Cheiro’s Language Of The Hand, A Complete Practical Work On The Sciences Of Cheirognomy And Cheiromancy, Containing The System, Rules, And Experience Of Cheiro by Cheiro (William John Warner) - 1900

Nichols & Co. / Rand McNally & Co., London / New York, 1900; Fifteenth, Special, Edition, Revised and Enlarged; Quarto, 162 pages, plus 34 pages of numbered photo plates and a 6 page appendix at the back; white cloth, black and white graphic on the front; illustrated. The premier work on the art of palmistry, authored by occultist William John Warner (1866-1936) known professionally as "Cheiro," who was born in Ireland, studied in India, and achieved fame in London before emigrating to the United States, where he quickly became the darling of the society set. Special fifteenth and final edition, with photographic reproductions of the hands of twenty six famous public figures including Sarah Bernhardt, Mark Twain, Neville Chamberlain, Swami Vivekananda, Sir Arthur Sullivan, and songstress Nellie Melba, plus the addition of a new chapter on the invention of an apparatus for "Thought Photography And Register Of Cerebral Force," complete with schematic. Contains fifty-five full-page illustrations and over two hundred line engravings. A detailed instruction manual for the reading of the hand in both of its aspects: the shape of the hand and fingers in order to determine hereditary influences of character and disposition (cheirognomy), and the lines and markings of the palm to ascertain events of the past, present, and future (cheiromancy). Passionate 23-page defense of palmistry by the author at the front. Laid-in at the back is a large (14" x 9 1/2") silver gelatin photograph, contemporary to the book, showing the hands of an unidentified individual, most probably the original owner. Very Good, light to moderate external rubbing. Affixed to the blank f.f.e.p. are a small (1" x 1/2") address label, circa 1900, and miniscule bookstore label, of equal vintage, from the Old Corner Book Store of Boston, built in 1712 and now a National Historic Landmark. A fascinating book.