Home / Arts and Entertainment / Mind Reader's Act Exposed: 19th Century Trick Revealed
Mind Reader's Act Exposed: 19th Century Trick Revealed
25 Nov
Summary
- Anna Eva Fay performed mystical feats in 1896, claiming supernatural abilities.
- A local businessman, Thomas Skelly, debunked her act as a fraud.
- Fay later confessed to Harry Houdini that her performances were a ruse.
Anna Eva Fay, a renowned stage mentalist, toured extensively in the late 19th century, performing astonishing feats such as mind-reading and levitation. Her act, which included inducing clairvoyant states, captivated audiences in cities like Grand Forks and Fargo.
During an 1896 performance in Fargo, businessman Thomas Skelly investigated Fay's methods. He discovered that she likely used carbon paper hidden within audience writing materials to illicitly obtain question details, thus exposing her performances as a deception.
Despite Skelly's public debunking, Fay continued her career for decades, only reportedly confessing the entire affair was a trick to Harry Houdini later in life. Her life highlights a fascinating period of spiritualism and public fascination with the unexplained.
