Fate Magazine - True Stories of the Strange, The Unusual, The Unknown / April, 1955. Great Zimbabwe; Reincarnation; Psychometry; Dancing Furniture; Palmistry; Dowsing; Drummer of Tedworth; Canada's Indian Healer; Phantom Hitchhiker; Join the Mayans ? etc.

Evanston, IL: Clark Publishing Company, 1955. 1st Edition 1st Printing. Soft cover. Near Fine. 12mo - over 6¾ - 7¾" tall. Evanston, IL: Clark Publishing Company, 1955. The April, 1955 issue of Fate Magazine (Volume 8, Number 4) in Raymond A. Palmer's now-legendary paranormal-reporting non-fiction enterprise, which began with, in its first issue, Kenneth Arnold's cover account of flying crescents which "skipped like saucers across a pond", an event which, for whatever reason, kicked off the modern era of UFO events. After that, Fate introduced countless events which remain, to this day, fodder for paranormal documentaries and investigation. This April 1955 issue features a now somewhat laughable cover, depicting the ancient ruins of Great Zimbabwe through the eyes of Karl Mauch and earlier amateur archaeologists who believed the ruins to have been originally built by King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba - though the article within treats their origin to be a mystery. In fact, Great Zimbabwe is now believed to have been built, between the 11th and 15th centuries, by the ancestors of the indigenous Shona people. 12mo, illustrated staple-bound wraps, 130 pp. A Fine copy - a true rarity among examples of Fate magazine, which was inexpensively produced. The spine is even perfect, which is almost unheard of. The inevitable toning to the newsprint pages within is modest and even, and the pages, of course, remain supple. Highest Grade, for a periodical which often shows substantial decline. In addition to that cover article, this issue features articles on Reincarnation, Psychometry, Dancing Furniture, Palmistry, Dowsing, the Drummer of Tedworth, Canada's Indian Healer, a Phantom Hitchhiker, and of course much, much else, including the standard Departments, always engrossing in themselves; here, an ad on the back cover even invites us to..Join the Mayans? (see scan). Interior art and photography is largely uncredited. A piece of paranormal history, and an example of a unique branch of Americana, in very highly collectible condition. Please see scans. L82