Maxine and Co. again, 1966
It should have been clear from my last post on Maxine Sanders just how big an impact it had on her life to be thrown into the spotlight by Alex. The initial impact was also very negative, she was kicked out of her house, estranged from her dying mother, hounded by churchmen, attacked and harassed in the street. Nevertheless, within a short period Alex managed to convince Maxine to join with him and court further publicity.
The following set of images are from late in 1966. As with the photos in the last post, the images did not appear all at once. The first lot appeared in Martin A. David, ‘Nude Rites in a “Black Witchcraft” Hideout!’, TAB (December 1966) and the second lot in Witchcraft Today (1968), a rare and highly-sought after ‘Adult’ publication.
The article by David identifies the coven members. We are told that the apartment belongs to ’22-year old Paul King. Paul works as a clerk with a large chemical and rubber factory in Manchester’, we are introduced to ‘Maxine Morris, a pretty 19-year old typist; Jean Steven, also 19, a student; Diane Bradford, who works in a nursing home and Keith Johns, an engineer.’ One has to wonder whether Keith Johns is related to June Johns, the reporter seemingly responsible for ‘breaking’ the Sanders story in the first place.
I have tried to identify the various participants below, each given from left to right. It would probably help to know that the circle of six (seen in photos 6-10) was clearly formed in the order: Maxine, Alex, Diane, Keith, Jean, Paul (from the perspective of one facing Maxine, as the camera almost always does!).
19 August 2007 at 11:46 AM
Wow! These pictures are absolutely amazing! I’ve never seen them before – even if other people have. (1966 is the year I was born!). What a great resource and inspiration these are for the modern Craft.
~Caroline.
23 August 2007 at 4:49 PM
Looks like my 16th birthday party!Excellent blog,I’ve added a link to it on my list of favorites,keep up the sexy,witchy work.
Love,
Dub
28 October 2007 at 10:11 PM
Thanks beedubelhue (BW?), and many thanks Caroline.
These pictures were a revelation to me when I first saw them and that is what keeps me looking for more, so I am glad you like them too. I have quite a few more of other founding figures of the Craft (male and female), which is what my http://red-witch.blogspot.com/ blog is supposed to be for, but it is so hard to find the time to maintain another blog that I have been very slack with posting the images, even though they are already scanned etc. I will see what I can do in December!
Red Witch
6 April 2009 at 7:50 PM
[...] Maxine and Co., again, 1966 [...]
16 October 2009 at 10:10 AM
Witchcraft ain’t what it used to be? Repent? recant?!! I was about to say I confess that I don’t really know. maybe I don”t. I’m still in awe. Marvelous. I want your book already. Repent? i wil not rca-aurghh.