Today it is common to hear Houdini's name used to either support or attack a political idea or candidate. Houdini's name has become a quiver in the bag of politicians and journalists around the world. That is what makes this November 5, 1916 item from the
Pittsburgh Post Gazette so interesting. This appears to be the first time Houdini's name was used in the political area -- or at least the first time it garnered enough press to draw a reaction of Houdini himself.
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I'm sure this delighted Houdini. He loved this kind of free press. But even he might not have realized the greater significance here. One of the reasons Houdini remains so well known today is that his name has become part of the culture. This newspaper item documents the beginnings of that integration; the beginnings of Houdini's cultural immortality.
Bellow are a few more examples of when Houdini's name was used in politics.
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Talk about great press! If Houdini were alive today, the opportunities for this kind of free press would be even more abundant (and that's a heck of an understatement).
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