[Rarebooks] FS: Lincoln Steffens's Autobiography INSCRIBED to Famous Psychic

[Charles Agvent]

STEFFENS, Lincoln. THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF LINCOLN STEFFENS. New York: 
Harcourt, Brace and Company, (1931). First Edition. Fifth Printing. 
Complete in one volume, illustrated. Superbly INSCRIBED and SIGNED by 
Steffens, filling the front pastedown, to wealthy Boston surgeon and 
socialite, Dr. Le Roi Goddard Crandon, and his wife, Mina "Margery" 
Crandon, perhaps the most famous psychic medium of her time who claimed 
that she channeled her dead brother, Walter Stinson. In addition, a 
typescript of a letter from Steffens is pasted on the front endpaper 
opposite the inscription which transcribes Steffens's somewhat difficult 
handwriting. The inscription reads in full: "To L. R. G. and Margery 
Crandon, & to/Walter, my old friends:/You, Crandon, you know all of 
this, you are/of some of it, as I am a part of your unwritten/Life, & of 
Margery's, & Walter's. That I may/say, may I not? And surely I may sat 
that/we, all four of us old friends -- we have looked/& looked again, at 
life, & at death, too, trying/to see clear through to the quiet 
smile/that is back of & before it. At any rate, you/three will 
understand perfectly why it is that/mine is a smiling tale./Yours 
affectionately/Lincoln Steffens/Carmel, California/March, 1932." Very 
Good in a soiled, edgeworn, near Good dustwrapper, the front flap 
detached but present.

Margery Crandon became well known as her alleged paranormal skills were 
touted by Sherlock Holmes author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and were 
disproved by legendary magician Harry Houdini. Crandon was investigated 
by members of the American Society for Psychical Research and employees 
of Scientific American who concluded that she had no genuine paranormal 
ability and likely was involved in outright deception. (#020258)        
$1,000

https://www.charlesagvent.com/pages/books/020258/lincoln-steffens/the-autobiography-of-lincoln-steffens

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