How much of a magician’s flair is in the engineering of an illusion and how much is attributed to the magician’s abilities as an illusionist?

This seems to be the underlying argument between proponents and opponents of a new exhibit that opened recently in Outagamie Museum in Harry Houdini’s childhood hometown of Appleton, Wis. The exhibit reveals the secrets and processes behind some of Houdini’s most famous tricks — and has a lot of magicians in an uproar.

According to a recent Associated Press article, magicians say their code of ethics prohibits revealing secrets to the public. In fact, the International Brotherhood of Magicians, the world’s largest organization of magicians, lists exposing the principles or methods of magic as the No. 1 no-no in its code of ethics.

So what drove this Wisconsin town to ignore the wishes of Houdini’s brethren and reveal his secrets? Money.

By now the Outagamie Museum must be raking it in, and Houdini must be rolling over in his grave. The exhibit will draw countless curious visitors who want to have their childhood disillusionment completely spoiled. It will be a terrific boost to the museum and the community.

Museum curator Kim Louagie claimed in the AP article that the exhibit has historical relevance and, “increases the value of magic rather than making it something cheap.” Well, it’s obviously increasing the value of the museum but cheapening magic as an art form.

Would a cook give away the secret behind his best recipe? No way. Would a gardener reveal what makes his flowers so beautiful? Certainly not. Professionals who rely on trade secrets for success would never knowingly give them up to the public. It’s unfair to expect magicians to do the same with tools and techniques that are still being used today. If an audience already knows how a trick is performed, there isn’t much that keeps it entertaining.

The museum and a handful of magicians who support the exhibit said the draw of a magic show is not in the construction of the illusions, but in the skill of the magician performing them. If the purpose of attending a magic show is to watch closely to see if the magician will screw up, this opinion could be well-founded. The whole idea behind magic is the mystery and wonder evoked by the illusions; the fascination of not knowing how they were pulled off. The best part of the show is leaving with the question, “How did he do that?” Knowing the process ruins the effect.

All of the tricks revealed in the exhibit have previously been revealed in books or on the Internet, but does that make it right to construct an elaborate display to shove them into the public eye? This isn’t the first time a group has exploited magic for its own benefit. Every few years, Fox runs a special featuring a masked magician who reveals the secrets behind his or her tricks. Magicians complain, but Fox gets good ratings and rakes in the advertising revenue and the shameless entertainment continues.

Just because something has been done before with impunity doesn’t make it right. This is an obvious attempt to exploit Houdini’s fame for the benefit of a community where he lived for only four years.

It’s abhorrent that our society has no respect for the dead, or that we find it acceptable to violate another person’s wishes after they are no longer around to protest. Supporters of the exhibit obviously care nothing about Houdini’s legacy or the art of magic.