A Magician Among the Spirits.

First edition of this classic work. Octavo, original cloth, top stain yellow, frontispiece of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Houdini, illustrated. Association copy, inscribed and dated by fellow magician Oscar Teale on the front free endpaper, "With compliments to Lester A. Grimes from his friend Oscar S. Teale Sep. 9th 1924." Oscar Teale was a magician, lecturer, and historian of magic whose work bridged performance, scholarship, and the preservation of conjuring as a serious cultural practice. He served as the private secretary to Harry Houdini during the final years of Houdini’s life, a position that granted him direct access to the magician’s professional correspondence, research, and anti-spiritualist investigations, and later informed Teale’s influential role in preserving and interpreting Houdini’s legacy. The recipient, Lester A. Grimes was a longtime chief engineer (twenty-five years) for the Reliable Automatic Sprinkler Company in Mount Vernon He designed and patented numerous fire-prevention devices, most notably the “Grimes Sprinkler,” an automatic fire-prevention system installed in many offices. Active in the Society of American Magicians—where he was known as the “paper wizard” for folding and restoration feats with torn newspapers—he also appeared with Houdini and others at the old Hippodrome in a World War I benefit, and he maintained a large puzzle collection, including designs of his own, alongside membership in the Magic Guild. In very good condition. An exceptional association.