The other day, I saw David Blaine on a talk show. He’s opened a really big show in Las Vegas. A dangerous and daring show, he said. I’ve seen bits and pieces of him in the past. He is described as an American illusionist, endurance artist, and extreme performer. He has set and broken several world records. Like when he buried himself alive in NYC. Or when he stayed in a water tank for seven days. In that one, he damaged his kidneys and liver.
Personally, I like a good magic trick. But I don’t care for these “feats” of high-profile danger. On the day I saw him on that talk show, he seemed like a nice guy. He did a few card tricks that were real stumpers.
Anyway, it got me thinking about those daredevil types. I wonder when it all started. I wonder who the first guy or woman was who said, “I’m going to jump off of that building and see what happens.”
Credit is given to a man named Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin. He was a renowned French magician who lived from December 7, 1805, to June 13, 1871. Most historians consider Robert Houdin to be the father of modern magic.
It is interesting that he came from a clockmaking family. Growing up, he pursued a career in horology (the study of timekeeping and clockmaking). But his background in clockmaking would influence his magical creations when he grew up to be a trickster.
At any rate, his interest in magic began like so many others do. He attended a magic show in Paris and was inspired by the performance. So, from that point on, he decided to learn the art of magic and gradually transitioned into a professional magician.
One thing that is neat about him is that he leveraged his background in clockmaking. And with that, he created mechanical marvels and automata that took his audiences by surprise. One of his most famous creations was the “orange tree,” a mechanical tree that produced real oranges for spectators. (This one appeared in one of those magician movies, like the one with Hugh Jackman.)
Anyway, it seems like Robert-Houdin was one of the early practitioners of escapology.
But his biggest notable is that he was the inspiration for Harry Houdini. He adopted the stage name “Houdini” as a tribute to Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin.
But there were others who tested human capacity for the first time.
Like Jean Francois Gravelet, a Frenchman known professionally as Charles Blondin. Blondin became the first daredevil to walk across Niagara Falls on a tightrope. The feat, which was performed 160 feet above the Niagara Gorge just downriver from the Falls, was witnessed by some 5,000 spectators. He did this in 1859.
But get this. He wore bright pink tights and a yellow tunic. And in that garb, Blondin crossed a cable about two inches in diameter and 1,100 feet long with only a balancing pole.
It was the first in a series of famous Niagara tightrope walks performed by “The Great Blondin” from 1859 to 1860. He advertised these acts as the “ascensions.” And Blondin always had different theatrical variations, including doing tightrope walks blindfolded, in a sack, with his manager on his back, sitting down midway to cook an omelet, and pushing a wheelbarrow across while dressed as an ape. I’m not sure how long he performed. But. He died in 1897. He was 72.
But don’t give Blondin the credit for being the first guy on a rope.
One of the earliest recorded tightrope walkers in Western history was the ancient Greek performer named Empedocles. He lived in the 5th century BC and was known for his tightrope walking acts. However, it’s important to note that tightrope walking likely existed in various forms in different cultures long before recorded history.
At any rate, David Blaine got me thinking about all of this. It makes me wonder why humans attempt to do “daring” feats in which they can potentially be injured or killed. I do not have even a “shred” of this notion in me. I wouldn’t even try running the hurdles at school because it seemed like a very risky proposition.
Thrill-seekers, I suppose. And if people will pay them money to thrill-seek, all the better, they suppose.
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“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” – Helen Keller
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“Adventure is worthwhile in itself.” – Amelia Earhart
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“Life is a one-time offer. Use it well.” – Unknown
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Walking a tight rope. Or worse.
