Perhaps Performance Magic's most famous seeker after true supernatural experience was also arguably one of the most famous magicians of all time... Harry Houdini.

After his mother's death in 1907, the great escape artist would spend the rest of his life in an unending search for a real spirit medium who could give him the contact he so desperately desired with his beloved mother, and provide proof of life after death.

But his knowledge of the techniques of deception resulted in his exposing as fraudulent every medium he ever met, and he never found the proof he so ardently wished for.

Harry Houdini's disappointments in the parlours of the spirit mediums turned to anger at what he saw as their misappropriation and misuse of the ways and means of performance magic to bilk money from the gullible public. Entertainment in a theatre was one thing, but preying on the fears and desires of the bereaved was unconscionable. Harry was soon devoting most of his time to a campaign to expose the fraudulent spiritualists. he gave many lectures and interviews on the subject, brought reporters with him to seances, where he exposed the mummery and stage trappings, wrote a book on the subject, and even turned one act of his road show into a lecture and demonstration, exposing the techniques of these con artists.

Eventually, he had to turn to attending seances in disguise, as he had become so well known as a "debunker" that mediums frequently recognized him, and refused to admit him to their seances.

Houdini's vehemence in attacking the Spiritualists and denouncing the Spiritualist cause eventually would bring a rancorous end to his long time friendship with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of "Sherlock Holmes". Doyle, himself an ardent Spiritualist, saw Harry as misguided, and although Doyle allowed as how some mediums might be fraudulent, he believed Harry's attitude to be unfair and irrational, and his condemnation of Spiritualism tantamount to sacrilige.

In spite of his anti-spiritualist campaign, Harry Houdini never relinquished hope that some day, evidence would be provided as proof of life in the hereafter. He announced his own intention of attempting, if possible, to return after his own death, and extablish communication from beyond the grave. Harry and his wife, Bess, even agreed upon a code they would use as proof that any such communication really did originate with whichever of them preceeded the other into that unknown territory.

Harry Houdini died on October 31, 1927. For many years after, Bess and friends of Houdini would hold a seance on the anniversary of Harry's death, attempting to contact his spirit.

To this day, enthusiasts of both stage magic and the supernatural conduct seances on Halloween night - the anniversary of the great magician's death. However, to this day, there has been no proven communication.

Although many had hopes for Houdini's return from the dead, it seems the great escape artist would never accomplish that final spectacular escape.