EDMONDS, Judge [ Leslie Curnow association copy ].

[ Spiritual Tracts ] Miscellaneous Writings on Spiritualism, Being a Complete Edition of the Spiritual Tracts by this Author, from no. 1 to 13, Inclusive [ Spiritual Tracts ].

New York: [ A. J. Davis & Co. ], 1858-1873. First edition. Hardcover. Small octavo. 13 individually paginated tracts (approximately 300pp in total). Blue pebbled cloth with gilt lettering to spine. Judge [John Worth] Edmonds (1799 -1874 ) was a New York lawyer and politician who became a Spiritualist in 1851. Edmonds wrote this collection of tracts, first published separately from 1858 - 1873 and here bound together as one volume. With George T. Dexter he co-authored a massive two volume work entitled "Spiritualism" (1854 - 1855). Tracts in the volume are: No.1, 'An Appeal to the Public on Spiritualism' (1858): 16pp.; No.2, 'Bishop Hopkins on Spiritualism. Reply to Judge Edmonds' (1858): 14pp.; No.3, 'The Newsboy' (1858): 12pp.; No.4, 'Uncertainty of Spiritual Intercourse' (1858): 12pp.; No.5, 'Certainty of Spiritual Intercourse' (1858): 16pp.; No.6, 'Speaking in Many Tongues' (1858): 12pp.; No.7, 'Intercourse with Spirits of the Living' (1858): 10pp.; No.8, 'False Prophesying' (1858): 12pp.; No.9, 'Spiritualism, as demonstrated from Ancient and Modern History' (1859): 16pp.; No.10, 'Letters to the New York Tribune on Spiritualism' (1860): 128pp.; No.11, 'Instances of Spirit Communion' (1868): 30pp.; No.12, 'Messages from George Washington on Government and the Future Life' (1873): 28pp. No.13, 'Questions and Answers on Spiritualism' (1873): 32pp. From the library of the London-based Australian journalist Leslie Curnow. Curnow's interest in Spiritualism was piqued by his mother, a "natural" Medium, and after moving to England he became an expert on the subject, writing "The Physical Phenomena of Spiritualism, a Historical survey" (1925), compiling the Catalogue of the W. T. Stead Borderland Library (1923) and assisting Sir Arthur Conan Doyle with the preparation of his massive two volume "The History of Spiritualism." He also amassed one of the largest collections of books and pamphlets relating to Spiritualism. It has his ink stamp ("Leslie Curnow Library") on the front and rear free endpapers, and six times in the margins of text pages. Later from the collection of Dr. M. H. Coleman, although not marked as such. Cloth rubbed and a bit faded at edges of boards and spine, fraying to cloth at spine ends, tiny chip to upper corner of top board, old owner's name on the cover of Tract 1, a few pen lines in fore-edge margins of several pages in Tract 5, first title-page slightly discolored & with contemporary owner's name at top. A solid VG copy. Unusual. Item #51576

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