The famed escapologist had a reputation for death-defying stunts. But his rise to fame and sudden death both came with some ...

Then he squeezed himself into the can, the displaced water splashing onto the stage. Long before a minute elapsed, most spectators gave up, gasping. Houdini, however, stepped out of the can ...

Michael Heseltine, specialist in conjuring and performing arts at Bloomsbury, said: "Houdini started using handcuffs in his routines from 1895. "He did a variety of water stunts and it is a ...