Superb Beatrice Houdini TLS Re: "Spirit Hands," False Psychics & Houdini's Library

A 2pp typed letter signed by Beatrice "Bess" Houdini (1876-1943), as "Beatrice Houdini" at the bottom of page 2. January 7, 1927. New York, New York. On two sheets of black-edged mourning stationery featuring Houdini's portrait in the upper left corner. Expected wear including flattened paper folds and isolated minor scuffs or paper clip impressions affecting the edges. Double hole-punched along the left edges. Else near fine. 8" x 10.5." A letter of hers brought $6250 in our recent auction!

Beatrice Houdini wrote this letter to German writer Carl Graf von Klinckowstroem (1884-1969) less than three months after Harry Houdini's death of peritonitis at the age of 52 on October 31, 1926. Von Klinckowstroem was an independently wealthy intellectual from Munich with whom Harry Houdini had occasionally corresponded. 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 scepticism about false mediums.

In this superb letter bursting with spiritualism content, Beatrice Houdini describes the process by which "spirit hands" can be molded from paraffin; mentions two notorious exposed false mediums, Dr. Henry Slade and Dr. Bert Reese; and laments the state of Houdini's magnificent library, which must be organized prior to donation to various institutions. This last task weighs heavily on Beatrice, leading her to quip: "this problem really needs a Houdini to solve…"

Beatrice Houdini wrote in part:

"Regarding the paraffin hands, I made those for Houdini, myself. First have prepared two (2) deep vessels - one with cold water, one with hot wax (paraffin) almost boiling. Thoroughly grease hands with a thick coating of vaseline (any kind) then deep hand in cold water, and quickly into hot wax (it is perfectly harmless and does not burn), then quickly into cold water again…

After one or two trials you will find it very simple.

Houdini used my hands because they are small and the many coatings of wax make the hand large…"

One of Houdini's last experiments, conducted after 1923, showed how false mediums could make "spirit hands" or "spirit gloves" using paraffin. Detailed molds of a deceased person's hands, replicating even their fingerprints, could be made from their bodies, and later used by fake mediums to leave fingerprints on objects, like lamp-blacked trumpets. Cold, gelatinous "spirit hands" could flop around the séance table, grazing attendees. Houdini showed how easy it was to make wax hand molds in order to defang one of the medium's most primitive but effective tricks. Photos showing Houdini making paraffin hand molds can be viewed in the collection of the Library of Congress.

Beatrice Houdini continued:

"Regarding the Slade confession, I do not know, but believe Houdini had some argument with Mr. Remigius Weiss about it… Will also look up the Bert Reese matter. I know Houdini caught him. His secretary heard Mr. Reese tell Houdini so personally and Mrs. Reese called up Houdini censoring him about it…"

Dr. Henry Slade (1835-1905) was a 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! By explaining the ingenious methods of the false mediums - the mechanics of push-buttons, wires, tubes, duplicates, false bottoms, etc. - Houdini hoped to better educate the all-too credulous public. Remigius Weiss, known theatrically as Remigius Albus (ca. 1852-1941), was a former Philadelphia medium who collaborated with Harry Houdini to debunk false psychics.

Dr. Bert Reese (1841-1928) was a Polish-American mentalist who claimed to practice telepathy. Houdini had investigated Dr. Reese and determined categorically that he was a fraud. Dr. Reese excelled at billet reading, or the "pellet test": this was when something secret was written on a piece of paper rolled up into a ball, and then, apparently sight-unseen, it was pronounced by the telepath. Houdini foiled Dr. Reese's tricks during his own private session with the mentalist by molding the pellets into odd shapes. Houdini later recounted about this meeting with Reese: "I caught him cold-blooded…"

Beatrice Houdini wrote in part:

"It is a great pity to be so helpless as I am in not knowing the value of the books. I am leaving the selection entirely to my assistants of what comprises the lot inherited by the Psychical Research Society… I have a fourteen room house - twelve rooms are filled with books. These must be assorted in three lots, one for the Congressional Library in Washington, one for the New York Psychical Research Society and one Dramatic Library…"

The type of wonderful and obscure books found in Houdini's library of the occult is suggested by one title that Beatrice Houdini mentions in this letter: Dr. David M. Reese, "Humbugs of New-York: Being a Remonstrance Against Popular Delusion; Whether in Science, Philosophy, Or Religion" (New York: John S. Taylor, 1838). The book explored "general quackery," phrenology, homeopathy, clairvoyance, animal magnetism, and monomanias. It was just one volume in Houdini's spectacularly diverse library, valued at $500,000 in a probate inventory. Houdini left detailed instructions in his first will, drafted in 1924, and added a codicil in 1925, bequeathing the majority of these books to the Congressional Library in Washington.

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 $30,000 cash prize (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.

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