Johann Luxenburger, Friedrich Sesaner of Luttum. Dreifacher Hollenzwang—book of magic, charms and invocations to compel demons, circa 1557.

Manuscript copy of a “Hollenzwang,” a book containing invocations and charms intended to compel the demons to do one's will. It draws its inspiration from Dr. Faust’s Wunder-Buch (1501) and includes several drawings.

Letter to Salem court by William Good, September 13, 1710.

Here, William Good writes to the Honourable Committee requesting compensation for the death of his wife Sarah, convicted of witchcraft in 1692. He also mentions their baby, who died in prison, and their young daughter who has “little or no reason” left after several months of incarceration.Acquired by George Lincoln Burr.

Minutes of the Trial of Dietrich Flade.

The tragic story of Dietrich Flade was of particular interest to Burr, who spent months in Germany researching his life and death. Flade, a judge and witness to many persecutions of alleged witches, made many enemies in his public post. In return, he was tried and accused of witchcraft himself. He was strangled and burned in 1589.

Letter from George Lincoln Burr to A.D. White, April 8, 1886.

“… I have stumbled, today, on a bit of unsuspected evidence that is so important to my researches here, and in particular throws such a flood of light upon the fate of the unfortunate Flade, that I cannot resist the impulse to share it with you...I find the most indubitable indications that the death of Flade was the result of a contrived plot…” Burr’s theory that Flade was executed first and foremost for speaking out against the witch hunts was later disproved.

Experimentirbuch, illustrating sigils. 1800-1900.

Collection of Prescriptions, with spells and charms, circa 1650.