author
L. W. (Lauron William) De Laurence
1868–1936
Best known for popularizing occult and spiritual literature through mail-order publishing, this early 20th-century writer built a wide readership around books on magic, hypnotism, and mysticism. His name still surfaces wherever readers explore the strange crossroads of folklore, commerce, and esoteric belief.
1 Audiobook
The Illustrated Key to the Tarot: The Veil of Divination
by L. W. (Lauron William) De Laurence
About the author
Born in Ohio in 1868, L. W. de Laurence was an American author and publisher who wrote and marketed books on occult and spiritual subjects. He became closely associated with Chicago, where he built his publishing business and issued works on topics such as divination, hypnotism, mental influence, and ceremonial magic.
He is especially remembered for De Laurence, Scott & Co., a mail-order publishing house that helped spread esoteric books far beyond specialist circles. His editions and compilations reached readers in the United States, the Caribbean, and elsewhere, giving him an influence that lasted well beyond his lifetime.
De Laurence died in Chicago in 1936. Today he is often discussed not only as a writer, but also as a canny publisher whose books played a notable role in the wider history of popular occult literature.