Home > Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin

Houdin was a watchmaker, and made mechanical toys and machines.

From an early age he had been interested in juggling and sleight of hand, and in 1845 he began to exhibit his skill, and soon became famous for his tricks.

The Arabs of AlgeriaAlgeria is a country in northern Africa with a coast on the Mediterranean Sea along the north and bordered by Tunisia in the northeast, Libya in the east, Niger in the southeast, Mali and Mauritania in the southwest, and Morocco in the west (the Moroccan were said to be excited to rebel against French colonialists by false miracles performed by their religious leaders. In 1856Events January 8 Borax is discovered ( John Veatch). January 29 Queen Victoria institutes the Victoria Cross February 18 The American Party ( Know-Nothings) convene in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to nominate their first Presidential candidate, former Presi, the French government sent Houdin there, hoping that he might perform tricks that were far more impressive, thereby dissolving the excitement of the rebels. Houdin's tricks, it is said, succeeded in breaking up the influence of the priests. Moreover, the Arabs became afraid of Houdin. In one trick, he allowed an Arab to shoot at him with a marked ball, but instead of killing him, the ball was found between his teeth. After that, they believed he could do anything.

Houdin is often credited as being "the father of modern magic". Before him, magicians performed in marketplaces and fayres, but Houdin performed magic in theatres and private parties. He also chose to wear formal clothes, like those of his audiences. Many magicians today mimic this by wearing tail-coats, though other magicians view this as old-fashioned and believe that they should wear contemporary clothes.

His home in Blois is now open to the public as a museum and theatre.

Robert-Houdin's autobiography is called The Memoirs of Robert-Houdin.