~ Voodoo Priestess Estate ~ © Vintage Leather Photographs Album with Circa 1940's Actors Photos

A Main Library Find

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It has now been twenty-two years since we were called to do an estate that had been closed up for seventeen years!

The Voodoo Estate!

This type of call usually gets us excited as they are a treasure trove. Located here in Florida, there was no electricity or running water so we rigged our own lighting and in we went. If you have ever seen the Adams Family you will have some idea as to what we were greeted with! Then the attorney handling the liquidation gave us some background.

The estate had belonged to an alleged powerful Voodoo Priestess/JooJoo Exorcist, grand daughter of a Marie Laveau, and favored daughter of a Marie Glapion. These names meant nothing to us, but the late night talk of Voodoo and exorcism in the old mansion did cause some uneasy feelings so we decided to spend the night in a hotel and return in the morning to assess the estate. The rest is history.

Our research has shown that this woman was what she claimed and was indeed descended from a long line of well known Vodoun family originating in New Orleans in the early 1800's.

We were pretty unnerved by this until we discovered they were also devout Catholics! Although I have to admit this was unlike any Catholic home we have ever been in and some of the items found inside were a little more than unnerving.

There was no feeling of dread or unwelcome in the mansion, however there was quite a bit of contraband and other items we can or will not sell here.

This is one of a few pieces from this estate we will be listing this week, so check our other listings!

We will, upon the new guardian's request, issue a named Letter of Authenticity with each piece from this estate, complying with the terms set forth to us by the estate's attorney.

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Some Back Story

We believe this to be the last of a lot of press release and promotional celebrity photos from the mid to late 1940's that she and at least one other associated with this estate collected and scrap booked as a hobby. A rather large collection was found in and around a conference table strewn with boxes and envelopes filled with these photos and albums. Although we recovered a sizable collection, many were destroyed from structural damage and water intrusion introduced by Hurricane Andrew. Yet many, such as this one, escaped unscathed.

The Photo Album and Pictures

Examination reveals a 13 5/8" x 10 5/8" x 1/2" leather bound photograph album with six assorted mid 1940's celebrity photos that are further described below.

It is obvious this album once contained a number of the small photos that were not there when we recovered it. The six photos that remain consist of a 7 1/2" x 9 3/8" sepia tone glossy of a young Margaret O'Brien issued by Metro Goldwyn Mayer and is so marked. We are sure this was originally an 8" x 10" that was trimmed.

Next is an 8" x 10" Aquatone print of Victor Mature. Signature is a print, not live ink.

Then we have a 4 15/16" x 7 1/8" black and white glossy photo of William Boyd as Hopalong Cassidy and a 1 5/8" x 2 3/16" black and white glossy of Monty Hale which is signed on the back in pencil, we are sure as a means of identification and not to be represented as his autograph. This photo also appears to have been trimmed.

Next is a 7 1/8" x 9 3/8" sepia tone glossy of Marilyn Maxwell issued by Metro Goldwyn Mayer and most certainly, it has been trimmed.

And finally there is a 7 1/2" x 9 5/16" sepia tone glossy of Jane Darwell that has also been trimmed.

There is no indication that any of these people had any dealings or contact with anyone associated with this estate. It appears they would get these photos from studios and fan clubs, a practice that went on for over three decades.

It is certainly an unusual vintage lot that is much nicer than the photographs are able to depict.

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We have been contacted and visited by a number of people who were interested in the items from this estate since our first batch was listed. Among the buyers have been known psychics and practitioners. More than one, after adorning themselves or handling their purchase, stated "this is a woman of power!"
Many of our customers, after receiving items from this estate have reported dream contacts and other unexplained phenomenon.
Unusual, authentic Voodoo Priestess Estate piece and at a bargain price!
This is truly a rare opportunity to own anything with attributes to this estate. The majority of this estate is now gone. Most of what we had left, and it was considerable, has been split up and sold to a couple of private, foreign collector practitioners and will never be available to the public again. We made the decision to do this as we have had some pretty strange visits from even stranger individuals and there have been enough unexplained phenomenon going on in the warehouse where her things were kept that many of our employees refused to go in there.
The pieces offered and sold here are some of the few remaining pieces that will ever be offered to the public.
Nice addition to any collection, altar or decor that displays really well.
Really doesn't get any better than this.
There are 16 photographs to tell the rest of this tale and we hop you enjoyed the listing.
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Photo Album Only, Not the Props, but you knew that already.