The Sphinx Mind Reading System.
Chicago, IL: De Laurence, Scott and Co., 1915. First Edition. Softcover. Small octavo. 22pp. Original printed wrappers. Contents described inside front cover: "The Marvelous Second Sight Mystery Revealed. The Great Mind Reading Mystery Which has Perplexed the World. First Introduced to the Theater-goers of Marvel-loving Paris as the Trance of Venus......" Basically describes how to perform a mind-reading trick, whilst spruiking other works by de Laurence. Lauron William de Laurence (1868 - 1936), was a well-known publisher and seller of occult literature, who was also a book pirate and plagiarist who was not averse to taking other people's works and reissuing them under his own name (sometimes re-titling them in the process). Despite his rogueish eccentricities de Laurence played an important part in the occult history of the USA: he was a pioneer in selling occult books and supplies by mail order, and the cheap "Pow Wow" books and other books of simple magic which he published were surprisingly well received, and he is quite revered in some quarters. Wrappers a little darkened, otherwise a complete and unmarked VG + copy. Unusual. Item #60756
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