Know Thyself.
A Monthly Magazine devoted to Phrenology, physiology, Pathology, Pathognomy, Physiognomy, Pleasure and Profit / A Phrenological Messenger.
1891--1892 Monthly
Batley, Yorkshire, England.
Editor: Prof. Ida Ellis.
Succeeded by: Phrenological Review-->Human Nature
Corporate author: Official Organ of the Universal Phrenological Society
1/1, September 1891-1/15, December 1892.
8 pp., 1d. a copy, 1s 6d. a year.

The notice of this journal in Two Worlds, August 26, 1892, reads: "Know Thyself" is the title of a small monthly devoted to phrenology, price Id., edited by Ida Ellis. It will be interesting to students of the subject to which it is devoted. It can be had at 115, Taylor Street, Batley, Yorkshire." Ida Eliza Mitchell Ellis (c. 1868-1940) was one of the famous fortune-telling and phrenological Ellises of Blackpool, along with her husband Albert Ernest Ellis (1969-1934) and his brother Frank. They founded the British Institute of Mental Science (1891) and the Universal Phrenological Society (1891), membership in the latter of which brought with it a diploma and the right to append "Dp. U.P.S." to their names, the right to have their name and address published in this journal for a year, and a free subscription to the journal. The journal is alone in having the word "profit" in its subtitle, an inclusion that goes far to explain the energy and innumerable ventures of the Ellis clan from their Promenade on the strand at Blackpool, and their frequent encounters with the law for fortune-telling and palmistry.

The journal’s first issue proclaimed a goal of 25,000 subscribers a year (later raised to 50,000), obtainable, it opined by its "free Advertisement plan and free Graphology column." It certainly attracted advertisements: "Character Reading from Photograph," a variety of phrenologists, "Hair Produced in a Fed Days," (or "Superfluous Hair Permanently Removed"), "A Splendid Work for Married Persons Only"),"Married Ladies may consult Mrs. Ellis on Limitation of Families by Legitimate Means," "Malthusian Appliance for Females," copper and zinc "Mesmeric Discs to assist in producing the Mesmeric and Hypnotic sleep," etc. The advertising came to dominate the journal and its importance was soon formalized in "The Universal Advertiser, published monthly by the Universal Agency Company" -- i.e., another Ellis venture. Every issue contained competitions and puzzles and special prizes -- all of which required the readers to send in their names and addresses for further solicitations. The journal contained original articles, including "Pathognomy" (the significance of walking as indicative of character) by L.N. Fowler, the expected phrenological analyses (the first was of General William Booth of the Salvation Army, in which Ida Ellis was a long-time worker), "Lessons in Phrenology," short analyses of readers' handwriting, "Queries and Replies," book reviews, "Character in the Eyes," a "Poets'Corner," etc. In 1900 Ida began publishing The Directory of Occult Practitioners which lasted until at least 1906, and during her career published widely on New Thought and phrenology ("Guide to Success," "Catechism of Palmistry," "Mesmerism and Hypnotism," "Palmistry Chart," guides to health, self-improvement, fame and fortune, etc., etc.) and also on social and reform topics ("Essentials of Conception," "Modern Views on the Population Question," "Thoughts on the Education of Children," etc.). National Library of Scotland; BL.

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