Eusapia Palladino and Her Phenomena, by Hereward Carrington (1909)

Eusapia Palladino and Her Phenomena, by Hereward Carrington. 1909 hardcover. 353 pages, very nice condition, former owner’s inscription from 1910 on first page.

Hereward Carrington (1880 – 1958) was a well-known British-born American investigator of psychic phenomena and author. His subjects included several of the most high-profile cases of apparent psychic ability of his times, and he wrote over 100 books on subjects including the paranormal and psychical research, conjuring and stage magic, and alternative medicine. Carrington became a member of the American Society for Psychical Research in 1907 and worked as an assistant to James Hyslop until 1908, during which time he established his reputation as an ASPR investigator. An important early case Carrington investigated and described was that of the medium Eusapia Palladino in 1908. Carrington and two companions went to Naples to see her on behalf of the English SPR, an experience which strengthened his belief in the reality of psychic phenomena. He described her in his 1909 book Eusapia Palladino and Her Phenomena, invited her to the US and helped arrange a tour for her. He detected her cheating at sittings, but also claimed she had genuine supernatural ability such as levitations of the table, movement of the curtains, movement of objects from behind the curtain and touches from hands.