On June 23, 1914, legendary illusionist Harry Houdini met former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt aboard the Hamburg-American luxury liner SS Imperator in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. The encounter brought together two of the most famous and energetic figures of the early 20th century. During the voyage, Houdini captivated the former president—instantly recognizable by his signature rimless pince-nez eyeglasses—by performing a series of mind-bending illusions on the open sea.
The highlight of the voyage was a brilliant piece of psychological showmanship where Houdini successfully “predicted” Roosevelt’s recent secret travels in the South American jungle using a blank slate. Rather than intercepting telegraphs, Houdini pulled off the stunt by solicitously passing Roosevelt a book to use as a flat writing surface when he saw him preparing his question. The book secretly contained hidden carbon paper that transferred Roosevelt’s handwriting directly to the magician, allowing Houdini to subtly read the query and pre-stage the “spirit writing” map of the Amazon that left the former president completely spellbound.
Theodore Roosevelt did not wear a monocle. He did, however, wear pince-nez style eyeglasses.
Thanks Roger, good catch!
The entry has been updated.