The History of Spiritualism [TWO VOLUMES].
London: Cassell and Company, 1926. With eight illustrated and photographic plates. First edition, first printing. Publisher's blue cloth, spine titled in gilt. Slightly bowed front boards, several small spots of discoloration to rear boards and spines, lightly sunned spines, gentle rubbed tips and corners, scattered foxing to edge, still near fine. Item #237734
DOYLE VS HOUDINI
Despite being most well-known for his Sherlock Holmes mysteries, Arthur Conan Doyle spread spiritualism as his personal life mission, as nearly every family in England was touched by death during WWI. Doyle saw spiritualism as a means for families to commune with the ghosts of their sons, lost in battle, and began publishing more extensively on the topic in 1916.
Eventually, after joining several spiritualist research societies and making a name for himself in the space, Doyle had a public falling out with Harry Houdini over his lack of supernatural powers. Although Houdini was adamant that his tricks were illusions and performed several in Doyle's home to dissuade him, Doyle refused to believe him. Houdini eventually began speaking out against occult movements, ending the pair's friendship.
Ten years after his conversion, Doyle, rankled by the lack of a written history, published The History of Spiritualism in 1926, a landmark text for the movement. It faced critique upon publication for his non-scientific approach and general naiveté during a period where fraudulent medium stories ran rampant.
Price: $950.00