This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/29/2022
[SPIRITUALISM]. A LIBRARY OF APPROXIMATELY 400 VOLUMES RELATING TO SPIRITUALISM AND OTHER PSYCHIC PHENOMENA. 19th/20th century. An extensive collection of books and pamphlets related to the Spiritualist movement, witchcraft, tarot, fraudulent mediums, and other related phenomena, the majority published during the latter half of the 19th century and first half of the 20th; includes volumes in English and German languages. Majority being clothbound and illustrated 8vos. Condition generally fine. Complete list available on request. Third party transportation required. The links between magic and Spiritualism have been evident almost from the latter’s inception, with such notable Spiritualists as the Fox Sisters, William Eglington, and Eusapia Palladino among others employing methods similar to many popular magicians of the time to produce their “manifestations.” Spiritualism flourished throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, first as a relatively informal movement and then later through numerous camps and organizations. As the 19th century gave way to the 20th numerous magicians sought to debunk the Spiritualist movement, using knowledge of these same tactics as weapons against those fakes and fraudsters who sought to capitalize on human grief. Most famous among these was Harry Houdini, whose investigations helped to expose the popular medium “Margery” (also known as Mina Crandon) as a fraud. As the battle between believers and non-believers gathered steam (and the public’s fascination), literature on the subject was published at an ever-increasing rate, as this collection of texts – which take both positive and negative views of the movement – are clear evidence of. The volumes included in this library offer a broad look at Spiritualism, span the movement’s most popular period, and provide invaluable insight into its evolution and the various methods employed to “give the dead voice with which to speak.”