His work ran parallel to theirs, and so he was more an icon—and barely that—than a Fortean.
Eric John Dingwall was born in the early 1890s, probably 1891—he didn’t know the exact date—in what was then known as Ceylon, a British territory. He moved to the metropole, and studied at Cambridge, graduating in 1915. As a young man, he did library work, had an interest in magic, and, like many magicians of the time, developed a fascination with parapsychology and spiritualism. He joined the Society for Psychical Research in 1920, and spent 1921 in the U.S. with the American Society forPsychical Research.
In addition to his other enthusiasms, Dingwall also had an interest in sexual deviation and erotica—these would get him kicked out of the SPR. He continued to practice magic, collect erotica, and investigate parapsychology, though, earning a D.Sc. in 1932 and writing numerous books: Studies in the Sexual Life of Ancient and Medieval Peoples (1925); Male Infibulation (1925); How to Go to a Medium: A Manual of Instruction (1927); Ghosts and Spirits in the Ancient World (1930); The Girdle of Chastity (1931); Artificial Cranial Deformation (1931); Woman: An Historical, Gynecological and Anthropological Compendium (1935).
Eric John Dingwall was born in the early 1890s, probably 1891—he didn’t know the exact date—in what was then known as Ceylon, a British territory. He moved to the metropole, and studied at Cambridge, graduating in 1915. As a young man, he did library work, had an interest in magic, and, like many magicians of the time, developed a fascination with parapsychology and spiritualism. He joined the Society for Psychical Research in 1920, and spent 1921 in the U.S. with the American Society forPsychical Research.
In addition to his other enthusiasms, Dingwall also had an interest in sexual deviation and erotica—these would get him kicked out of the SPR. He continued to practice magic, collect erotica, and investigate parapsychology, though, earning a D.Sc. in 1932 and writing numerous books: Studies in the Sexual Life of Ancient and Medieval Peoples (1925); Male Infibulation (1925); How to Go to a Medium: A Manual of Instruction (1927); Ghosts and Spirits in the Ancient World (1930); The Girdle of Chastity (1931); Artificial Cranial Deformation (1931); Woman: An Historical, Gynecological and Anthropological Compendium (1935).
Over the years, Dingwall became increasingly skeptical of spiritualism and psychic practices. He dismissed Williams Crookes, Eusapia Palladino, Eva Carrière, and Mina Crandon, all well known. He does seem to have maintained admiration for the Fortean Eileen J. Garrett, though not necessarily as possessing any so-called wild talents. He poked holes in the work of Harry Price, the ghost hunter and Fortean, including his investigation of Borley Rectory (which another Fortean, Walter Carrithers, defended). In this genre, he wrote or co-wrote The Haunting of Borley Rectory: A Critical Survey of the Evidence; Four Modern Ghosts (1958); The Unknown, is it Nearer? (1956); The Critics' Dilemma (1966). His skeptical bona fides were proved by having CSICOP founder Paul Kurtz reprint his essay “The Need for Responsibility ion Parapsychology” in 1971.
After World War II, he worked as honorary assistant keeper at the British Museum Library, an expert on erotica, magic, and psychical research. In 1946 he published “Racial Pride and Prejudice,” which was about racism in various countries, including antiSemitism. He also continued to write on anthropological and sexological issues: Very Peculiar People: Portrait Studies in the Queer, the Abnormal and the Uncanny (1950); The American Women: An Historical Study (1956); Very Peculiar People (1962); Abnormal Hypnotic Phenomena (1967–68). Dingwall married twice, with his first wife leaving him, according to reports, though I do not know when.
By the 1970s, Dingwall had given up on psychic research. In 1976, his second wife died, and Dingwall lived with rest of his life alone.
Eric John Dingwall died 7 August 1986.
********
Dingwall obviously moved in social circles that overlapped with Fortean ones: the Fortean Society had a number of members who were magicians; a few who were interested or practitioners of sexology; and a large number who followed parapsychology in its various forms, including Price and Garrett, Nandor Fodor and Herward Carrington. Reportedly, Tiffany Thayer, secretary of the Fortean Society, once spent an evening going to seances with Carrington and Dingwall, though when this occurred is not known. Dingwall himself almost certainly knew of Charles Fort and his writings, particularly Wild Talents and what he had said about poltergeists.
But he does not seem to have been strongly influenced—or even informed—by Charles Fort, at least from what I can gather, and had only a tenuous relationship to the Fortean Society itself. That came about in 1959, following the death of Hereward Carrington in late December 1958. Carrington had been elevated to the position of Honorary Founder in the Fortean Society, filling one of the spots of what Thayer called the original founders, after those founders had passed away. (In fact, it is not clear at all who was and who was not an original founder.) Thayer needed someone to fill Carrington’s spot and thought Dingwall, as another investigator pos parapsychological phenomena, a “logical successor.” He didn’t know Dingwall very well, having met him only once, that need of medium-going, and asked Eric Frank Russell if he did. (I do not know Russell’s answer.)
Apparently, Dingwall and Thayer shared some correspondence, but I only know about it obliquely, in a report Thayer gave to Russell in April 1959. (Thayer had asked Russell if he knew Dingwall in March.) Thayer told Russell that Dingwall had accepted and, in the course of the correspondence, had divulged that he “boast[ed] a tremendous collection of what we call Forteana.” That’s an interesting turn of phrase, suggesting that Thayer (and Russell) might classify Dingwall’s collection as Forteana, but that Dingwall himself would not—rather, it was anthropological or sexological or magical or parapsychological. It’s further evidence that Dingwall did not see himself working in the Fortean tradition; but that he accepted the position as Honorary Founder implied that he was at least not antagonistic to Fort. The collection, Thayer said, would go to the British Library “when Dingwall goes to Hell” and indeed Dingwall did give his papers to the Library, where it is classified as relating to fields other than Forteana.
Thayer published a “Welcome Dr. Dingwall” article in issue 61 (summer, 1959) of Doubbt. Thayer noted that Dingwall was the equivalent of a Renaissance “Universal Man,” and had been surprised himself at how broad his scholarly interests were. Dingwall’s “The Girdle of Chastity” had just been released in New York, and the first issue of the International Journal of Parapsychology had just appeared—with a piece by Dingwall. All of this was a “happy coincidence,” Thayer said, and he suggested that members of the Society should get acquainted with Dingwall by reading these publications, both of which were of Fortean interest.
As it happened, Thayer’s announcement that Dingwall had joined the Society—in an honorary capacity—was the last item in the last issue of Doubt, put out just before Thayer himself died of a heart attack. The connection between Dingwall and the wider Fortean community hardly passed beyond a courteous introduction, and a few brief path-crossings.
After World War II, he worked as honorary assistant keeper at the British Museum Library, an expert on erotica, magic, and psychical research. In 1946 he published “Racial Pride and Prejudice,” which was about racism in various countries, including antiSemitism. He also continued to write on anthropological and sexological issues: Very Peculiar People: Portrait Studies in the Queer, the Abnormal and the Uncanny (1950); The American Women: An Historical Study (1956); Very Peculiar People (1962); Abnormal Hypnotic Phenomena (1967–68). Dingwall married twice, with his first wife leaving him, according to reports, though I do not know when.
By the 1970s, Dingwall had given up on psychic research. In 1976, his second wife died, and Dingwall lived with rest of his life alone.
Eric John Dingwall died 7 August 1986.
********
Dingwall obviously moved in social circles that overlapped with Fortean ones: the Fortean Society had a number of members who were magicians; a few who were interested or practitioners of sexology; and a large number who followed parapsychology in its various forms, including Price and Garrett, Nandor Fodor and Herward Carrington. Reportedly, Tiffany Thayer, secretary of the Fortean Society, once spent an evening going to seances with Carrington and Dingwall, though when this occurred is not known. Dingwall himself almost certainly knew of Charles Fort and his writings, particularly Wild Talents and what he had said about poltergeists.
But he does not seem to have been strongly influenced—or even informed—by Charles Fort, at least from what I can gather, and had only a tenuous relationship to the Fortean Society itself. That came about in 1959, following the death of Hereward Carrington in late December 1958. Carrington had been elevated to the position of Honorary Founder in the Fortean Society, filling one of the spots of what Thayer called the original founders, after those founders had passed away. (In fact, it is not clear at all who was and who was not an original founder.) Thayer needed someone to fill Carrington’s spot and thought Dingwall, as another investigator pos parapsychological phenomena, a “logical successor.” He didn’t know Dingwall very well, having met him only once, that need of medium-going, and asked Eric Frank Russell if he did. (I do not know Russell’s answer.)
Apparently, Dingwall and Thayer shared some correspondence, but I only know about it obliquely, in a report Thayer gave to Russell in April 1959. (Thayer had asked Russell if he knew Dingwall in March.) Thayer told Russell that Dingwall had accepted and, in the course of the correspondence, had divulged that he “boast[ed] a tremendous collection of what we call Forteana.” That’s an interesting turn of phrase, suggesting that Thayer (and Russell) might classify Dingwall’s collection as Forteana, but that Dingwall himself would not—rather, it was anthropological or sexological or magical or parapsychological. It’s further evidence that Dingwall did not see himself working in the Fortean tradition; but that he accepted the position as Honorary Founder implied that he was at least not antagonistic to Fort. The collection, Thayer said, would go to the British Library “when Dingwall goes to Hell” and indeed Dingwall did give his papers to the Library, where it is classified as relating to fields other than Forteana.
Thayer published a “Welcome Dr. Dingwall” article in issue 61 (summer, 1959) of Doubbt. Thayer noted that Dingwall was the equivalent of a Renaissance “Universal Man,” and had been surprised himself at how broad his scholarly interests were. Dingwall’s “The Girdle of Chastity” had just been released in New York, and the first issue of the International Journal of Parapsychology had just appeared—with a piece by Dingwall. All of this was a “happy coincidence,” Thayer said, and he suggested that members of the Society should get acquainted with Dingwall by reading these publications, both of which were of Fortean interest.
As it happened, Thayer’s announcement that Dingwall had joined the Society—in an honorary capacity—was the last item in the last issue of Doubt, put out just before Thayer himself died of a heart attack. The connection between Dingwall and the wider Fortean community hardly passed beyond a courteous introduction, and a few brief path-crossings.
