Sep 27, 2018 - Sale 2486

Sale 2486 - Lot 341

Price Realized: $ 488
?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 500 - $ 750
(NEW YORK.) Wheeler, Anna Kelley. Diary of a mourning woman and her visits to spirit mediums. [56] manuscript diary pages and [40] additional memoranda pages. 12mo, original calf, moderate wear; lacking free endpapers, minor wear to contents. Vp, 4 December 1874 to 9 April 1879 entries, with some memoranda though 1888
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Additional Details

Anna Kelley Wheeler (1808-1893) was raised in Vermont and moved to Gowanda in far western New York circa 1850 with her husband and three children. Their oldest son Alonzo P. Wheeler died during the last weeks of the Civil War, and her grandson George Bartlett died young in 1881. Her diary describes extensive travels to visit family in Vermont and New York, but is most notable for its mentions of communications with her deceased relatives--she was apparently an active Spiritualist who made use of spirit mediums. On 21 February 1875, while visiting Vermont, she wrote "Mercy read some spirit communications" and on 3 March "We went to Mr. Pierce's in the evening, had a circle. Had some good manifestations from father and children." Two days later, visiting the town of North Dorset, "had a circle and in the evening, got communications. Had some more in the morning at the table and at noon from Alonzo."
Most dramatic is a 7-page transcript of a seance dated 9 March 1882 with a medium named C.E. Watkins. Her first effort was to contact her deceased son Alonzo L. Wheeler (1830-1865), who replied "Yes, I am here. Who do you think it is, if it is not me? Does it seem so strange to you that we still live. I am happy. George is with me, and also happy, although it was rather sudden. . . . I am not dead. It is only more life. My love to you all." She also contacts other deceased relatives: grandson George Bartlett (1859-1881), sister Lydia Kelley (1805-1870), and mother Prudence Kelley (1770-1835), who assured her "My own dear child, you do hear us sing at times. . . . Try and believe I am writing this myself. It gives me pleasure to come to you." Additional extracts available upon request.