Gordon, Henry C. (ca. 1850)

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Gordon, Henry C. (ca. 1850)

One of the earliest American physical mediums to claim to demonstrate levitation. At a New York conference on June 18, 1852, he seemed to levitate in the crowded assembly room; at another time he was apparently carried through the air over a distance of 60 feet. Gordon was scientifically tested by Robert Hare in 1853 and demonstrated to Hare's satisfaction the existence of a psychic force.

Gordon was several times accused of fraud, however. He was exposed at a New York séance when he was discovered in the cabinet with faces painted on cardboard, luminous cloth, and other fraudulent properties.

Sources:

Hare, Robert. Experimental Investigation of the Spirit Manifestations. 1854. Reprint, Elm Grove, Wis.: Sycamore Press, 1963.

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