Houdini Exposes Tricks Used by Boston Medium Margery

Published 1924, 43 Pages

Digital Download Version

Famed magician Harry Houdini exposed the Boston medium “Margery” (Mina Crandon) as a fraud in 1924, successfully convincing Scientific American to deny her a $2,500 prize for genuine psychic ability. Houdini, a member of the magazine’s investigative committee, debunked her highly publicized séances by using his knowledge of illusion to replicate her supposed supernatural feats.

The Scientific American investigation

In the early 1920s, Scientific American offered a $2,500 prize to any medium who could prove their abilities under controlled conditions.

Margery’s séances had already convinced several members of the magazine’s committee that her abilities were genuine. Her supporters included Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, a noted spiritualist.
When Houdini learned the committee was considering awarding Margery the prize, he insisted on attending her séances in Boston in July 1924.

Houdini’s debunking methods

Using his expertise in deception, Houdini quickly identified how Margery performed her tricks.

The bell box: Margery claimed to ring a bell inside a locked wooden box using her psychic powers. During a séance, Houdini detected her using her foot to slide her ankle just enough to touch the bell’s ringing apparatus.
The flying megaphone: Houdini figured out Margery briefly freed a hand in the dark to place a megaphone on her head. She then jerked her head to make it drop and fly across the room.
The levitating table: He revealed this trick during another séance at a hotel, discovering Margery was using her head to lift the table from underneath.
The “ectoplasm”: When Margery produced a supposed supernatural substance, Houdini exposed it as an animal liver she had smuggled into the séance.

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Steven Warburton

Previously practicing magician and escape artist, transitioned to Magic Collector for the last 40+ years. In applying an extended hobby of web design and online marketing, Steven Warburton has developed many business related sites and eCommerce sites. Core profession for the last 40 years has been in the Telecommunications / Broadband arena actively working as an executive for a well known Internet/Broadband providers for the United States.