Daniel Dunglas Home (pronounced 'Hume') (March 20, 1833 – June 21, 1886) was a
ScottishScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
Spiritualist, famous as a physical
mediumMediumship is supposedly a form of communication with spirits.It is a practice in religious beliefs such as Spiritualism, Spiritism, Espiritismo, Candomblé, Louisiana Voodoo, Shambala and Umbanda...
with the reported ability to levitate to a variety of heights, speak with the dead, and to produce rapping and knocks in houses at will.
When Home was young, he moved with his aunt and uncle from Scotland to America, where they lived in
ConnecticutConnecticut is a state in the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and New York to the west and south ....
. After becoming well-known he travelled to England in 1855, and conducted hundreds of
séancesA séance is an attempt to communicate with spirits. The word "séance" comes from the French word for "seat," "session" or "sitting," from the Old French "seoir," "to sit." In French, the word's meaning is quite general: one may, for example, speak of "une séance de cinéma"...
, which were attended by many of the best-known names of the
VictorianThe Victorian era of the United Kingdom was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from June 1837 until her death on the 22nd of January 1901. The reign was a long period of prosperity for the British people, as profits gained from the overseas British Empire, as well as from industrial improvements...
period.
There were speculations and one eyewitness account by Mr. F. Merrifield in the
Journal of Psychical Research describing the conjuring methods and fraud that Home employed. He died in France in 1886, and was buried in the St. Germain-en-Laye cemetery in Paris.
Family
Daniel Home's mother, Elizabeth ("Betsy") Home (née McNeill) was known as a
seerIn religion, a prophet is a person who has been contacted by, or has encountered, the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other humans...
in Scotland, as were many of her predecessors, like her great uncle Colin Uruqhart, and her uncle Mr. McKenzie. The gift of
second sightSecond sight is a form of extra-sensory perception whereby a person perceives information, in the form of vision, about future events before they happen...
was often seen as a
curseA curse is any expressed wish that some form of adversity or unhappiness will befall another person or persons. In particular, a wish that harm or hurt will be inflicted by any supernatural power, such as a spell, a prayer, an imprecation, an execration, magic, witchcraft, a god, a natural force,...
, as it foretold instances of tragedy and death. Home's father, William Home, was the illegitimate son of Alexander, the
10th Earl of HomeThe title Earl of Home was created in 1605 in the Peerage of Scotland for Alexander Home of that Ilk, who was already the 6th Lord Home....
. Evidence supports the elder Home's illegitimacy, as various payments meant for William were made by the 10th Earl. Elizabeth and William were married when he was 19-years-old, and found employment at the
Balerno paper millBalerno is a suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland situated 12 kilometres south west of the city centre, next to Juniper Green and Currie. Administratively, Balerno falls within the jurisdiction of the City of Edinburgh Council.- History :...
. The Homes moved into one of small houses built in the mill for the workforce, in
CurrieCurrie is a suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland, situated 10 kilometres south west of the city centre. A former village within the County of Midlothian, it lies to the south west of the city, between Juniper Green and Balerno on the Lanark Road...
(six miles south-west of Edinburgh). William was described as a "bitter, morose and unhappy man" who drank, and was often aggressive towards his wife. Elizabeth had eight children while living in the mill house: six sons and two daughters, although their lives were not fully recorded. The eldest, John, later worked in the Balerno mill and eventually managed a paper mill in Philadelphia, Mary drowned in a stream at 12-years-old in 1846, and Adam died at sea at the age of seventeen while on route to Greenland, which Home saw in a vision, and was confirmed five months later.
Early life
Daniel Home was Elizabeth's third child, and was born on 20 March 1833. He was baptised by the Reverend Mr. Somerville three weeks after his birth at Currie Parish Church(14 April 1833). The one-year-old Home was deemed a delicate child, having a "nervous temperament", and was passed to Elizabeth's childless sister, Mary Cook. She lived with her husband in the coastal town of
PortobelloPortobello is a beach resort located three miles to the east of the city centre of Edinburgh, along the coast of the Firth of Forth, in Scotland. It is now a suburb of Edinburgh, with a promenade fronting on to the wide sand beach...
, east of Edinburgh. It was at the Cook's house that Home's cradle rocked by itself and the infant had a vision of a cousin's death, who lived in
LinlithgowLinlithgow is a former Royal Burgh in West Lothian, Scotland. Those born in Linlithgow are sometimes nicknamed Black Bitches, and the town's coat of arms shows a black dog, chained to an oak tree, which grows on an island. Linlithgow's patron saint is Saint Michael and its motto is St...
, to the west of Edinburgh.
America
Sometime between 1838 and 1841, Home's aunt and uncle decided to emigrate to the United States with their adopted son, sailing in the cheapest class of
steerageSteerage refers to the lowest decks of a ship. This area of the ship was once used to accommodate passengers travelling on the cheapest class of ticket, and offered only the most basic amenities, typically with limited toilet use, no privacy, and poor food...
as they could not afford a cabin. After landing in New York, the Cooks travelled to
GreenevilleSeveral neighborhoods of Norwich, Connecticut maintain independent identities and are recognized by official signs marking their boundaries.Norwich has these neighborhoods :- Bean Hill :...
, near
Norwich, ConnecticutNorwich, known as "The Rose of New England," is a city in, and former county seat of, New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 36,117 at the 2000 census...
. The
red-hairedRed hair varies from a deep orange-red through burnt orange to bright copper. It is characterized by high levels of the reddish pigment pheomelanin and relatively low levels of the dark pigment eumelanin. People with red hair are often referred to as redheads.Approximately 1% to 2% of the human...
and
freckleFreckles are clusters of concentrated melanin which are most often visible on people with a fair complexion. A freckle is also called an "ephelis."-Biology:...
d Home attended school in Greeneville, where he was known as "Scotchy" by the other students. 13-years-old Home did not join in sports games with other boys, preferring to take walks in the local woods with a friend called Edwin. The two boys read the Bible to each other and told stories, and made a pact stating that if one or the other were to die, they would try and make contact after death. Home and his aunt soon moved to Troy, NY, which is about from Greeneville, although Home in his own book stated it was away. Home lost contact with Edwin until one night when Home, according to Lamont, saw a brightly lit vision of him standing at the foot of the bed, which gave Home the feeling that his friend was dead. Edwin made three circles in the air before disappearing, and a few days later a letter arrived stating that Edwin had died of malignant
dysenteryDysentery is an inflammatory disorder of the intestine, especially of the colon, that results in severe diarrhea containing mucus and/or blood in the feces. If left untreated, dysentery can be fatal....
, which was three days before Home's vision.
A few years later Home and his aunt returned to Greeneville, and Elizabeth Home emigrated from Scotland to America with the surviving members of the family to live in
Waterford, ConnecticutWaterford is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. It is named after Waterford, Ireland. The population was 19,152 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
, which was away from the Cook's house. Home and his mother's reunion was short-lived, as Elizabeth foretold her own death in 1850. This was also confirmed by Home, as he saw his mother in a vision saying, "Dan, twelve o'clock", which was the time of her death. After Elizabeth's death Home turned to religion. His aunt was a Presbyterian, and held the
CalvinistCalvinism is a theological system and an approach to the Christian life...
view that one's fate has been decided, so Home embraced the
WesleyanThe Wesleyan Church is a Holiness Methodist Christian denomination in the United States, Canada, South Africa, Namibia and Australia. The Church is part of the Holiness Movement and has roots in the teachings of John Wesley...
faith, which believed that every soul can be saved. Home's aunt resented Wesleyans so much that she forced Home to change to Congregationalist, which was not to her liking, either, but was more in line with her own religion. The house was then disturbed by rappings and knocking similar to those that occurred two years earlier at the home of the
Fox sistersThe Fox sisters were three women from New York who played an important role in the creation of Spiritualism, the religious movement. The three sisters were Kate Fox , Leah Fox and Margaret Fox .-Hydesville events:In 1848, the two younger sisters – Kate and Margaret – were living in a...
. Ministers were called to the Cook's house: a Baptist, a Congregationalist, and even a Wesleyan minister, who all believed that Home was possessed by the Devil, although Home believed it was a gift from God. The knocking did not stop however, and a table started to move by itself, even though Home's aunt put a bible on it and then placed her full body weight on it. As the noises did not stop, and were attracting the unwanted attention of Cook's neighbours, Home was told to leave the house.
Fame
The eighteen-year-old Home stayed with a friend in Willimantic, Connecticut, and later
Lebanon, ConnecticutLebanon is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 6,907 at the 2000 census. The town lies just to the northwest of Norwich, north of New London, and east of Hartford...
. Home held his first séance in March 1851, which was reported in a Hartford newspaper managed by W. R. Hayden, who wrote that the table moved without anyone touching it, and kept moving when Hayden physically tried to stop it. After the newspaper report, Home became well-known in
New EnglandNew England is a region of the United States. It is located at the northeastern corner of the US, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, Canada and the state of New York, consisting of the modern U.S...
, travelling around healing the sick and communicating with the dead, although he wrote that he was not prepared for this sudden change in his life because of his supposed shyness.
Home never directly asked for money, although he lived very well on gifts, donations and lodging from wealthy admirers. He felt that he was on a "mission to demonstrate immortality", and wished to interact with his clients as one gentleman to another, rather than as an employee. In 1852, Home was a guest at the house of Rufus Elmer in
Springfield, MassachusettsSpringfield is the largest city on the Connecticut River and the county seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States.In the 2000 census, the city population was 154,082. It is the third largest city in Massachusetts and fourth largest in New England...
, giving séances six or seven times a day, which were visited by crowds of people, including a Harvard professor, David Wells, and the poet and editor of the New York Evening Post,
William Cullen BryantWilliam Cullen Bryant was an American romantic poet, journalist, and long-time editor of the New York Evening Post.-Youth and education:...
. They were all convinced of Home's credibility and wrote to the
Springfield Republican-Beginning:Established by Samuel Bowles in 1824 as a rural weekly, it was converted into a daily in 1844 by Samuel Bowles . From the beginning it had a focus on local news. As rapidly as possible its news-gathering was extended until within a few years its columns contained departments of items...
newspaper stating that the room was well-lit, full inspections were allowed, and said, "We know that we were not imposed upon nor deceived". It was also reported that at one of Home's demonstrations five men of heavy build (eight hundred and fifty pounds together) sat on a table, but it still moved, and others saw "a tremulous phosphorescent light gleam over the walls". Home was investigated by numerous people, such as Professor
Robert HareRobert Hare was an early American chemist.Hare was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on January 17, 1781. He developed and experimented with the oxy-hydrogen blowpipe, with Edward Daniel Clarke of Oxford, shortly after 1800. He married Harriett Clark and had six children...
, the inventor of the oxy-hydrogen blowpipe, and John Worth Edmonds, a
Supreme CourtA supreme court is in some jurisdictions the highest judicial body within that jurisdiction's court system, whose rulings are not subject to further review by another court. The designations for such courts differ among jurisdictions...
judge, who were sceptical, but later said they believed Home was not fraudulent.
Home's breakthrough came in August 1852, in
South ManchesterManchester is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 54,740.- History :...
, Connecticut, at the house of Ward Cheney, a successful silk manufacturer. Home was seen to levitate twice and then rise to up to the ceiling, with louder rappings and knocking than ever before, more aggressive table movements and the sounds of a ship at sea in a storm, although persons present said that the room was badly lit so as to see the spirit lights.
New York was now interested in Home's abilities, so he moved to an apartment at Bryant Park on 42nd street. His most verbal critic in New York was
William Makepeace ThackerayWilliam Makepeace Thackeray was an English novelist of the 19th century. He was famous for his satirical works, particularly Vanity Fair, a panoramic portrait of English society.-Biography:...
, the author of 'Vanity Fair'. Thackeray dismissed Home's abilities as "dire humbug", and "dreary and foolish superstition", although Thackeray had been impressed when he saw a table turning. Home thought that Thackeray was "the most sceptical inquirer" he had ever met, and as Thackeray made public his thoughts, Home faced public scepticism and further scrutiny. Home travelled between Hartford, Springfield, and
BostonBoston is the capital and largest city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is considered the economic and cultural center of the region and is sometimes regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England"...
during the next few months, and settled in
NewburghNewburgh is a city located in Orange County, New York, 60 miles north of New York City, and south of Albany, on the Hudson River. The population was 28,259 at the 2000 census. Figures released by the U. S. Census Bureau in late June 2009 estimated that the population at that time was 28,101...
by the
Hudson RiverThe Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. It rises at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains, flows past Albany, and finally forms the border between New York City and New Jersey at its mouth before emptying into...
in the summer of 1853. He resided at the Theological Institute, but took no part in any of the theological discussions held there, as he wanted to take a course in medicine. Dr. Hull funded Home's studies, and offered to pay Home five dollars a day for his séances, but Home refused, as always. His idea was to fund his work with a legitimate salary by practicing medicine, but he became ill in early 1854, and stopped his studies. Home was diagnosed with
TuberculosisTuberculosis is a common and often deadly infectious disease caused by mycobacteria...
, and his doctors recommended recuperation in Europe. His last séance was in March 1855, in Hartford, Connecticut, before he travelled to Boston and sailed to England on board the
Africa, at the end of March.
Europe
Home's name was originally
Daniel Home, but by the time he arrived in Europe he had lengthened it to
Daniel Dunglas Home, in reference to the Scottish house of Home, of which his father claimed to be a part. In London Home found a believer in
spiritualismSpiritualism is a monotheistic belief system or religion, postulating a belief in God, but the distinguishing feature is belief that spirits of the dead can be contacted, either by individuals or by gifted or trained "mediums", who can provide information about the afterlife.Spiritualism developed...
, William Cox, who owned a large hotel at 53, 54 and 55 Jermyn Street, London. As Cox was so enamoured of Home's abilities, he let Home stay at the hotel without payment.
Robert OwenRobert Owen , born in Newtown, Montgomeryshire, Wales was a social reformer and one of the founders of socialism and the cooperative movement.Owen's philosophy was based on three intellectual pillars:...
, an 83-year-old social reformer, was also staying at the hotel, and introduced Home to many of his friends in London society.
At the time Home described as tall and thin, with blue eyes and auburn hair, fastidiously dressed but seriously ill with consumption. Nevertheless, he held sittings for notable people in full daylight, moving objects that were some distance away. Some early guests at Home's sittings included the scientist Sir David Brewster, the novelists Sir Edward Bulwer-Lytton and
Thomas Adolphus TrollopeThomas Adolphus Trollope was born in Bloomsbury, London on 29 April, 1810, the eldest son of Thomas Anthony & Frances Trollope . He was educated at Harrow School and Winchester College...
, and the
Swedenborgian James John Garth WilkinsonJames John Garth Wilkinson , was a Swedenborgian writer.The son of James John Wilkinson , a writer on mercantile law and judge of the County Palatine of Durham, he was born in London. He studied medicine, and set up as a homoeopathic doctor in Wimpole Street in 1834...
. Home converted most sceptics, but
Robert BrowningRobert Browning was an English poet and milly playwright whose mastery of dramatic verse, especially dramatic monologues, made him one of the foremost Victorian poets.-Early years:...
, the poet, proved more difficult. After attending a séance of Home's Browning gave his impression of Home in the unflattering poem, "Sludge the Medium" (1864). His wife,
Elizabeth Barrett BrowningElizabeth Barrett Browning was one of the most prominent poets of the Victorian era. Her poetry was widely popular in both England and the United States during her lifetime...
, was convinced that the phenomena she witnessed was genuine and their discussions about Home were a constant source of disagreement.
Home's fame grew, fuelled by his feats of levitation.
William CrookesSir William cookies, OM, FRS was a chemist and physicist who attended the Royal College of Chemistry, in London, and worked on spectroscopy.He was pioneer of vacuum tubes, inventing the Crookes tube.-Early years:...
claimed to know of more than 50 occasions in which Home levitated "in good light" (gas light) at least five to seven feet above the floor. Homes' feats were recorded by
Frank PodmoreFrank Podmore was an English author, founding member of the Fabian Society, and writer on psychic matters.-Life:...
: "We all saw him rise from the ground slowly to a height of about six inches, remain there for about ten seconds, and then slowly descend." In the following years Home travelled across continental Europe, and always as a guest of wealthy patrons. In Paris, he was summoned to the Tuileries to perform a séance for Napoleon III. Home also performed for
Queen SophiaQueen Sophia may refer to:*Sofia of Bavaria , Queen of Bohemia*Sophia of Halshany , Queen of Poland*Sophia of Prussia, queen consort of Greece*Queen Sofía of Spain...
of the Netherlands, who wrote: "I saw him four times...I felt a hand tipping my finger; I saw a heavy golden bell moving alone from one person to another; I saw my handkerchief move alone and return to me with a knot... He himself is a pale, sickly, rather handsome young man but without a look or anything which would either fascinate or frighten you. It is wonderful. I am so glad I have seen it..."
In 1866, Mrs Lyon, a wealthy widow, adopted Home as her son, giving him £60,000 in an attempt to gain introduction into high society. Finding that the adoption did not change her social situation, Lyon changed her mind, and brought a suit for the return of her money from Home on the grounds that it had been obtained by spiritual influence. Under British law, the defendant bears the burden of proof in such a case, and proof was impossible since there was no physical evidence. The case was decided against Home, Mrs Lyon's money was returned, and the press pilloried Home's reputation. Home's high society acquaintances thought that he behaved like a complete gentleman throughout the ordeal, and he did not lose a single important friend.
Home met one of his future closest friends in 1867; the young Lord Adare (later the 4th Earl of Dunraven). Adare was fascinated by Home, and began documenting the seances they held. One of Home's levitations occurred the following year, and in front of three witnesses (Adare, Captain Wynne, and Lord Lindsay) Home was said to have levitated out of the third storey window of one room, and back in through the window of the adjoining room.
Home married twice. His Best man was the writer Alexandre Dumas. In 1858, he married Alexandria de Kroll, the 17-year-old daughter of a noble Russian family. They had a son, Gregoire, but Alexandria fell ill with tuberculosis, and died in 1862. In October 1871, Home married for the second, and last time, to Julie de Gloumeline, a wealthy Russian, whom he met in St Petersburg. In the process, he converted to the
Greek OrthodoxThe Orthodox Church, also officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to in English speaking countries as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the world's second largest Christian communion, estimated to number 225 million members...
faith. At the age of 38, Home retired, as his health was bad – the tuberculosis, from which he had suffered for most of his life, was advancing –and his powers, he claimed, were failing. He died on the 21 June 1886, and was buried in the St. Germain-en-Laye cemetery.
Acceptance and criticism
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle stated that Home was unusual in that he had four different types of mediumship:
direct voice (the ability to let spirits audibly speak);
trance speaker (the ability to let spirits speak through oneself);
clairvoyant (ability to see things that are out of view); and
physical medium (moving objects at a distance, levitation, etc., which was the type of mediumship had no equal). Home was suspicious of any medium who claimed powers he himself did not possess, particularly the
materializing mediums (such as the
Eddy BrothersThe Eddy Brothers were Wiliam and Horatio Eddy, best-known in the 1870s, who claimed psychic powers.It was claimed that their family could be traced back to the Salem witch trials, and that they had a long history of psychic ability...
), who claimed the ability to produce solid spirit forms, and he marked these as fraudulent. Since materializing mediums always work in darkened places, Home urged that all séances be held in the light. Home, in his 1877 book
Lights and Shadows of Spiritualism, detailed the conjuring tricks employed by false mediums.
Lord Adare stated that Home "swung out and in" of a window in a horizontal position. "He [Home] came in [through the window] again, feet foremost, and we returned to the other room. It was so dark I could not see clearly how he was supported" [outside of the three story window]. Podmore recorded that Home had a constant companion that sat opposite of him during his séances. A lady acted as a medium and used to help Home during the seances attended by Henrietta Ada Ward. Between 1870 and 1873, Crookes conducted experiments to determine the validity of the phenomena produced by three mediums: Florence Cook,
Kate FoxThe Fox sisters were three women from New York who played an important role in the creation of Spiritualism, the religious movement. The three sisters were Kate Fox , Leah Fox and Margaret Fox .-Hydesville events:In 1848, the two younger sisters – Kate and Margaret – were living in a...
, and Home. Crookes' final report in 1874 concluded that the phenomena produced by all three mediums were genuine, a result which was roundly derided by the scientific establishment. Crookes recorded that he controlled and secured Home by placing his feet on the top of Home's feet. Crooke's method of foot control later proved inadequate when used with
Eusapia PalladinoEusapia Palladino was a Spiritualist medium from Naples, Italy.In Italy, France, Germany, Poland and Russia, Palladino seemed to display extraordinary powers in the dark: levitating and elongating herself, "apporting" flowers, materializing the dead, producing spirit hands and faces in wet clay,...
, as she merely slipped her foot out and in of her sturdy shoe. Alexander von Boutlerow, Professor of Chemistry at the University of St. Petersburg and Home's brother-in-law, also obtained positive results in his tests of Home.
Frank PodmoreFrank Podmore was an English author, founding member of the Fabian Society, and writer on psychic matters.-Life:...
and
Milbourne ChristopherMilbourne Christopher was one of America's foremost illusionists, performing in sixty-eight countries.He wrote more than twenty books, was national president of the Society of American Magicians , and was an honorary vice-president to the London Magic Circle...
provide a source of speculation on the ways in which Home could have duped his sitters. Some testimony suggests that Home often conducted his demonstrations in dim light. For example, there is this report from a witness: "The room was very dark...Home's hands were visible only as a faint white heap". The light conditions during Home's most famous feat of levitation were disputed, but some witnesses recorded that it was quite dark. Gordon Stein speculated on the deception of Crookes' testing devices (with diagrams) and gave a third-hand account of Home being caught with a vial of oil of Phosporus. During a Crookes test when Home "is not touching with his hands." there are objects just lying beneath his hands that his fingertips are touching, a small match box and a small bell. The measuring arm of Crookes' gauge does not exactly "move." It trembles. It was reported by sitters and Crookes Home's accordion played only two pieces,
Home Sweet Home and
The Last Rose of Summer. Both contain only one-octave. Home played his accordion with only one hand beneath a table.
James RandiJames Randi is a stage magician and scientific skeptic best known as a challenger of paranormal claims and pseudoscience. Randi is the founder of the James Randi Educational Foundation...
stated that Home was caught cheating on a few occasions, but the episodes were never made public, and that the accordion Home is supposed to have played was a
one-octave mouth organThe harmonica is a free reed wind instrument which is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes. The pressure caused by blowing or drawing air into the reed chambers causes a reed or multiple reeds to vibrate up and down creating sound...
that Home concealed under his large moustache. Randi writes that one-octave mouth organs were found in Home's belongings after his death. According to Randi 'around 1960'
William Lindsay GreshamWilliam Lindsay Gresham was an American novelist and non-fiction author particularly regarded among readers of noir. His best-known work is Nightmare Alley , which was adapted into a 1947 film starring Tyrone Power.- Biography :Gresham was born in Baltimore, Maryland...
told Randi he had seen these mouth organs in the Home collection at the Society for Psychical Research. Eric Dingwall
who catalogued Home's collection on its arrival at the SPR does not record the presence of the mouth organs. It is unlikely Dingwall would have missed these or did not make them public.
Further reading
- Mediums, Mystics and the Occult by Milbourne Christopher
Milbourne Christopher was one of America's foremost illusionists, performing in sixty-eight countries.He wrote more than twenty books, was national president of the Society of American Magicians , and was an honorary vice-president to the London Magic Circle...
, Thomas Crowell, 1975
- Learned Pigs and Fireproof Women by Ricky Jay
Richard Jay "Ricky" Potash , better known by the stage name Ricky Jay, is an American stage magician, actor, and writer. He is a sleight-of-hand expert and is notable for his card tricks, card throwing, memory feats, and stage patter.-Biography:Jay was born in Brooklyn, New York to a middle class...
, Villard Books, 1987; See pages 37–42, Photos on page 40.
- Revelations of a Spirit Medium by Harry Price and Eric J. Dingwall, Arno Press, 1975 reprint of 1891 edition by Charles F. Pidgeon. This rare, overlooked, and forgotten, book gives the "insider's knowledge" of 19th century deceptions
- Ghost Hunters: William James and the Search for Scientific Proof of Life After Death by Deborah Blum, Penguin Press, 2006; Briefly discusses Home's career and the scientific investigation of his abilities, in the larger context of the 19th century and the scientific inquiry into life beyond death.
External links