"BILLY BOW-LEGS AND THE STORM GOD: The Seminole Indians Have a Human Advance Agent of the Weather - And Can Vanish Whenever a Hurricane Kicks Up". A VINTAGE PHOTOGRAPHIC OFFPRINT BROADSIDE, apparently published for members of the Adventurers' Club of New York. by Kuhn de Prorok, Byron (1896-1954). Hungarian-American amateur archaeologist, anthropologist and author. Regarded as the original tomb raider or grave robber - 1944.

New York: Offprint from The American Weekly, September 24, 1944., 1944.. Very good. - A 16-1/2 inch high by 11-1/2 inch wide broadside offprint on glossy paper. Apparently published for the members of the Adventurers' Club of New York, Count Byron de Prorok's essay, printed in four columns, is illustrated with a half-page depiction of Seminole Indians taking to the water in their Kayaks to seek shelter in caves as a storm approaches. A photographic illustration captioned "After the Hurricane at Long Key, Florida, Which the Seminoles Foretold Long Before the Weather Bureau" is reproduced beneath two columns of text at bottom left. Vignettes along the right depict a figurine and a portrait of Billy Bow-Legs, these are captioned "A Jadeite Figure of the Wind God of the Mayas Which Seminole Witch Doctors, Like Billy Bow-Legs (Right), Say Warns of Coming Hurricanes." Count Byron de Prorok's essay relates his travels to the everglades with James B. Pond to find out where the Seminoles would shelter during hurricanes. Folded in half horizontally with some light soiling and creases to the edges. Very good.

Provenance: From the estate of James B. Pond who was President of the Adventurers' Club of New York in 1945.

The Hungarian-American amateur archaeologist, anthropologist, and author Count Byron Kuhn de Prorok (1896-1954) is perhaps best known as the original tomb raider or grave robber. Prorok was notorious for removing artifacts from tombs and graves against the wishes of the countries and people who had claim to them. Prorok led several expeditions to Africa to pursue ancient legends and beleived he'd found proof that Atlantis lay in North Africa. He also said he had discovered the location of the Biblical land of Ophir and the temple where Alexander the Great became a god. Despite his being expelled from accredited bodies, Prorok was a member of the Adventurers' Club of New York and was a pioneer in using motion pictures to document his expeditions starting in 1920. Prorok is the author of "Digging for Lost African Gods", "Mysterious Sahara: The Land of Gold, of Sand and of Ruin", "Dead Men Do Tell tales" and "In Quest of Lost Worlds".

RARE.