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FIRST EDITION, INSCRIBED AND TWICE SIGNED BY HOUDINI: "To Frederick H Young / Best wishes / Houdini / Sept 19. - 1924 / 1:30 AM." Additionally signed "Houdini" on dedication page. Harry Houdini, the son of a rabbi and a doting mother, was born Erik Weisz in Budapest, Hungary in 1874. After moving to Wisconsin at age 4 then to New York City at 13, Erik Weisz eventually became the legendary Harry Houdini, a master mystifier now remembered for his sensational escapes but known in his time as an unmasker of frauds. When Houdini's mother died in 1913 he lamented, "it was a shock from which I do not think recovery is possible." Her death led to Harry's interest in Spiritualism, a religious movement based on the belief that the dead could interact with the living, and he dedicated his book, A Magician Among the Spirits, to her. Harry Houdini met Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in 1920 and they corresponded regularly about their mutual interest in Spiritualism. In 1922, while Houdini and his wife vacationed with the Doyle family, Houdini attended a séance with Lady Doyle, who claimed to be channeling Houdini's mother. Houdini was hopeful that this religious movement would lead to contact with his dead mother, but he became skeptical of Lady Doyle and others who claimed to communicate with those on the other side. In early 1923, Houdini joined a committee sponsored by Scientific American which was offering $2,500 to any medium who could successfully demonstrate supernatural abilities. Houdini believed that his training as a magician gave him insights that scientists and academics lacked. After observing more than a hundred mediums, Houdini announced that spiritualists were charlatans and no prize was ever awarded. As President of the Society of American Magicians, he sought to uphold professional standards and expose fraudulent artists. As his fame as a "ghostbuster" grew, Houdini chronicled his debunking exploits in A Magician Among the Spirits, which was published in May of 1924. In the dedication he refers to his mother as an "angel upon earth in human form." The book also features a large photo of Houdini and Doyle opposite the title page as well as a chapter dedicated to the discussion of their friendship and divergent opinions about Spiritualism. As Houdini wrote, "Spiritualism has claimed among its followers numbers of brilliant minds-scientists, philosophers, professionals and authors.Such a one is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.I have no warfare with Sir Arthur [but] so far I have never on any occasion.seen.anything which has convinced me that it is possible to communicate with those who have passed out of this life. Therefore I do not agree with Sir Arthur." Doyle refused to believe any of Houdini's exposés and viewed him as a dangerous enemy. Doyle believed that the ungrateful and stubborn Houdini had insulted his wife's powers, while Houdini believed that the Doyles made a mockery of his deep feelings for his mother, the ruling passion of his life. A Magician Among the Spirits, like a good magician revealing a secret, invites us behind the scenes, educates us, and then allows us to find mystery in the countless questions that may develop. Houdini explains how mediums utilized props as well as the power of suggestion to convince people that the dead are among them. He does not ridicule Spiritualism but rather treats it with respect and sympathetically explains that it gained popularity after the unprecedented loss of life from World War I and the influenza pandemic. Houdini writes earnestly from the perspective of a professional magician, and, as he tells us in the Introduction, approaches his research scientifically, systematically, and with an open mind. This copy of A Magician Among the Spirits was inscribed by Houdini to Frederick H. Young on September 19, 1924 at 1:30AM, perhaps following a séance. Houdini also signed the dedication page. He inscribed this book after spending much of the summer exposing the trickery of the celebrated me.
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