Bert Reese

Suggested methods for Bert Reese's billet reading.

Bert Reese (1851–1926) was an American-Polish medium.

Reese was an expert billet reader. He was a spiritualist and a friend of Aleister Crowley.^[1]

The psychical researcher Eric Dingwall observed Reese in New York and claimed to have discovered his cheating methods; according to Dingwall the exploits of Reese were "not worth any serious scientific consideration" and that Reese came into contact with the sealed notes.^[2] Martin Gardner wrote that Reese was an expert mentalist no different from stage magicians of the period such as Joseph Dunninger but managed to fool a number of people into believing he was a genuine psychic.^[3] Thomas Edison was duped by the billet reading tricks of Reese and claimed him to be a real psychic. This led The New York Times journalist Edward Marshall to write two articles in November, 1910 exposing with illustrations how Reese performed his tricks.^[4]

The magician Joseph Rinn revealed the billet reading tricks of Reese.^[5] The most detailed account at exposing his tricks (with diagrams) was by the magician Theodore Annemann.^[6]

References

1. Richard Kaczynski. (2010). Perdurabo, Revised and Expanded Edition: The Life of Aleister Crowley. North Atlantic Books. pp. 232-325. ISBN 978-1556438998
2. Eric Dingwall. (1927). How to Go to a Medium. K. Paul, Trench, Trübner. pp. 31-32. Also see Eric Dingwall. (1968). Abnormal Hypnotic Phenomena: France. Barnes & Noble. p. 272
3. Martin Gardner. (1957). Fads and Fallacies in the Name of Science. Dover Publications. p. 311. ISBN 978-0486203942
4. Karen Kelly. (2011). The Secret of "The Secret". Sidgwick & Jackson. p. 167. ISBN 978-0283070617
5. The Skeptical Inquirer. (1996). Volume 20. Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal. p. 12
6. Theodore Annemann. (1983). Practical Mental Magic. Dover Publications. pp. 7-11

External links

• Seeking The Explanation Of Reese’s “Mind Reading” by Edward Marshall