In 1790, a Paris asylum orderly named Guillaume Ferrus sewed a canvas jacket to replace the iron chains patients had worn for centuries — and it was genuinely seen as an act of mercy. This is the full story of the straitjacket: from Bedlam’s chained wards, through the reform movements of Pinel and Tuke, to Nellie Bly’s undercover expose of asylum abuse, to its final act as Harry Houdini’s signature escape.
Shop the styles/items featured in this video:
- Madhouse: A Tragic Tale of Megalomania and Modern Medicine
- Houdini: The Elusive American (biography)
- Ten Days in a Mad-House by Nellie Bly (reprint)
- Straitjacket-style escape trick kit
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