If we look through the annuals of history especially at mentalism there is a name that is almost forgotten I have not seen it mentioned on TM before and it think it should be. The name of Anna Eva Fay or as John Maskelyne put it “.
Picture the scene the spiritualist movement was only about 10 years old a few years latter some one would come along and change all that. A woman none the less Born Ann Eliza Heathman in Ohio 1851. My internet researches cant find much about her. Yet she seems a fascinating woman a rare thing even now days a female Mentalist.
She married Melvin Fay was a self proclaimed medium and a well documented fraud. I have no idea what one of them decided to become stage mediums/mentalist. From my readings she was a celebrity of the sort of calibre that on a par of Rock stars today, she turned many a head so they say.
Quick note on Melvin Fay he would change his act to suit the audience if they wanted a medium he was a medium. If they wanted a great debunker he was one of them too.
And now we move on to the act a sort of Davenport brothers one person spirit cabinet act.
The act "The Indescribable Phenomenon" :
Sitting on a stool with a long back in a spirit cabinet , having her hands bound by volunteers selected by her husband Melvin , once her hands and feet was take care of . This is the interesting thing for me she would have a some cloth placed around he neck and it nailed to the back post. Her husband then would put her in to a “hypnotic” trance. After that the usual spirit cabinet stuff would happen after the curtain was drawn. Including music playing and loop ending up round her neck. The most interesting thing in the whole act to me is was that a pair of scissors would be placed on a lap and a piece of paper. Curtain would be drawn and chain of paper dolls would be shown when the curtain was opened. The big finish was that of a Knife placed on Anna’s lap and then curtain closed. When opened she was found to have had her bonds cut.
What gets me though, all though a “medium” act they never really claimed it to be the work of spirits (Like the brothers Davenport) so much so in fact they included mentalism tricks of the day as well a Spirit Dancing Handkerchief, a Rapping Hand and a Levitation.
Falkenstein & Willard still do a close rendition of the Indescribable Phenomenon from what I understand and here they are doing it on the Paul Daniels show :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbPfK6K7LJE
Washington Irving Bishop a name all mentalist should know apparently worked for her too and when he left the show. Bishop took her secrets and used them himself before exposing them to the then media.
Amongst her detractors she counted J.N Masklyne as one amongst many. On the other hand Houdini called her “a very clever medium” she was also known to rub shoulders with Keller and Thurston which is pretty impressive.
So a medium who wasn’t a medium but a mentalist doing medium type stunts. Must have caused a bit of a stir back in the early days of spiritualism but I think I am sure you will agree all mentalist have a small debt to pay to her.
So a woman who was born 150 odd years ago must be dead by now, Nope shes still with us today...Only joking. she died in 1927
I am master of misdirection, look over there.
We are not falling out young Welshy, we are debating, I think farlsy is an idiot he thinks I am one. We are just talking about who is the bigger idiot.
Vincere Aut Mort