Claude Alexander Conlin (6 results)

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. Frederic Eugene Kid Jones;Charles C. Dawson;Charles M. Quinlan;Alfred Francis Seward;H. H.;Walker;Nelson Hahne;Unknown Artists (illustrator). May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.

Paperback. Condition: Brand New. Frederic Eugene Kid Jones;Charles C. Dawson;Charles M. Quinlan;Alfred Francis Seward;H. H.;Walker;Nelson Hahne;Unknown Artists (illustrator). 96 pages. 8.39x5.47x0.35 inches. In Stock.

Paperback. Condition: Brand New. Frederic Eugene Kid Jones;Charles C. Dawson;Charles M. Quinlan;Alfred Francis Seward;H. H.;Walker;Nelson Hahne;Unknown Artists (illustrator). 96 pages. 8.39x5.47x0.35 inches. In Stock.

Stapled. Condition: Poor. No Jacket. Grey paper cover with 8 sheets 8.5 x 14 inches - folded twice, stapled at top. Grey cover and last page have red stains/marks from moisture. Rust marks from staples. Rest of pages clean but have wear to edges.

First edition hard back binding in publisher's original orange cloth covered boards, blocked and lettered gilt front. 8vo. 9½'' x 6¼''. American spiritual author, vaudeville magician who specialised in mentalism and psychic reading acts, dressed in Oriental style robes and a feathered turban, and often used a crystal ball as a prop. In addition to performing, he also worked privately for clients, giving readings. Contains 124 pp with very detailed monochrome illustrations throughout. Surface marks to the boards, contents in Very Good condition. SIGNED with green fountain ink by the author to the front free end paper 'Yours for Grater Success C. Alexander.' Member of the P.B.F.A. MAGIC & CONJURING.

First Edition. Octavo. 19.5cm. Publisher's black heavy grain embossed cloth titled and decorated in blind and gilt to spine and front board. 557pp. Some light bumping to spine ends and extremities, and a small patch towards the bottom front corner where either liquid or some light abrasion has taken the gloss off the cloth. A cheaply yet solidly produced book, a very good, handsome copy indeed. Internally clean. Marbled blue-green endpapers. Portrait photographic frontispiece. Relatively cheap paper stock, but miraculously free of heavy toning or spotting. A further expansion to the empire of Claude Alexander Conlin, aka "Alexander the Crystal Seer", "Alexander; The Man Who Knows" and occasionally just "Alexander"; stage mesmerist and magician par excellence, thoroughly unqualified wearer of turbans and appropriator of "Oriental" wisdom and magic, serial husband (accounts of how often he was married differ on whether it was 7 times, 14 times, or some potentially bigamous number in between), and avid debunker of charlatan mediums whilst occasinally moonlighting as one in the meantime. It's a real mystery that there was room for both Alexander and L.W. de Laurence in the same nation at the same time. This particular work with its attempted exposition on everything that could be packed under the "oriental" banner from Pranic Yoga, to High Hindu Magic, to "Oriental Psychic Broadcasting" which appears to be telepathy with a bunch of hypnotism techniques thrown in to make sure one gets the required response. It dates from the period when Alexander was seemingly unable to reconcile his debunking of commercial spiritualism and fake mediums, with his stubbornly held belief that spiritualism and the wider esoteric world held authentic power and mystery. Very much a man of skill and personality, who seemed to combine the cynical and expedient techniques of showmanship and stagecraft, with a genuine curiosity regarding the various 'wisdoms' he utilised to put on a good show. An interesting example of what happens when getting paid is more important than just about anything else.