The Magic Alley Book Nook is a charming and whimsical bookstore located in the heart of a bustling city. Upon entering the store, visitors are immediately transported into a world of enchantment and wonder. The shelves are filled to the brim with a wide variety of books, ranging from classics to contemporary fiction, children's literature to self-help and everything in between. The Magic Alley Book Nook has a unique and cozy atmosphere, with nooks and crannies scattered throughout the store. It feels like an escape from reality, a place where one can lose themselves in the pages of a good book. The store is meticulously decorated with magical trinkets, old maps, and vintage book covers, creating a sense of nostalgia and adventure.
Notebooks rubbed and used, commensurate with a working archive, but overall in good condition.
a Mr Venman advertised that he sold a variety of flint-glass crystal balls, the result of 40 years experimental research , for prices varying from 2s 6d to 5s 6d Davies, p. Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel s plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank.
The store is meticulously decorated with magical trinkets, old maps, and vintage book covers, creating a sense of nostalgia and adventure. The staff at the Magic Alley Book Nook are truly passionate about literature and are always ready to recommend their favorite books or engage in a friendly chat about authors and stories. They have an extensive knowledge of their inventory and can help visitors find the perfect book for any occasion or interest.
Archive of manuscript material concerning the occult.
An engrossing small archive of original manuscript material compiled by chemist and druggist Hezekiah Venman (1831-1897), an assiduous collector of the occult. An associate of the Society for Psychical Research and contributor to their journal, he was connected to some of the leading figures of the movement, as exemplified by the interesting group of correspondence with such luminaries as Frederic Myers and Edmund Gurney.
Listed as a bankrupt in the Law Times (9 August 1862), Venman's fortunes clearly improved as his later business address (as Venman and Co.) is given as 20 Pimlico Road and his home was a respectable if unassuming three-storey terraced house up a flight of stairs at 138 Dawes Road, Fulham. He was born in Islington in 1831; his father and grandfather, both also Hezekiah, were Devon men. He had been an honorary quartermaster in the 1st Tower Hamlets Artillery Volunteer Corps, resigning his commission in October 1873, when that unit was disbanded.
"In 1897. a Mr Venman advertised that he sold a variety of flint-glass crystal balls, 'the result of 40 years' experimental research', for prices varying from 2s 6d to 5s 6d" (Davies, p. 251). Apparently this aspect of Venman's business was carried on by his widow as she is mentioned in Joseph Maxwell's Metaphysical Phenomena: Methods and Observations (London: Duckworth, 1905) as selling "well-made crystal balls". Venman published in a small way: Spiritualism: The Modern Mystery (1874), a couple of
An engrossing small archive of original manuscript material compiled by chemist and druggist Hezekiah Venman (1831-1897), an assiduous collector of the occult. An associate of the Society for Psychical Research and contributor to their journal, he was connected to some of the leading figures of the movement, as exemplified by the interesting group of correspondence with such luminaries as Frederic Myers and Edmund Gurney.
Listed as a bankrupt in the Law Times (9 August 1862), Venman's fortunes clearly improved as his later business address (as Venman and Co.) is given as 20 Pimlico Road and his home was a respectable if unassuming three-storey terraced house up a flight of stairs at 138 Dawes Road, Fulham. He was born in Islington in 1831; his father and grandfather, both also Hezekiah, were Devon men. He had been an honorary quartermaster in the 1st Tower Hamlets Artillery Volunteer Corps, resigning his commission in October 1873, when that unit was disbanded.
"In 1897. a Mr Venman advertised that he sold a variety of flint-glass crystal balls, 'the result of 40 years' experimental research', for prices varying from 2s 6d to 5s 6d" (Davies, p. 251). Apparently this aspect of Venman's business was carried on by his widow as she is mentioned in Joseph Maxwell's Metaphysical Phenomena: Methods and Observations (London: Duckworth, 1905) as selling "well-made crystal balls". Venman published in a small way: Spiritualism: The Modern Mystery (1874), a couple of pamphlets and various articles. His reading was clearly extensive.
The collection comprises:
Notebook No. 1 ("Gleanings").
Square octavo (275 x 230 mm). Late 19th century commercial springback binder of light purplish grey patterned cloth, manuscript label to front "Manuscript notes on 'xxx - Paper' - chiefly Typical Cases". MS headed "Gleanings", in five sections numbered 1-4 (c. 234 pp.) plus continuation of Part 4 (7 pp.), and appendix (12 pp.), each wire-stitched or sewn (230 x 180 mm). Part I includes an autograph letter signed from Frederic W. H. Myers in reply to an enquiry from Venman on life after death (19 April 1891, Leckhampton House, Cambridge); he writes that "I should conceive that the manifestations may be in some cases the result or reflection of passions energies exercised on earth … But I have intentionally kept my expressions on these points as general as possible, as I do not wish to theorize beyond the point which seems needful is one is to bind together actual observations". Myers (1843-1901) was one of the founders of the Society for Psychical Research (the SPR) and its driving force. "He devoted a great deal of time and energy to the investigation of cases of apparitions (he was co-author with Edmund Gurney and Frank Podmore of the monumental Phantasms of the Living, 2 vols., 1886) and of automatic writing, trance mediumship, and so forth, and travelled widely in Britain and abroad to obtain first-hand testimony and sit with mediums" (ODNB). Venman's "Gleanings" include articles or transcriptions from various authors, including Myers, on subjects from spirit photography (particularly those of John Beattie of Bristol) to apparitions, automatic writing, ghosts, and double personality.
An archive of approximately 22 autograph letters signed to Venman during the 1880s, concerning topics relevant to the Society of Psychical Research. This includes seven from Edward Trusted Bennett (1831-1908), first secretary of the SPR and author of The Society for Psychical Research: its Rise & Progress & a Sketch of its Work (1903). His letters all date to 1888, those of March intriguingly describe an "apparatus" that Venman had put before the council of the SPR. Bennett writes that large and small versions of this have arrived at the SPR but that "the putting together will be a practical difficulty" as "many people are so stupid!" (in passing he mentions Mrs Bidder, the wife of G. P. Bidder QC, a council member of the SPR). The "apparatus" turns out to be a planchette, a small board fitted with a pencil used for automatic writing and in seances. On 2 April, Bennett writes that he has left the assembly of the "Dial Planchette" in the hands of his wife and sister-in-law but that they found this too much of a challenge: "I am sorry to say that after an hour's patient trial it was given up in despair". As revealed here, it seems that Ernest Westlake, a member of the SPR since 1887, designed the models for the planchettes and Venman had them made up. Bennett notes that Frederic Myers has ordered a number of planchettes. Four letters are from F. W. Hayes of the SPR, from around the same period in 1888; in one he returns a copy of Paracelsus and discusses "the theory of the persistent vitality … in the case of persons dying by murder, suicide or accident" and the linga sarira of Hinduism; and in another has a dig at the Theosophical Society. The parapsychologist Edmund Gurney (1847-1888) writes to Venman on 3 September 1884 thanking him for having "taken the trouble to re-write those mesmeric cases which so unfortunately got mislaid by Mr Myers … they are of great interest … It is not an experiment that could well be deliberately repeated. I think that the trance can usually be 'slept off' & the subject awake normal". In a short note, F. M. Wright, a contributor to The Occult Review requests simply of Venman that he may "bring a fellow enquirer into occult subjects" to what we assume to be a talk that Venman was giving. The correspondence here reveals a figure at a nexus of information sharing and sheds light on the spirt of communality among members of the SPR.
Notebook 2 ("Book 'B' Chapter 6th").
Square octavo (190 x 160 mm). Black cloth notebook (ragged label of Westleys bookbinders pasted on front). Commonplace book, MS (approx. 30 pp.) headed "Book 'B' Chapter 6th". Includes essays on, inter alia, somnambulism, clairvoyance, and mesmerism.
Numerous written notes and essays in a variety of hands; includes material relating to physicist Sylvanus Thompson (with an unpublished manuscript poem and printed small broadside for a debate in which Thompson was to appear, with mss notes in margins); notes on unperceived motions in nature, on evolution of species, and much more. About 100 items, mostly manuscript though also a few printed items.
Square octavo (235 x 200 mm). Commercial quarter roan notebook, marbled sides. MS, 28 pp of mathematical calculations and diagrams; small quantity of clippings from Punch and newspapers.
Extensive MS notes on Plato, c. 35 pp; loose, on unlined sheets (200 x 165 mm).
Description
3 notebooks, square octavo (various sizes); approx. 22 autograph letters signed from various correspondents; approx. 100 notes in various hands; 35 pp. of notes on Plato.
Notebooks rubbed and used, commensurate with a working archive, but overall in good condition.
Owen Davies, Witchcraft, Magic and Culture 1736-1951, 1999.
When asked how women were regarded in JW society, the former elder said they were thought of as "a complement for a man", adding: "She should be submissive to her husband, who is the head of their family and it is he who makes all the important decisions.
In addition to its impressive collection of books, the Magic Alley Book Nook also hosts various events and activities for book lovers of all ages. They have book clubs, author signings, readings, and even workshops on writing and storytelling. These events create a sense of community and bring together people who share a love for literature. One of the most magical features of the Magic Alley Book Nook is its hidden nooks and secret rooms. Exploring the store feels like embarking on a treasure hunt, with surprises waiting to be discovered around every corner. These hidden spaces provide a peaceful and quiet retreat for readers to curl up with a book and immerse themselves in a different world. The Magic Alley Book Nook is not just a store; it is an experience. It blends the love of literature with a touch of magic, creating an environment that is truly special. Whether you're a seasoned bookworm or just starting your literary journey, a visit to the Magic Alley Book Nook is sure to ignite your imagination and leave you with a newfound appreciation for the written word..
Reviews for "From Drab to Magical: Transforming Your Reading Corner with a Book Nook"
1. John - 2 stars
I was really disappointed with the "Magic allez book nook". Firstly, the build quality was not up to par. The materials felt cheap and flimsy, and the overall construction was poor. Secondly, the design of the book nook was not appealing. The colors and patterns clashed, and it made the entire piece look tacky. Lastly, the lights inside the book nook were too bright and distracting. It took away from the charm and subtlety that I was expecting. Overall, I regretted purchasing the "Magic allez book nook" and I would not recommend it.
2. Sarah - 1 star
I had high hopes for the "Magic allez book nook" but it fell short in every aspect. The details on the bookshelf weren't well-defined and looked pixelated. The colors were dull and lacked vibrance. Additionally, the bookshelf didn't fit well into any interior design style, making it difficult to incorporate into my home decor. The lights inside the nook were also too harsh and did not create the cozy atmosphere I was expecting. I would not recommend the "Magic allez book nook" to anyone looking for a quality and aesthetically pleasing addition to their home.
3. Mark - 2 stars
I was excited to receive the "Magic allez book nook" as a gift, but I was disappointed with its overall quality. The bookshelf felt cheaply made and the craftsmanship was below average. The details were poorly executed and lacked depth, making it look like a cheap decoration. The lights inside the nook were also too bright and unnatural, which detracted from the intended ambiance. For the price, I expected a much better product. I would not purchase the "Magic allez book nook" again and do not recommend it to others.