It appears that the 1925/6 lost Houdini spiritualism scrapbook has turned up. Possibly a hoax, but the photos look genuine. Lovecraft scholars will remember that Lovecraft was closely involved with Houdini in researching and ghost-writing a book debunking the evils of spiritualism and other fraudulent modern superstitions. The finder reports…
“The majority of the material is from 1925 with a few clippings from early 1926.”
Which is shortly before Lovecraft set to work with Houdini and Eddy on preparing The Cancer of Superstition, although it seems there’s no Lovecraft material in the scrapbook. Interesting to think that Lovecraft might well have once looked through the scrapbook while preparing the book.
Astounding find! My wife and I browsed the Houdini collection in the LOC a few years back during dissertation research. Although Houdini’s contemporary focus was decades after her area of study, we couldn’t help perusing the ridiculous number of spiritualist/occult volumes he owned, and the aforementioned scrapbooks that are dear to collectors and scholars alike.
And I completely agree with the notion of keeping the volume available to scholars; either make a digital archive of the volume, or perhaps the Library of Congress can put in an offer?
Hi David. John Cox here. Thanks for the post. Not a hoax, I assure you. And there could have been some Lovecraft material inside. I really didn’t have time to read each and every clipping. I hoping to get back and get another look as some point. When I do, I will keep my eye open for Eddy.
Lovecraft introduced C.M. Eddy Jr. to Houdini, and Eddy went on to become essentially a spy for Houdini. Houdini supported Eddy clandestinely by purchasing his music.
Family memories of Eddy’s spy work for Houdini, here… http://chrisperridas.blogspot.co.uk/2009/08/c-m-eddy-jr-news.html
The scrapbook is coming up for auction on August 23rd in Chicago. Here’s a link to the auction house’s website: http://www.potterauctions.com.
Here’s a direct link to the scrapbook on Liveauctioneers.com:
http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/28862186_houdinis-large-and-important-spiritualism-scrapbook