I'm wondering if anyone knows if Alexander was the first mind reader to wear a turban in performance or was that swami look already established? Anybody know the origins of mentalists wearing turbans?

This is not an informed answer to your question, but the widest viewed and most memorable psychic character with a turban was Johnny Carson's "Carnac the Magnificent."

George

Alexander clearly had his turban in 1915, and the look was reflected in Hollywood films of the 1930s and 1940s. I'm curious if use of the turban in performance predated the use of the telephone / wired speakers? My guess is that the that it does not, but I would love to know who was the first...

Erm..

Ancient Indian fakirs and swami's.

Then the west stole the look.

Yes, I realize the origin of the look, but do we know who was the first western mind-reader to don a turban? Is there record of anyone predating Alexander?

In other words, were the robes and turban an established mind-reader/swami look for western performers in 1915? Do we know of any swamis or fakirs performing a mind-reading act in the west? Was this look already established and common for mind-reading characters in opera or literature? Or was Alexander's costume an original look for a crystal gazing act for western audiences?

I am just not aware of any mind-reading acts prior to 1915 that used that costume.

I'm curious if the idea originates from the writings of William Atkinson who wrote PRACTICAL PSYCHOMANCY AND CRYSTAL GAZING in 1908. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/43954/43954-h/43954-h.htm Atkinson was later a ghost writer for Alexander.

Digging around a little, it seems that Atkinson started writing his "New Thought" writings after the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago 1893. His writings after 1900 devoted a great deal of effort to the diffusion of yoga and Oriental occultism in the West. I assume that these writings may have provided the inspiration for Alexander's stage persona and crystal gazing act. We know Alexander knew Atkinson as they collaborated in the 1920s.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Walker_Atkinson

So, I guess I answered my own question. Atkinson's writings would explain why the crystal gazing act seems to have originated between 1900-1915 and why a turban would have been a natural choice of costume.

If anyone is aware of any other 'mentalism' act performing on stage in a turban prior to Alexander in 1915, I'd love to know. Otherwise I assume that it originated with him.

There is Samri Baldwin "the white mahatma" : http://deadconjurers.blogspot.com/2011/0......tma.html

If I recall clealy, he stole his stage name from another mentalism but it should get you to the correct decade.

Bob Cassidy talks a little about some of the "white mahatmas" in his wonderful Q&A Masterclass. Apparently there were several.

Samri Baldwin was quite a bit older than Alexander, he began performing (and changed his name from Samuel) in the mid to late 1860s, so I would imagine that he was using the turban look earlier than Alexander.

That link credits Samri with the creation of the Q and A act. I’m curious to know if that’s an established Thing.

I think he was the first magician/mentalist to do it. I think Anna Eva Fay and some mediums did it before him, though I could be wrong.

Missing Bob Cassidy right about now.

Edit: according to this article, Anna Eva Fay actually borrowed the Q&A from Baldwin:

http://www.themagicdetective.com/2011/09......fay.html

Thanks. I’m missing Bob also. For those looking into Q&A, Bob Cassidy’s video from Penguin is fantastic. Question for the community. Who living today would be able to speak most knowledgably about the history of Q & A?

possibly luke jermay…and ed fowler too...

Jerome Finley, Paul Voodiny

For a thorough history of the Q&A act see John Riggs' Compleat Fortune Teller book series.

I expect Max Maven has thoroughly studied this history.

The question you should be asking is why a performer would be wearing a turban in America and Europe and what history events would bring this choice about? As this may be one of the foundations as to why this image became so popular. Alexander and Fay Baldwin are a bit late on the time line. Hint something similar happened when Carter and Carnarvon had an effect on popular culture as related to themes of mentalism.

MCL, why are mentalist performers wearing a turban in America and Europe during the 19th and early 20th centuries? What are they making reference too? What happened with Carter and Carnarvon? And if you’re keen not to explain could you point these questions in some direction please.

Thanks for the thoughts on whom to talk to everyone.

Okay follow this and you may see how popular culture influences the look and appearance on magic props. In this case we will look at general magic props prior to November 1922 Egyptian themed shows and props did not exist for the most part and the ones that did had a very different look to them. They also were not that good looking and had even weird names that really did not fit with the props. It was not till an important archaeological discovery of an a intact tomb from ancient Egypt by Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon would captivate the imagination of the world. After the discover much of the arts would have an Egyptian theme.

Soon after a lot of the magic effect would also carry titles and themes of Egyptian motifs. This would continue for decades and was a favorite them of U F Grant Thayer and P&L.

This was because Egypt became at that point a land of mystery the same way the Far East and India did before this discover. Mysterious land add contect to otherwise mundane effects and ideas.

In mentalism for example many effects also followed pop culture such as The Seven Keys to Baldpate which was a very popular play by George Cohan from 1913. When Ted A used it for his lock and key effect the play gave the context and back story to this type of effect do to pop culture. In other words it gave the audience something they could relate with to experience the strange phenomena.

Now a 100 years later that original connection context and subsidence impact has been of the effect has been lost or diminished in to a non contextual bally who of look how cleaver I am where at one time it actually had related mystery to something else that was going on at the time. Remember most people have at this time had no idea what anything psychic mind related was therefore additional related constructs were needed for entertainment value. The same thing could be said today although do in part to radio and TV these concepts became a bit more known to the general public. This is also why performers used imps and devils in there advertising as people only knew what they were taught in the churches. Many early performed where said to have obtained their powers from the devil. They used this context to fill the seats. It also helped in forced what the people believed so therefor it was somewhat spiritual in nature and easy for them to digest while still mysterious and entertaining.

In the case of the magicians they would also capitalize on these types of events because that what people were wanting to see because of the press was covering these stories. This aspect also point to clear and definable trends in mentalism history. Who wore the first turban is only a footnote while interesting there is a much larger picture that should be examined when one studies the history of this stuff.

And yes the traditional Q and A act and I mean traditional style is making a reappearance in the market place and is current sell out small venues. Which may be for nostalgia or historical interest of the theater audiences but nevertheless this type of thing is making its comeback and will gain momentum.

Also in the DVD for sale section I have a couple out of print dvds on this Q&A subject up for sale as I downsizing my collection to make room for other things. If you what to actually learn this type of act these dvds are a good place to start. Plus there a hard to find Koran audio from Breese up too which is packed with interesting stuff from Al. Plus some other stuff that is related.

One last thing mentalism is created form several branches that merge at different points in time although spiritualism was a big influence there where things before this taht also have much importance to this genre.

Thanks for the in-depth response. I feel like there’s more to it than being influenced by ancient Egypt. The influence to me seems to be primarily Indian in that the turbans are Indian in style and the names include “Mahatma”.