Experiences in Spiritualism with Mr. D. D. Home.
Holborn, UK: Privately printed ( by Thomas Scott ), ND (1869). First Edition. Softcover. Octavo. xxxii +178pp. Original pink printed paper wrappers with black lettering over thin card-stock boards. Addenda, b&w illustrations, one fold-out. An extremely scarce account by Viscount Adare of the private seances he attended that were held by D. D. Home in 1867 and 1868. Adare recorded these in a series of letters which he sent to his father, who subsequently published them in an extremely limited edition for private circulation only (they were considered highly sensitive, not least because they included a list of the names of those who attended the seances, many of whom were well-known "society" figures). According to Harry Price only 50 copies of the first edition were printed. Viscount Adare (Windham Thomas Wyndham-Quin, 4th Earl of Dunraven: 1841 – 1926),was an Irish journalist, landowner, and Conservative politician. The book chronicles his experiences with Daniel Dunglas Home (1833 – 1886), the controversial Scottish medium whose reported ability to levitate to a variety of heights, speak with the dead, and to produce rapping and knocks in houses at will, made him an enormously famous and controversial figure in the nineteenth century. In addition to recounting a variety of paranormal experiences Dunraven owns that he had slept in the same bed with Home; and some of the diary entries are said to contain homosexual overtones. It appears that Adare's father, the 3rd Earl of Dunraven, who published the book and supplied the Introductory remarks, had two versions printed in rapid succession: one (as this copy) indicated the name of the printer (Thomas Scott), the other gaven no indication of the printer. Due to the relatively clandestine nature of their release and rarity it is difficult to establish precedence, although in his description of the book Price refers to the first edition as being published by Thomas Scott, which may indicate that this, with Scott's imprint, is that edition. From the collection of Dr. M. H. Coleman, although not marked as such. Covers rubbed and a bit darkened with a few childish pen scribbles on upper cover, spine a little darkened and creased. Edges, spine ends and corners a bit chafed, page edges unevenly darkened, otherwise a tight, clean VG+ copy of a rare edition. Item #62048
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