Gordon, Henry C. (ca. 1850)
One of the earliest American physical mediums to claim to
demonstrate levitation. At a New York conference on June 18,
1852, he seemed to levitate in the crowded assembly room; at
another time he was apparently carried through the air over a
distance of 60 feet. Gordon was scientifically tested by Robert
Hare in 1853 and demonstrated to Hares satisfaction the existence
of a psychic force.
Gordon was several times accused of fraud, however. He was
exposed at a New York séance when he was discovered in the
cabinet with faces painted on cardboard, luminous cloth, and
other fraudulent properties.
Sources
Hare, Robert. Experimental Investigation of the Spirit Manifestations.
1854. Reprint, Elm Grove, Wis. Sycamore Press, 1963.
