Mackay, Charles (1812-1889) Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions

Description:

Mackay, Charles (1812-1889)Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions. London: Richard Bentley, 1841.
First edition, three octavo volumes, extra illustrated with 294 added plates, bound in uniform three-quarter toffee-colored morocco bindings by Bayntun, with buckram sides, signed, "Bayntun, Binder, Bath, Eng." a.e.g., spines lettered and tooled in gilt, very good condition, 8 3/4 x 5 1/2 in., occupying 6 1/2 linear inches on the shelf.
Mackay's efforts to debunk the prevalent urban legends of his day include careful examinations of superstitions, old wives' tales, and folk wisdom. He also delves into economic bubbles, witchcraft, ghosts, alchemy, Nostradamus, and the mania that precipitated the incursion of European christians into the Middle East during the Crusades, among other subjects. The work is still in print today. (3)
Estimate $400-600


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