Item Details
Hohmann's Lang Verborgener Freund, enthaltend Wunderbare und Heil-Mittel und Künste, für Menschen und Vieh. [The Long Lost Friend, or the Lost Hidden Friend].
Harrisburg, PA: Herausgegeben von Johann Georg Hohmann, Gebrucht bei Theo. F. Scheffer, c.[1856-1857]. Later Printing. Hardcover. Written by John George Hohman, The Long Hidden Friend first appeared in 1820 in German as Der Lange Verborgene Freund, appearing later in English as Pow-Wows; or, Long Lost Friend. It is as a result of this book that the Dutch Pennsylvania tradition of folk-magic known as "Pow-Wow" was established. "Pow-Wows" -- added to the third English-language edition -- brings to mind the 19th century American spiritualist movement, a religious revival in which trance mediums consulted the ghosts of ancestral and deceased relatives for advice. Originally an Anglo-Saxon offshoot of Protestant Christianity, spiritualism found ready acceptance among African-American slaves because it accorded with African religious beliefs regarding the spirits of the dead. It is a fascinating collection of traditional European folk-magical formulas for a wide range of spells, simple rituals, charms, talismans, bindings, prayers, benedictions, magical folk-healing, recipes and remedies for humans and animals as well as various non-magical remedies for matters of rural and domestic life." An extremely important collection of early American, German immigrant folk magick transcends both Christian and folk religious aspects of Pennsylvania life in the 19th century. This a true evolved American grimoire. [Translation of title: Long Hidden Friend, High Faithful and Christian Instruction for Everyone, Containing Wonderful and Proven Means and Arts, Both for Man and Beast.] Theodore Frederick Scheffer (1813-1883) was a native of Germany and as an apprentice learned the printer’s trade in Gustav Peters' firm. Peters died in 1847, and Scheffer inherited all the printing equipment. By 1856 Theo. F. Scheffer was by himself in the printing and book selling business. In 1863 Scheffer bought the Harrisburg building at 21 S. Second Street. Scheffer's firm which did bookbinding, publishing, printing, bookselling and engraving remained in this building until well after Scheffer's 1883 death. Small pocket size LVF, scarce in cloth boards, wonderful. Very Good+. Little shelfwear to extremities/head/tail, slight buckling to cloth, foxing throughout, light chipping, else tight, bright, and unmarred. Brown decorative stamped cloth with HochDeutsche gilt titling and insignia. Small 12mo. 110pp. index. Emboss to tp. Item #13040
Price: $350.00