BERNARD M. L. ERNST (1879-1938) was an American lawyer, magician and associate of Harry Houdini. Born on March 17, 1879 in Uniontown, Alabama, he received his LL.B from Columbia University in 1905 ...ver maisBERNARD M. L. ERNST (1879-1938) was an American lawyer, magician and associate of Harry Houdini. Born on March 17, 1879 in Uniontown, Alabama, he received his LL.B from Columbia University in 1905 and began working as a lawyer for a firm in Boston in 1909. He also worked on the legal counsel for the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway. In the 1930s he was a council member of the Metropolitan League of Jewish Community Associations in New York City. Ernst took an interest in magic and became the personal attorney for the magician Harry Houdini, managing his correspondence and private papers, and the legal representative of his estate. He lectured on Houdini and magic at Columbia University and in 1926 succeeded Houdini as President of the Society of American Magicians. Ernst passed away on November 28, 1938, aged 59.
HEREWARD CARRINGTON (1880-1958) was a well-known British-born American investigator of psychic phenomena and author. His subjects included several of the most high-profile cases of apparent psychic ability of his times, and he wrote over 100 books on paranormal and psychical research, conjuring and stage magic, and alternative medicine. Born on October 17, 1880 in St. Helier, Jersey, Carrington emigrated to the U.S. in 1888, settling in New York City in 1904. He developed an interest in psychic abilities and, at age 19, joined the Society for Psychical Research and the American Society for Psychical Research in 1907. He gained his Ph.D. from Oskaloosa College, Iowa in 1918 and kept extensive records of his research and investigations. He corresponded with notable figures of the day, including Sylvan Muldoon, one of the earliest pioneers in the field of astral projection, with whom he co-authored three books. In 1921, Carrington founded the American Psychical Institute, which consisted of a laboratory that was one of the first to investigate psychical phenomena. He died on December 26, 1958, aged 78.ver menos