artist, debunker of frauds, delver into all things mysterious — 
spent a surprising amount of time in the company of the police. The Library has 
his collection in the Rare Book and Special Collections Division, and it is filled with 
marvelous things — just ask author, actor and magician Neal Patrick Harris, 
who visited the collection before his recent appearance here.
One thing that you’lff notice is that the self-proclaimed Handcuff King routinely 
issued challenges to law enforcement, claiming that no handcuffs or prison cells 
could hold him — stunts that made Houdini famous around the world 
and frequently brought him into contact with people on both sides of the law. He 
spent a lifetime studying the methods of the criminal element to understand how 
they duped the innocent and unsuspecting.
This insight resulted in law enforcement occasionally asking for Houdini’s help 
in solving crimes. On at least one occasion, Houdini received an official police 
pass allowing him to cross any police barriers in an active crime scene or 
investigation. This unusual level of involvement with police matters allowed 
Houdini to amass a huge amount of information related to crime, fraud and 
general wrongdoing. In 1906, he gathered this information and published 
“The Right Way to Do Wrong: An Expose of Successful Criminals.”
In the preface, Houdini outlines his purpose: “I trust this book will … put you 
in a position where you will be less liable to fall a victim.” Each chapter 
explores various classes of criminals, from burglars and cracksmen to 
“healers” and humbugs, revealing the tricks they use to con their innocent prey. 
Houdini condemns the behavior of criminals but also claims they have the same 
“talents” as giants of business and finance — only with their energy and skills 
applied in the wrong direction.
The books were sold primarily at Houdini’s own performances, and rumors 
circulated when it was published that criminals snatched up as many copies as
they could in an effort to protect their secrets (rumors now supposed to have 
been started by Houdini himself). Perhaps Houdini truly did hope to use his 
knowledge to inform and protect the innocent public; perhaps he also saw 
this as an opportunity to once again display his incomparability as the master 
of all that mystifies.

via https://blogs.loc.gov/loc/2019/10/harry-houdini-and-the-smart-way-to-commit-crimes/