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Signed book: A Magician Among the Spirits. First edition. NY: Harper & Brothers, 1924. Hardcover bound in the publisher's original gilt-titled cloth, 6.5 x 9.5, 294 pages. Signed and inscribed on the first free end page in fountain pen to the daughter of noted mentalist and magician Samri Baldwin, "To Shadow Baldwin, Best wishes from the author, Houdini, 4/29/24." Autographic condition: fine, with a block of light toning along the left side of the signed page. Book condition: VG/None, with minor fraying to spine ends, edgewear, and rubbing to boards.
Harry Houdini admired Samri Baldwin, known as the 'White Mahatma,' for his pioneering role in popularizing stage magic and spiritualist debunking in the late 19th century. Notably, Baldwin was one of the first magicians to have practiced a stage escape from handcuffs, performing the feat as early as 1871—long before Houdini made it famous. Baldwin’s subsequent exposures of fraudulent mediums influenced Houdini’s later crusade against spiritualism and fake séances. Houdini would dedicate a significant amount of time and effort to debunking the claims of spiritualists, psychics, and mediums by exposing their fraudulent methods, publishing this book on the subject in 1924. He often cited Baldwin as an early inspiration, acknowledging his importance in shaping the skeptical side of modern magic. As a presentation copy dedicated to Baldwin's daughter, this is a remarkable association piece.
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