David Phelps Abbott (September 22, 1863 – June 12, 1934) was an American magician, author and inventor known for creating effects such as the floating ball, as well as for his publications exposing

mediums Mediumship is the practice of purportedly mediating communication between familiar spirits or spirits of the dead and living human beings. Practitioners are known as "mediums" or "spirit mediums". There are different types of mediumship or spir ...

Biography

David Abbott was born in 1863 near Falls City and lived most of his life in Omaha. He was married to Fannie E. Abbott. He became a wealthy businessman in the American Mid-West. He was well versed in arts and science. After

Albert Einstein Albert Einstein (14 March 187918 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist who is best known for developing the theory of relativity. Einstein also made important contributions to quantum mechanics. His mass–energy equivalence f ...

published his

theory of relativity The theory of relativity usually encompasses two interrelated physics theories by Albert Einstein: special relativity and general relativity, proposed and published in 1905 and 1915, respectively. Special relativity applies to all physical ph ...

, Abbott attempted to explain it in a newspaper article. As a magician, he performed for invited guests in his private theater he built at his home from 1907 until he died. There he demonstrated his Talking Teakettle (around 1907, decades before miniature radio electronics came into use) and Talking Vase (in 1909). Abbott built his work of magic and deception on the devious principles he learned from spirit mediums. Many of the greats in magic– Kellar,

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Horace Goldin Horace Goldin (17 December 187321 August 1939) was a stage magician who was noted for his rapid presentation style and who achieved international fame with his versions of the sawing a woman in half illusion. Early life Goldin was of Polish Jew ...

, Theo Bamberg,

Ching Ling Foo Ching Ling Foo () was the stage name of the Chinese magician Chee Ling Qua (, 1854–1922). He is credited with being the first modern East Asian magician to achieve world fame. Biography Ching Ling Foo was born in Tianjin, Qing dynasty, on ...

, Blackstone and

Houdini Erik Weisz (March 24, 1874 – October 31, 1926), known professionally as Harry Houdini ( ), was a Hungarian-American escapologist, illusionist, and stunt performer noted for his escape acts. Houdini first attracted notice in vaudeville in ...

among others–made pilgrimages to Omaha Field Club neighborhood "Mystery House" to be dumbfounded and to learn.. Retrieved May 20, 2016. Abbott was a friend of the magician

Harry Houdini Erik Weisz (March 24, 1874 – October 31, 1926), known professionally as Harry Houdini ( ), was a Hungarian-American escapologist, illusionist, and stunt performer noted for his escape acts. Houdini first attracted notice in vaudeville in ...

. His most well known work was ''Behind the Scenes with the Mediums'' published in 1907, which went through several editions. In 1934, Abbott died of

diabetes Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a group of common endocrine diseases characterized by sustained high blood sugar levels. Diabetes is due to either the pancreas not producing enough of the hormone insulin, or the cells of th ...

in Omaha. His burial was at Westlawn-Hillcrest Memorial Park,

Omaha Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...

, Nebraska. Abbott wrote a second full-length book, describing not only the séances given in his home but many magical feats which had astounded top professional performers; he died before it could be published, and for a long time the manuscript could not be found. When the Abbott home was sold in 1936, the manuscript was thought to be lost."David Abbott Inventor and Spirit Hoax Buster"
Retrieved May 20, 2016. It was discovered by Walter Graham and published as ''David P. Abbott's Book Of Mysteries'' in 1977. In September 2024, Abbott's "House of Mystery" in

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...

, was purchased by Teller in partnership with the Omaha Magical Societ

with the goal of refurbishing the home to where Abbott's magic creations could once again be performed in the same setting where he performed them over one-hundred years ago

Publications

''Behind the Scenes with the Mediums''
(1907)
''Spirit Slate-Writing and Billet Tests''
(1907) * Joseffy, ''The Marvelous Creations of Joseffy'' (1908) *''The History of a Strange Case'' (1908)
''The Spirit Portrait Mystery: Its Final Solution''
(1913) *''David P. Abbott's Book of Mysteries'', published posthumously by Walter Graham (1977)

References

External links

* * * * Abowitz, Richard.
A man, a ball, a hoop, a bench (and an alleged thread)… Teller!
, ''Las Vegas Weekly'', November 20, 2008 *
A collection of photographs of Mr. and Mrs. D. P. Abbott and their home at Omaha, Nebraska
held by the Billy Rose Theatre Division,

New York Public Library for the Performing Arts The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center, is located at 40 Lincoln Center Plaza, in the Lincoln Center complex on the Upper West Side in Manhattan, New York City. Situated between the Metropolitan O ...

Omaha Magical Society Donates Library
University of Nebraska at Omaha Libraries. {{DEFAULTSORT:Abbott, David 1863 births 1934 deaths 19th-century American male writers 19th-century American non-fiction writers 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American non-fiction writers American magicians American male non-fiction writers American skeptics Deaths from diabetes in the United States Harry Houdini People from Falls City, Nebraska

Biography

Publications

References

Further reading

External links