The Azimuth Collection

Established by Dr. Patrick Solovey, the Azimuth Collection is a curated series of documents and media primarily from the personal collection of the Luscinia Historical Society’s founder, Cyrus Rossignol (1840-1910). These documents are offered alongside process notes and other media by Luke Devlin, former LHS Archivist. The intention is to offer a meta-narrative of primary and secondary source materials for archival study. Many of the materials are made viewable online, but can also be accessed in person by making an appointment with our current Archivist. A full finding aid can be downloaded here.

Portrait of Luscinia Historical Society founder Cyrus Rossignol, c. 1905.

Excerpt of one of Cyrus’s letters included in Series 2 of the Azimuth Collection. Object #AZ0975.C1.2

Series 1: Seance Ephemera

Series 1 of the collection is an assortment of seance ephemera, primarily automatic drawings/writings created during seances that Rossignol attended. The dates of the seances are unknown, but provenance suggests somewhere between 1885-1895. It was during this period that Rossignol started his personal collection of spiritualist and occultist artifacts before formalizing the collection into the organization we operate as today.

Artist unknown, automatic drawing, c. 1885-1895, watercolor and ink on paper, 8 x 10 in.
Object #AZ1084.P3.1

Automatic drawing, object #AZ1084.P1.1. C. 1885-95, 8 x 10 in. Watercolor and ink on paper.

Automatic drawing, object #AZ1084.P1.1. C. 1885-95, 8 x 10 in. Watercolor and ink on paper.

Automatic drawing, object #AZ1084.P1.2. C. 1885-95, 8 x 10 in. Watercolor and ink on paper.

Automatic drawing, object #AZ1084.P1.2. C. 1885-95, 8 x 10 in. Watercolor and ink on paper.

Automatic drawing, object #AZ1084.P.2. C. 1885-95, 8 x 10 in. Watercolor and ink on paper.

Automatic drawing, object #AZ1084.P.2. C. 1885-95, 8 x 10 in. Watercolor and ink on paper.

Automatic drawing, object #AZ1084.P3.1. C. 1885-95, 8 x 10 in. Watercolor and ink on paper.

Automatic drawing, object #AZ1084.P3.1. C. 1885-95, 8 x 10 in. Watercolor and ink on paper.

Automatic drawing, object #AZ1084.P3.2. C. 1885-95, 8 x 10 in. Watercolor and ink on paper.

Automatic drawing, object #AZ1084.P3.2. C. 1885-95, 8 x 10 in. Watercolor and ink on paper.

Automatic drawing, object #AZ1084.P3.3. C. 1885-95, 8 x 10 in. Watercolor and ink on paper.

Automatic drawing, object #AZ1084.P3.3. C. 1885-95, 8 x 10 in. Watercolor and ink on paper.

Series 2: Correspondence

Series 2 is exclusively correspondence between Rossignol and his close friend and associate, Niklaus Bourke. Bourke was a scholar, recently relocated to Cincinnati, and experienced bizarre and paranormal events including attending his own seances and other encounters. These letters were likely sent to one another between 1874-76, although proper dates are still unknown.

Excerpt of one of Cyrus’s letters included in Series 2 of the Azimuth Collection.
Object #AZ0975.C1.3

Object #AZ0975.C1.1. 5 x 8 in., c. 1875.

Object #AZ0975.C1.1. 5 x 8 in., c. 1875.

Object #AZ0975.C1.2. 5 x 8 in., c. 1875.

Object #AZ0975.C1.2. 5 x 8 in., c. 1875.

Object #AZ0975.C1.3. 5 x 8 in., c. 1875.

Object #AZ0975.C1.3. 5 x 8 in., c. 1875.

Object #AZ0975.N1.1. 5 x 8 in., c. 1875.

Object #AZ0975.N1.1. 5 x 8 in., c. 1875.

Object #AZ0975.N1.2. 5 x 8 in., c. 1875.

Object #AZ0975.N1.2. 5 x 8 in., c. 1875.

Object #AZ0975.N1.3. 5 x 8 in., c. 1875.

Object #AZ0975.N1.3. 5 x 8 in., c. 1875.

Series 3: Luke Devlin Processing Notes

In his first act as Executive Director, Dr. Patrick Solovey hired writer and amateur historian Luke Devlin to be the first archivist in the organization’s history. Devlin (b. 1969) was first tasked with processing the spirit drawings in this collection before stumbling upon the unfilled letters. In addition to historical and contextual research, Devlin transcribed all of the letters as best as he could, making research easier for future patrons, historians, and artists alike. This series also includes 2 magnetic cassette tapes, which may be listened to during an appointment with our Archivist.

Luke Devlin, Untitled, Gelatin silver print with hand coloring on fiber-based paper, 8 x 10 in. 1998.
Object #AZ.LD98.M1

As part of his position as Archivist, Devlin utilized the narrative within Niklaus’s first letter as inspiration for a series of creative works, including this photograph. The original image was a 35mm photograph taken in Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood that was then worked into with watercolor. While there is mention of more of these experiments in his notes, this is the only remaining photograph Devlin produced.

Object #AZ.LD98.AN1.1 (copy). Original object kept in offsite storage, color photocopy made 2025.

Object #AZ.LD98.AN1.1 (copy). Original object kept in offsite storage, color photocopy made 2025.

Object #AZ.LD98.AN1.2 (copy). Original object kept in offsite storage, color photocopy made 2025.

Object #AZ.LD98.AN1.2 (copy). Original object kept in offsite storage, color photocopy made 2025.

Object #AZ.LD98.AN2 (copy). Original object kept in offsite storage, color photocopy made 2025.

Object #AZ.LD98.AN2 (copy). Original object kept in offsite storage, color photocopy made 2025.

Object #AZ.LD98.AN1.3 (copy). Original object kept in offsite storage, color photocopy made 2025.

Object #AZ.LD98.AN1.3 (copy). Original object kept in offsite storage, color photocopy made 2025.

Series 4: Miscellaneous

The final series of the Azimuth Collection are miscellaneous items, including internal Luscinia Historical Society memos from 1998 as well as various newspaper clippings ranging in dates from 1875 - 1998. These clippings were sourced from LHS directors, including Rossignol himself who began the tradition before our formal founding.