Helen lived here with her brother Arthur, who chose to capture spirits in a different way - with his camera. A gifted photographer, Arthur took many iconic images of early Takoma Park including this one of his sister. Those glass negatives form an important collection in our archives. Neither married, and decades later the house was demolished to make way for the modern world. But this haunting image remains as a reminder of an earlier time.
The November 1995 Voice ran a feature on the Colburn family and the history of spiritualism. The archives referred to in the article are now housed here in our new home.
Harry Houdini was a fierce opponent of spiritualism, trying to debunk their claims. Ironically, he died on Halloween of 1926. Learn more at pbs.org/wgbh/amex/houdini/sfeature/margery.html and historynet.com/mina-crandon-harry-houdini-the-medium-and-the-magician.htm".