Master of Magic

From the Washington Post...

A Master of Magic Revealed
By Daniel Stashower,

"On the night of Feb. 6, 1922, more than 60 magicians in formal attire gathered at a hotel banquet room in Chicago to honor Harry Houdini, the self-styled "eclipsing sensation of the world." Then as now, such banquets were little more than an excuse for magic enthusiasts to show off, often at considerable length. So it was past 3:30 a.m. before Houdini himself was finally invited to perform. He was 48 at the time, but that evening he reached back to his earliest days as a "King of Cards" and treated the room to a flashy display of card fans, waterfalls and other flourishes. The audience responded with a warm ovation.

As the applause died down, a man named Sam Margules took Houdini by the arm and led him across the room. Margules wanted Houdini to see a gifted young performer, Dai Vernon, whom he considered the finest sleight-of-hand artist he'd ever known..." Read On