The Extraordinary World of MARBL: Crystal Ball

The Manuscript, Archives and Rare Book Library is a place of discovery. All are welcome to visit and explore our unique holdings, whether as a researcher or an observer. The breadth and depth of our collections are vast, and it is nearly impossible to investigate every nook and cranny. We invite you this year, through our blog, to tour some of those places you didn't know existed, and get acquainted with collections you might not have previously explored. Check back in with us weekly over the course of 2013 as we offer you a delightful look into some of the favorite, but perhaps lesser-known, corners of our collections. These pieces are visually interesting, come attached with fascinating stories, and are often 3D objects you might not have realized are part of what makes up The Extraordinary World of MARBL.

Crystal Ball, Mamie Wade Avant Collection

Do you know what the future holds? This crystal ball belonged to an African American fortune teller from Savannah named Mamie Wade Avant. Fortune tellers and other persons believed to be clairvoyant used things like crystal balls, tarot cards and spells to help their clients solve problems and gain information about the future. Much remains unknown about the owner of the crystal ball, but the collection includes handwritten spells and fortune telling cards with instructions on how to use them.

by Gabrielle M. Dudley, Research Library Fellow, MARBL

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