# - Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan and Harry Houdini.

i) Series of eleven informal photographs of Doyle, Houdini and their families taken on the beach at Atlantic City, some inscribed on the reverse by Doyle's daughter-in-law, Princess Mdivani; each c.88 x 62mm.



ii) Typed letter signed by Houdini to Doyle, discussing the celebrated seance held that June with the Doyles in Atlantic City, at which his mother had purportedly communicated with him through the automatic writing of Lady Doyle; referring to the article he had written in the New York Sun deriding spiritualism; explaining why he had written the name of his friend Powell during the séance ("...although he never asked for any assistance, it was on my mind to financially aid him, he having been one of our star performers...when I was a struggling mystifier...All that was in my mind and I cannot make myself believe that my hand was guided by your friend. It was, in my estimation, a coincidence..."), and ending his letter with the hope that Doyle will accept it "in the same honest, good faith feeling as it was written", 1 page, 4to, headed stationery of 278 West 113th Street, New York, 18 December 1922

Charles Higham, The Adventures of Conan Doyle, 1976, pp.287-290; Martin Booth, A Biography of Arthur Conan Doyle, 1997, reprinted 1998, p.329

 

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate. If you require additional information we would recommend viewing the item during the exhibition or contacting one of the specialists for this sale.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

"....I was heartily in accord and in sympathy at the seance given by Lady Doyle, but the letter as received was written in the English language, and although my sainted mother lived in America fifty years, she could not read, write or speak English.
It required time to think this over because my emotions in trying to sense the presence of my mother, if there was such a thing possible, kept me quiet until I could give it the proper thought..."

The Atlantic City séance marked the climax of the friendship between Conan Doyle and Houdini. The latter had long been fascinated by Spiritualism, hoping to establish contact with his dead mother, and yet did not believe in its validity and attacked what he considered to be the deception practised by mediums. Conan Doyle, on the other hand, believed that Houdini's feats of escapology were achieved by the power of dematerialisation, and refused to believe Houdini's denials.

At the séance, during which Houdini showed extraordinary agitation, Jean Conan Doyle delivered herself, through automatic writing, of a long message, beginning: "Oh, my darling, thank God, at last I'm through. I've tried so often, oh so often -- now I am happy. Why, of course, I want to talk to my boy...Friends, thank you, with all my heart for this..." and continuing in a similar vein. Houdini secretly scribbled a note with a piece of pencil hidden under a fingernail: "Message written by Lady Doyle claiming the spirit of my Dear mother had controlled her hand -- my sainted Mother could not write English and spoke broken English". He then openly scribbled the name "Powell", that of his fellow magician, on a piece of paper; Doyle took it as a reference to his own friend Ellis Powell, of whose death he had heard only three days before. In order to spare the Doyles embarrassment and pain, Houdini made no public disavowal until after their departure from America, issuing a statement through the Bronx notary public on the day after the present letter was written.