Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin

Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin is one of my all-time heroes. He was a clockmaker, magician, , automatier, inventor, experimentalist, and goverment operative. His name was the inspiration for a young magican in search of a stage name. Thus, Ehrich Weiss became forever known as "Houdini".

Here's a great page about Robert-Houdin. I highly recommend the film by Jean-Luc Muller.