Folk-Lore From Adams County, Illinois; Memoirs of the Alma Egan Hyatt Foundation, New York
New York: Alma Egan Hyatt Foundation, 1935. First Edition. Hardcover. Large octavo. 724pp. Black cloth with gilt lettering to spine, index. The first edition of this comprehensive reference on the folklore of Adams County, the westernmost county of the state of Illinois. The book is basically a massive compendium of over 10,000 folk beliefs - with the descriptions of each running from as little as a short sentence to several pages. It includes 90 pages specifically on the beliefs of "Hoodoo and Witchcraft" while of course many of the other beliefs described would fall broadly into that category. Hyatt was perhaps better known for his "Hoodoo - Conjuration - Witchcraft - Rootwork: Beliefs Accepted by Many Negroes" a massive work that is also now very scarce. Light rubbing to edges and points, page edges darkened and a bit discoloured, pages toned - but still a tight clean VG+ copy (no dust jacket if called for). Item #59597
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