Spirit People: a Scientifically Accurate Description of Manifestations Recently Produced by Spirits, and Simultaneously Witnessed by the Author and Other Observers in London. The Spiritualist Library., No. 1.
London: W. H. Harrison, Spiritualist Newspaper Branch Office, 1875. First Edition. Hardcover. Small octavo. i-viii, 9 - 46pp. Contemporary brown full leather binding with gilt title and author's name on front boards. Triple gilt rules to borders of both boards, raised bands to spine. Gilt decorations to edges of boards and margins of inner-boards, marbled endpapers. A specially bound presentation copy INSCRIBED by the author to the famous author, actress and spiritualist Florence Marryat (under her married name Mrs. Ross Church). Florence Marryat (1833 – 1899) was not only very well known on the stage, and as the author of some 70 books, but was very active in late 19th century British spiritualism, being closely associated with a number of celebrated mediums. The inscription, which is on the first blank, reads "Mrs. Ross Church / with the good wishes / of the author / Sept. 1875." The author, William Henry Harrison (1841–97), was a photographer and journalist who enthusiastically embraced spiritualism, and founded the "Spiritualist" newspaper, a significant spiritualist newspaper of the time. The book itself is a "record of observed occurences" - describing Harrison's own experiences with mediums at seances etc., rather than being a discourse on the theory of Spiritualism. At quick glance we have been unable to find out much of the relationship between Harrison and Marryat, but it is certainly a subject worthy of further research. More recently from the collection of Dr. M. H. Coleman, with his ex-libris seal blind-stamped on the first blank. The boards are quite rubbed and the titling and decorations on the spine are so dulled as to be almost invisible. The first two inches of the leather joint of the top board are splitting, but the board is still held firm by the endpapers. Remains of small bookseller's label on front paste-down. A little light foxing to first and last pages. Otherwise a VG copy of an important - and obviously unique - association copy. Item #62572
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