The Witches of New York

First published in 1858, The Witches of New York is a strange and unsettling glimpse into the hidden world of spiritualists, fortune-tellers, and occult practitioners in mid-19th century Manhattan. Written with biting wit and dark humor, Q. Philander Doesticks exposes the shadowy corners of a city enthralled by séances, clairvoyants, and secret rites.

Behind the gaslit streets and drawing-room séances, Doesticks uncovers the lure of witchcraft, superstition, and spiritual fraud, portraying a metropolis both fascinated and deceived by promises of power beyond the veil. What begins as satire soon becomes something darker—a portrait of a society unable to turn away from its own appetite for the forbidden.

Part social critique, part occult chronicle, The Witches of New York remains a vivid account of America’s early flirtation with the supernatural, where every parlor could conceal a séance and every fortune-teller promised peril as much as prophecy.

Complete edition of Doesticks’s 1858 exposé

Explores the spiritualist craze, witchcraft, and occult practices of New York

A rare blend of satire, history, and supernatural lore

Essential for collectors of occult Americana and students of spiritualism

These are the witches not of Salem’s past, but of New York’s present—draped in velvet, whispering secrets, and thriving in the shadows of a restless city.