Mina Crandon
Mina "Margery" Crandon (1888-1941) was the wife of a wealthy Boston surgeon and socialite, Dr. Le Roi Goddard Crandon. She attempted to win a prize offered by Scientific American magazine for showing authentic telekinetic ability. Margery appeared honest in the public eye and was supported by the educated upper class of Boston and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. She was so popular nationwide that her prayers were read by the US Army. The prize committee consisted of William McDougall, professor of psychology at Harvard, Harry Houdini, the famous professional conjurer (magician) and escape artist, Walter Franklin Prince, American psychical researcher, Dr. Daniel Fisk Comstock, who introduced technicolor to film, and Hereward Carrington, amateur conjurer, author, and sponsor for the Italian medium Eusapia Palladino.
Only Carrington voted in favor of Mina. Member Harry Houdini duplicated and explained her skills before the Scientific American committee and published a pamphlet exposing her methods. Later Houdini would present her effects on stage using different methods. Joseph Banks Rhine refused to test her. An English teacher, Grant Code, a visitor to the Crandon home, became enthralled by Mina's later astonishing performances, they improved, and learned how to duplicate them. Code's exchange of letters with Walter Franklin Prince are in the archives of the ASPR.
Mina's amazing production of the teleplasmic hand has never been fully explained. Yet it was touched and recognized, as being without life or movement, and resembling sewn tracheae. Some conjuring historians of Houdini and medium-ship suggest that Mina's surgeon husband altered her vagina and this is where she concealed her teleplasmic hand as she performed in the nude. She refused to wear tights, and refused to be internally searched. However, there was never any proof that she had been surgically altered. Mina had one son by her first husband, Earl Rand. Her son was later adopted by Leroy Crandon. The Crandons had no other children. (Tietze, 1973 & Christopher, 1975)
Mina was finally discredited when a fingerprint left on wax ostensibly by her channelled spirit was discovered to belong to Mina's dentist.
The book "Inamorata" by Joseph Gangemi is based upon this event, using Mina as one of the main characters.
References
- Margery by Thomas R. Tietze, Harper & Row, New York, 1973
- Mediums, Mystics & the Occult by Milbourne Christopher, Thomas Crowell, 1975. See the chapter Margery- The Boston Medium. There are photos of the alleged teleplasmic hand and its position on page 237. It appears to be coming from Mina's groin. See: http://www.forteantimes.com/gallery/seance.shtml Compare this with other photos
- History.net article
- PBS article
- Library of Congress Archives of newspaper articles regarding Houdini and Mina Crandon
"Houdini" by Kenneth Silverman, Harper Collins Publishers, New York, 1996.
"Final Seance" by Massimo Polidoro, Prometheus Books, New York, 2001. "Secrets of the Psychics" by Massimo Polidoro, Prometheus Books, New York, 2003.
"The Secret Life of Houdini," by Kalush and Sloman, Atria Books, New York, 2006.