HURST, Lulu.

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Lulu Hurst, (the Georgia Wonder,) Writes Her Autobiography, and for the First Time Explains and Demonstrates the Great Secret of Her Marvelous Power. First edition of the stage magician's explanation of her techniques, the first time she publicly revealed her use of force deflection and admitted she did not have occult powers. It includes numerous images demonstrating how the tricks could be replicated at home.Hurst (1869-1950) began performing in 1884 at the age of 15, after allegedly gaining supernatural powers from an electrical storm. Her routine involved displays of her apparent physical strength against adult men, often using props such as canes, chairs, and umbrellas. She became immensely popular, touring across the US and earning the nickname "the Wonder". Her career, however, was short lived; she performed for only two years and retired in 1885, largely because audiences had started to realise her act was based on physics rather than spiritual powers. She disappeared from the public eye until the publication of this autobiography.WorldCat records Cambridge University Library as the only institutional holding in the UK. There is one holding in Canada - the University of British Columbia - and eight holdings in the US: the New York Public Library, the Library of Congress, and the universities of California, George, Harvard, Duke, Brown, and Texas.

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