Gérard Anaclet Vincent Encausse, known as Papus (1865-1916) - Lot 47

Gérard Anaclet Vincent Encausse, known as Papus (1865-1916) Iconographic set on spiritualism (used for presentation sessions hosted by Papus), c. 1910-1915. Convocation to the École d'Hermétique, the Martinist Order and Osiris Lodge 318. Experience of externalization of sensibility. Astral doubling. Mediums Charles Victor Miller, Mary Brown, Ofélia Corralès, William Keller, Professor Moutonnier. Experiments of Dr. Julian Ochorowicz. Reproductions of Egyptian funerary artifacts. Reproductions of engravings. 93 positive gelatin silver bromide projection glass plates, plus two (2) negative gelatin silver bromide glass plates, preserved in their original boxes. Numerous annotations on labels and boxes. Visiting card from Dr. Philippe Encausse (Papus's son) on one of the boxes. Sizes: 8.5 x 10 to 9 x 12 cm Founded by Papus in 1891, the Martinist Order drew on an esoteric and theurgic Christian tradition dating back to Louis-Claude de Saint-Martin. Contrary to triumphant positivism, many of these occult currents were led by doctors and scientists who intended to oppose scientism with a science of the invisible - and used photography as a legitimizing tool, invoking its alleged documentary neutrality to accredit mediumistic phenomena and astral duplications.