c.1850 Book: Phrenology, Seances, California Gold Rush-Charles Pinkham goes West

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c.1850 Book: Phrenology, Seances, California Gold Rush-Charles Pinkham goes West:
$84.00

c.1850 PhrenologicalChart/Booklet relating to a California phrenologist, Charles Pinkham. People migrated to California in 1850 for a variety of reasons- find gold, sell products to thoselooking for gold, sell services to those looking for gold, help develop a new community, adventure and escape the past. However, perhaps no one came to California with a more unique goal than Charles Pinkham. The Maine native, born c.1820 established a business giving phrenological \"readings\" as well as holding séances. For good measure, he was also a daguerrotypist taking pictures of the denizens of early San Francisco. Phrenology was/is the pseudo-science that attempted to discern character of a person by studying the morphology of the skull. Although known in the ancient world, it was \"rediscovered\" by the German scientist Franz Joseph Gall in 1796 and migrated to the United States through Great Britain. By examining various areas of the skull, a phrenologist claimed to be able to determine qualities like 1) propensities; 2) sentiments, lower and superior and 3) faculties, intellectual and reflecting. The prime period for interest in phrenology in the United States was c.1825 to c.1855 when science and religion combined to attack it from all sides. Interest in it continued well into the 20th Century but this item dates from its period of greatest interest and commercialization in the United States. Dim: 4 5/8\" x 7 1/2\" Has 23 pages. The cover page has \"A PHRENOLOGICAL CHART BY CHARLES PINKHAM\" with a drawing of the head and the various areasof the head where the 40different \"propensities\" are located.[see #1]. Title page \" A PHRENOLOGICAL CHART containing a BRIEF EXPLANATION in Seven Degrees of Development, and a History of the Discovery of the SCIENCE OF PHRENOLOGY, with Remarks and Observations, BY CHARLES PINKHAM, Marked to Represent the Talents and Disposition of J. Hall as Given by C. Pinkham. Boston: Printed For The Authors\" New Englander Pinkham had these printed before he left for the West Coast. Because this was bought in California, it appears this traveled across the continent in c.1850. Pinkham signed the booklet and probably wrote in Hall\'s name. Much of the booklet lists the \"propensities\" and the rating given Hall for each. Hall\'s lowest rating was \"3\" and highest \"6\" with most being \"5\" which was \"normal\". #4 from internet is an advertisement from the Alta Daily Californian June 10,1852 \"Professor Pinkham is delivering 24 consecutive lectures on the science of Phrenology at the Phrenological Hall on Clay Street opposite the Plaza in San Francisco beginning Tuesday May 25th at 8 o\'clock. He will have drawings, busts and skulls of famous men, a pirate, an Indian and the men hung by the San FranciscoVigilanceCommittee. First lecture is free but the others were25 cents A private reading was $1.00, with chart $2.00 and written delineation $3.00. So J. Hall paid either $2.00 or $3.00 . The only J. Hall in the 1852-1853 San Francisco Directory was aJD Hall who was part owner of a hat manufactory locatedat 200 Montgomery Street. In January, 1852, he had delivered a series of lectures at the District Courtroom and gave private consultations at his rooms at the corner of Clay and Montgomery streets [see #5,6 for corner of Clay and Montgomery in 1850s]. He claimed he could doreadings in five languages [San Francisco drew folks from around the world] and like his ad he was helping men find \"a congenial companion for life\". He is listed in the 1852 census as a \"phrenologist\" but in the 1852-1853 San Francisco Directory he is a \"daguerrotypist\" at 204 Clay Street. So he had a second business and 1853, a newspaper reported he was hosting séances \" for the gullible\" . Pinkham now has a third occupation. In January, 1854, he resumed his phrenology lectures in Mariposa, a gold town between Stockton and Fresno. A Charles Pinkham appears in the 1860 census in San Francisco and then disappears. IMPORTANT There are stains and front cover is barely hanging on but it did travel across the continent in c.1850. A most unique piece from the American Frontier. Sent flat.