Item Details
John George Hohman's Long Lost Friend or Pow-wows.
[Pennsylvania]: Lewis de Claremont, ca.1930. New Lewis de Claremont. Original Wraps. 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. Usual early 20th century copy with illustrations of wizards.
Lewis de Claremont, also spelled Louis de Clermont, was the pseudonym of an American author on occultism who flourished during the 1930s.
Books attributed to de Claremont include 7 Steps to Power, 7 Keys to Success, The Ancient's Book of Magic, The Ancient Book of Formulas, and Legends of Incense, Herb, and Oil Magic. Although authorship of his writings was claimed by the publisher Joseph Kay (Joseph Spitalnick) for purposes of copyright renewal, this claim has been easily disproved, and it is speculated that the author was also the proprietor of the Oracle Products Company, a spiritual supply house specializing in African-American hoodoo goods in New York City, who also used the name Mr. Young. Under the name Mr. Young, he may also have been the ghost-writer of the "autobiography" of Benjamin Rucker, an African-American stage magician professionally known as Black Herman. Good in Wraps. Light/moderate shelf/edge wear, consistent foxing throughout, chipping to wrappers, else tight, bright, and unbarred. White, red, black and wrappers with portrait image. 8vo. 94pp. Illus. (b/w). Pirate editions. Item #13697
Price: $375.00