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Straitjackets were asylum gear before escape acts

HERE’S THE INTERESTING PART

Before magicians made them a staple of weekend entertainment, straitjackets were brutal medical restraints used exclusively in psychiatric wards. Escape artists co-opted them because breaking out of actual medical-grade torture gear looked incredibly impressive to crowds. It was the ultimate rebranding of institutional horror into family fun.

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Straitjackets were asylum gear before escape acts
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