SCRANTON, Pa. — Illusionist Harry Houdini has inspired more than stunts since his time performing in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
And it's all on display inside the Houdini Museum on North Main Avenue in Scranton.
"Houdini performed in Scranton, Pennsylvania, in 1915. He performed at the at the Palais Theatre, which still exists today. And now we call it the Ritz Theatre," Dorothy Dietrich explained.
Many of Houdini's stunts involved escaping death. Pieces from those stunts can be found around the museum with articles describing the dangerous feats.
"It was stressful for the audience, but it represented that great escape. Everybody has that thing that you're still you're stuck. And here's this guy no matter what, you get out of it. So, he's an inspiration for every human."
Dietrich is a long-time collector of Houdini memorabilia and has it on display for anyone who wants to learn more.
"It's a lifetime of collecting. Houdini inspired me when I was a child. I read a book about Houdini, and I saw a magician at school, and I asked the teacher if they get paid to do that. Because I said, I want to do that because that looks like fun."
Houdini inspired Dietrich to enter show business, and she's known for performing a Houdini-style stunt or two on national television back in her heyday.
"It's not just that you're performing for an audience. You're giving joy to everyone in the room. And I can't imagine anything better than that."
Now, she's focused on keeping the illusions of Harry Houdini alive.
"Escaping is pretty cool. So, he learned how to pick open locks and handcuffs and how to escape from different things, and the audience went crazy for it. Because that was unique."
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