Brauer: "King of Handcuffs"

Back when Houdini was at the height of his popularity, you couldn’t throw a stone in any direction without hitting a self-proclaimed “handcuff king” that followed in his wake. One such is the subject of this posting – Harold A. Brauer.

I once again turned to the Conjuring Arts Research Center’s “Ask Alexander” database
seeking information on this escapologist and I wasn’t disappointed. There wasn’t a lot of biography on Brauer but enough to fill in some holes.

Brauer appeared on the cover of the Nov. 15, 1917 The Magic World, published in Philadelphia by J.E. Pierce. His bio written by editor Charles J. Hagen, shows that Brauer was born Sept. 27, 1888, in Richmond, Virginia. He started performing magic at age 15 in local clubs and society engagements, and then branched out into Vaudeville. Never at a loss for hyperbole, he began his career as a “Card Wizard.”

Eventually his interests turned to the Challenge Handcuff Act featuring escapes from handcuffs, mailbags, strait jackets, packing cases and pillories. His escape from a giant milk can was unique. A committee from the audience first tied him up in a cloth bag before he was immersed and locked inside the can. He was reported to have made several jail escapes in the Virginia area but no specifics were provided.

Brauer had what must have been an extensive collection of restraints as it was noted he had nearly every kind of handcuff made. In fact, in The Sphinx, during 1914-15, Brauer ran advertisements offering relic handcuffs and leg irons for sale or trade. His address at the time was 923 E. Marshall St., Richmond, Virginia. He often contributed tricks and effects to The Magic World including his method of doing the Challenge Packing Case Escape.

The fact that he was featured laden with handcuffs and leg irons on the cover of The Magic World is no surprise to those who knew J.E. Pierce, the owner of the publication. He was an avid escapologist himself and had featured himself on the April 15, 1917 cover. 

It should also be noted that Pierce was the founder of the Society of Professional Magicians, an early magic club in Philadelphia founded in March 1912. In a June 1913 Sphinx issue, Pierce reports on the sixteenth monthly meeting of the club and describes different magic tricks done by members. He reported, “Brother Brauer presented a few handcuff tricks and rope stunts, which were very clever.”

Magic and escapes must not have been enough for young Brauer as census data for 1910 have him working as a clerk for a railroad company in Richmond. A membership list of I.B.M. members for 1926 (Brauer’s was #574), show him as a “car assistant” on the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad. Likewise, Richmond City Directories for 1917-27 have him similarly employed with his home being 115 S. Pine St. By 1927 he had moved to 304 Cleveland Ave. Apt. 1.

The two remaining mysteries about Brauer are, when did he die and why did he have nine other people in his household in 1910 besides his mother, father, two sisters and two brothers? Did his parents run a boarding house?  Who knows, and for that matter, who cares? Suffice to say that Harold Brauer’s star as a handcuff king shone brightly for a while and then faded into history, until some 90 years later, a collector of magician’s throwing cards decided unlock some of his secrets.  

Subscribe by Email - If you are enjoying these posts – and we certainly hope you are – – you can get free email updates.  Just enter an email address into the subscription gadget located at the top right corner and bottom of our page.   Note: if you're looking at the mobile version of our page, you'll need to go to the web version to find the gadget.