Description:

Harry Houdini
[New York, NY], August 3, 1925
Harry Houdini TLS: "… through my efforts there have been more mediums arrested in the past twelve years … since the Fox Sisters mothered spirit rapping"
TLS
A 2pp typed letter boldly signed by American illusionist Harry Houdini (1874-1926) as "Houdini" at the center of the second page. August 3, 1925. [New York, New York.] On watermarked paper with "Houdini / 278 West 113th Street / New York, N.Y." letterhead. Expected wear including flattened transmittal folds and paper clip impressions (including one partially rusted) found at upper left. A few extra gentle wrinkles. Hole-punched along the left margin, two of four holes slightly discolored. Else near fine. 8.375" x 10.875."

Harry Houdini wrote this letter to German writer Karl Graf von Klinckowstroem (1884-1969), an independently wealthy intellectual from Munich with whom Harry Houdini regularly corresponded during the 1920s. A historian of science, technology, and culture, von Klinckowstroem was intrigued by the occult, especially the Swedish mystic Emanuel Swedenborg, but he also showed a receptiveness to Houdini's skepticism about false mediums.

In this letter, Houdini proudly reported the results of his longtime efforts to expose false mediums. Houdini was constantly occupied traveling, corresponding, writing, conducting investigations, issuing challenges, testifying in court, and generally shining a light on the lucrative but criminal industry of spurious seers.

Houdini wrote in part:

"Directly and indirectly, through my efforts there have been more mediums arrested in the past twelve years than any ten years, since the Fox Sisters mothered spirit rappings. There were seventy arrested in Los Angeles and the Head of the Organization was fined. There were over two dozen arrested in San Francisco, twenty-five in Cleveland and here in New York City, Mrs. Cecil M. Cook who one time published a paper in Chicago called 'Communication' is on trial for fortune telling. There is no law against Spiritualism, so they use the fortune telling as a technical point. And about fourteen arrested in Boston…"

Houdini's statistics - more than 130 fake mediums arrested in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Cleveland, New York City, and Boston--testifies to the pervasiveness of Spiritualist belief in the United States. Spiritualism was the belief that there was some sort of existence or awareness after death, and that the dead could communicate with the living from a different plane. Houdini's statement about the legality of Spiritualism underscores a very interesting point not readily apparent to modern day readers, which comes to the forefront when reading the contemporary press. Even though Spiritualism was in the decline in the United States by the 1920s, thousands of Americans still regarded Spiritualism as their religion. So Houdini's relentless quest to investigate mediums--the conduit by which Spiritualists reached the other world --was regarded by some as religious persecution. Houdini encountered pushback: what he regarded as a truth-seeking mission/law enforcement issue was seen by others as an infringement of civil liberties and a violation of religious tolerance.

The correspondence between Houdini and von Klinckowstroem typically revolves around the people, places, schemes, and themes of the spiritualist world they knew and shared. In this letter jam-packed with spiritualist debunking content, Houdini refers to 15+ different well-known mediums, magicians, skeptics, and psychical researchers from the United States, New Zealand, France, and Germany, whose careers spanned from the 19th century to the present day.

Highlights among these are, from order of mention:

- "Rev. Dr. Frederick A. Wiggin" referred to Rev. Dr. Frederick Alonzo Wiggin (1858-1940), the longtime pastor of the Unity Spiritualist Church in Boston. Wiggin was celebrated for his book "The Living Jesus: The Words of Jesus of Nazareth Uttered through the Medium Frederick A. Wiggin From February to June, 1921." Houdini recounts in the letter how he dispatched his private secretary and niece, Julia Sawyer, to a Wiggin spirit reading, and how the pastor was caught peeping from behind "a pair of black silk eye glasses."

- Julia Sawyer (born ca. 1904) (also spelled Sauer) is described by Houdini in the letter as "my private secretary [who] looks like a little girl…" Sawyer had served as Houdini's private secretary since age 16, and often posed as a child during Houdini's investigations.

- The "Fox Sisters" referred to Leah Fox (1813-1890), Margaretta Fox (1833-1893), and Catherine Fox (1837-1892) who swept 1840s Rochester, New York by storm with their public performances of "spirit rappings." The two younger sisters letter confessed they had achieved the sounds through cracking various joints.

- "Mrs. Cecil M. Cook" referred to Mrs. Cecil B. Cook, the pastor and trustee of the William T. Stead Center of Soul Communion, whom Houdini had unmasked on July 2, 1925. Mrs. Cook had been using a metal trumpet to impersonate Houdini's non-existent dead son.

- Dr. Pierre Keeler (aka Pere Keeler or P.L.O.A. Keeler) was a pupil of the famous slate-writing crook Dr. Henry Slade (see below). Keeler operated out of Lily Dale, New York, where one of the "Spiritualistic Camps" that Houdini decried was located. Dr. Keeler is listed in "Hartmann's Who's Who in Occult, Physic and Spiritual Realms…in the United States and Foreign Countries" (New York: Occult Press, 1925) as specializing in "Independent Writing" (p. 78). Houdini would catch Keeler in the act four months later, in November 1925.

- Laura A. Pruden was a well-known medium active in Cincinnati, Ohio. In "Hartmann's," Pruden is listed as a "Slate Writing Medium, [and] Spirit Guide" (p. 79).

- "Miss Ada Bessinet of Toledo" referred to one of America's most famous female mediums, the "Toledo seer" Ada Bessinet (1890-1936) (also spelled "Besinnet.") Bessinet is listed in "Hartmann's" as one of the "Spiritualist Associates, Mediums, Healers and Ministers" in Ohio, where her specialization is described as "materialization" (p. 71). Attendees of Bessinet's seances reported visual and auditory anomalies, including what appeared to be the faces and voices of the deceased. Bessinet's endorsement by the Scottish writer and spiritualist Arthur Conan Doyle in 1923 had secured her celebrity.

- "Bellachini" referred to Lucas Strack-Bellachini (1861-1930), a German illusionist who enchanted Imperial Germany by his use of ingenious stage props, including phosphorescent paint. He is indeed mentioned in Houdini's book, "A Magician Among The Spirits" (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1924). The Bellachini name was bestowed on Strack-Bellachini's pupil, Franz Schweizer, after the former's retirement.

- "Slade" referred to Dr. Henry Slade (1835-1905), an American false medium who perfected the parlor trick of "slate writing," that is, producing messages supposedly inscribed by the dead. Dr. Slade conned people on both sides of the Atlantic by using double slates, swapping slates, and even scrawling in chalk with his toes. In the letter, Houdini writes: "That story about Slade having three hands is 'Numpitz' [German: "nonsense"]. He did not die in London, but in Battle Creek, Michigan, I believe in 1896. Am having his grave sought for…"

- "Prof. S.S. Baldwin" referred to Samuel Spencer Baldwin (1848-1924), known theatrically as Samri Baldwin and among audiences as the "White Mahatma." Baldwin was one of the first American magicians to perform question and answers tricks on stage. Baldwin wrote extensively about Slade in his memoir, ed. F.C. Florence, "Spirit Mediums Exposed by Prof. S.S. Baldwin" (Melbourne: M'Carron, Bird & Co. Printers, 1879).

- "Eva" referred to Eva Carrière (1886-1943), an alleged French medium who claimed to have the ability to create ectoplasm. The case of "Eva C." polarized the occult community. Carrière's séances were elaborate productions of stagecraft which often culminated in her stripping nude. Her ectoplasm was later revealed to be wads of chewed up paper, magazines, and newspapers suspended by strings and wires.

- "Dr. Crawford's home" referred to the residence of William Jackson Crawford (1881-1920), the New Zealand-born psychical researcher headquartered in Belfast, who had exposed the so-called Goligher Circle, a family of supposed psychics.

- Remigius Weiss (ca. 1852-1941), known theatrically as Remigius Albus, was a former Philadelphia medium who collaborated with Harry Houdini to unmask charlatans.

- Imro Fox (1862-1910) was a German-American chef and magician active between 1880-1910. Known as the "comic conjuror," Fox delighted audiences with his feats of legerdemain and heavy German accent.

- "Anna Rothe" was Anna Rothe (1850-1907), a German con artist whose act centered around apport, or the supposed transference of objects between spiritual planes. Rothe was exposed in Berlin in 1902 after investigators found fruit and flowers stashed on her body and in her clothes, intended to be passed off as gifts from participating spirits. The "blumen-medium" was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment and a fine.

- "Schrenck Notzig" referred to the German psychiatrist and psychical researcher Albert von Schrenck-Notzing (1862-1929). He had written an article published in "Physische Studien" in June 1925 called "Der Okkultismus im Lichte der gegnerischen Kritik" [trans: "Occultism in the light of opposing criticism"] in which the author had questioned Houdini's authority as an expert of the occult, and characterized him as an arbitrary spiritualist debunker.

During the last half of his career as a celebrated illusionist, stuntman, and entertainer, Houdini emerged as one of the world's preeminent psychical researchers. After over 30 years of applied study, Houdini had built up a massive archive of relevant scholarship, and his expertise on the subject enabled him to routinely lecture at American universities. Houdini actively investigated fraudulent mediums, in his view thus preserving the real art and craft of explicable magic. In the 1920s, Houdini had famously sponsored a cash prizes (drawn from numerous sources) to be presented to any genuine medium. Houdini's investigations into mediums had resulted in dozens of convictions.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

  • Dimensions: 8.375" x 10.875"
  • Medium: TLS

Accepted Forms of Payment:

ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

August 7, 2024 10:00 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000