Houdiniana & Magic Memorabilia

ABBOTT, David P. Archive of David P. Abbott Correspondence to Hereward Carrington. A group of 16 TLSs, in which Abbott writes to Carrington on a wide range of topics, including the methods behind the tricks of fraudulent mediums, including Eusaipa Palladino, The Bangs Sisters, and their contemporaries; various methods for the Spirit Painting mystery (“Here is what Selbit does on stage with my principle.” He then goes on to describe Selbit’s performance); at length about the construction, use, and performance of his famed Talking Teakettle (including an allusion to a method whereby the voice inside the kettle can answer questions sealed inside of envelopes dropped inside the kettle, and mysterious voices heard emanating from the kettle without Abbott’s secret assistant being present); other Abbott effects including a Talking Skull (“not at all like Joseffy’s”); fellow magicians Claude Alexander Conlin (“the man who knows”), Harry Kellar, Clement De Lion, Howard Thurston, Harry Houdini (including his use of an Abbott kettle), and others. One lengthy and detailed letter describes the mobs of people interested in Gene Dennis and the questions she answered from stage at a local theater, and another states about Dennis, “I will say the girl is gifted and her power does not work at will or all of the time but a large part of the time.” The lengthiest missive is a three-page typed missive on legal sheets regarding Palladino and the methods of fraudulent spirit mediums and magicians for levitating tables and creating other manifestations in a séance room. Typed on blank legal-size sheets and Abbott’s printed stationery, and spanning approximately 1909 – 22. Two original mailing covers included. Many letters with holographic corrections and signed in purple ink in Abbott’s hand. Several tears, smudges, and some soiling, but condition generally good. A fascinating and revealing archive of information from this important and inventive magician.