Harry E. Wedeck

Harry Ezekiel Wedeck (1894 – 8 July 1996) was a British linguist, classical scholar, translator, and writer on the occult, astrology, and aphrodisiacs.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/07/14/nyregion/harry-wedeck-102-observer-of-the-odd.html|title=Obituary. Harry Wedeck, 102, Observer of the Odd|date=14 July 1996|page=31, Section 1|newspaper=The New York Times}}{{cite web|title=Harry E. Wedeck|website=The Online Books Page, (library.upenn.edu)|url=https://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/book/lookupname?key=Wedeck%2C%20Harry%20E%2E%2C%201894%2D1996}}{{cite book | chapter=About the Authors|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gLUsEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT409 | title=Dictionary of Spiritualism | isbn=9781504067201 | last1=Wedeck | first1=Harry E. | last2=Baskin | first2=Wade | date=25 May 2021 | publisher=Open Road Media }}

Biography

A native of Sheffield, West Riding of Yorkshire, UK, Wedeck served in India in the British Army during the First World War. He graduated with an M.A. from the University of Edinburgh. He spoke French fluently and studied and travelled in France. Eventually he immigrated to the United States and studied at Teachers College, Columbia University. During the late 1920s he taught Latin at Seward Park High School in Manhattan.{{cite journal|author=Wedeck, Harry E.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XfA-n73lgB4C&pg=RA2-PA264 |pages=264–265| title=Is the Dalton Plan Practicable in High School Latin? |journal=The High School Teacher | year=1925 }} For over two decades he taught Latin at Brooklyn's Erasmus Hall High School and from 1935 until (at least) 1950 chaired the high school's department of classical languages.{{cite web| url=https://obituaries.nydailynews.com/us/obituaries/nydailynews/name/edmond-wedeck-obituary?id=23378304%26utm_source%3Dfacebook%26utm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_campaign%3Dobitsharebeta |title=Edmond Wedeck Obituary (May 11, 2011) – the New York Daily News |website=Legacy.com }} (See the condolence message by Joyce T. Smith.) After retirement from Erasmus Hall High School, he taught Greek and Latin classics at Brooklyn College until 1968 and then lectured on medieval studies at The New School for Social Research until 1974.

Wedeck translated novels from French into English and vice versa. He contributed articles to The Saturday Review of Literature and The Classical Journal. Near the end of his teaching career, he produced many books. Several of the books, including Dictionary of Astrology, A Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, A Treasury of Witchcraft, and Triumph of Satan, remained available in paperback reprints for decades.

Upon his death at the age of 102, he was survived by his widow, Rose Slata Wedeck, two sons, Edmond (1923–2011) and David (1926–2011),{{cite web | url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/northjersey/name/david-wedeck-obituary?pid=152825774 | title=David Wedeck Obituary (July 31, 2011) – Teaneck, NJ – the Record/Herald News | website=Legacy.com }} and four grandchildren.

Books and monographs

{{cite book|title=Humor in Varro, and other essays|location=Oxford|publisher=B. Blackwell|year=1929|postscript=; 112 pages}}{{cite journal|url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/classical-review/article/abs/humour-in-varro-and-other-essays-by-harry-e-wedeck-ma-pp112-oxford-blackwell-1929-6s-net/AFB206B43AB9747092536C2329A49B90 |doi=10.1017/S0009840X00051386 |title=Humour in Varro and other Essays. By Harry E. Wedeck, M.A.|year=1930 |last1=Fordyce |first1=C. J. |journal=The Classical Review |volume=44 |issue=5 |page=201 |s2cid=162611925 }}
{{cite book|title=Third year Latin, with introduction, notes, vocabulary, and grammatical appendix|location=Boston; New York|publisher=D. C. Heath & Company|year=1931}} 2nd edition, 1938
{{cite book|title=Mortal hunger; a novel based on the life of Lafcadio Hearn|location=New York|publisher=Sheridan House|year=1947|isbn=1121683673}}
{{cite book|title=Dictionary of magic|location=New York|publisher=Philosophical Library|year=1956|isbn=0802218296}} {{cite book|title=2015 edition| isbn=978-1-5040-1094-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CYepBgAAQBAJ | last1=Wedeck | first1=Harry E. | date=24 February 2015 | publisher=Open Road Media }}
{{cite book|title=Dictionary of the occult|location=New York|publisher=Philosophical Library|year=1956}} {{cite book|title=2019 edition| isbn=978-1-5040-6025-7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=C1XADwAAQBAJ | last1=Wedeck | first1=Harry E. | date=17 December 2019 | publisher=Open Road Media }}
{{cite book|title=Short dictionary of classical word origins|publisher=Philosophical Library|year=1957}}
{{cite book|title=2014 pbk reprint|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fXqvCwAAQBAJ |isbn=9781442234338 | last1=Wedeck | first1=Harry E. | date=January 1957 | publisher=Rowman & Littlefield }}
{{cite book|title=Treasury of witchcraft|publisher=Citadel Press|year=1961}}
{{cite book|title=Treasury of witchcraft : a source book of the magic arts|publisher=Bonanza Books|year=1989}}
{{cite book|title=Dictionary of aphrodisiacs|location=New York|publisher=Philosophical Library|year=1961}}
{{cite book|title=Dictionary of aphrodisiacs|postscript=; illustrated by Jill Karla Schwarz; designed by Joyce Rothschild|location=New York|publisher=Philosopical Library|year=1989}}
{{cite book|title=Dictionary of erotic literature|location=New York|publisher=Philosophical Library|year=1962}}
{{cite book|title=Pictorial history of morals|location=New York|publisher=Philosophical Library|year=1963|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_09NAAAAYAAJ}}
{{cite book|title=Concise dictionary of medieval history|location=London|publisher=Peter Owen|year=1963}}
{{cite book|title=Study of amatory devices and mores|publisher=Citadel Press|year=1963}}
{{cite book|title=Love potions through the ages : a study of amatory devices and mores|location=New York|publisher=Philosophical Library|year=1963}}
{{cite book|title=Triumph of Satan|location=New Hyde Park, N.Y.|publisher=University Books|year=1970}}
with Wade Baskin: {{cite book|title=Dictionary of pagan religions|location=New York|publisher=Philosophical Library|year=1971}}
{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DVXADwAAQBAJ | title=Dictionary of Pagan Religions | isbn=9781504060189 | last1=Wedeck | first1=Harry E. | last2=Baskin | first2=Wade | date=17 December 2019 }}
{{cite book|title=Dictionary of spiritualism|location=New York|publisher=Philosophical Library|year=1971}}
{{cite book|title=Dictionary of astrology: astrological concepts, techniques, and theories|location=London|publisher=P. Owen|year=1973}}
with Wade Baskin: {{cite book|title=Dictionary of gypsy life and lore|location=New York|publisher=Philosophical Library|year=1973}}
{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OTdwCgAAQBAJ | title=Dictionary of Gypsy Life and Lore | isbn=9781504022743 | date=8 September 2015 }}

=as editor=

co-edited with Abram Lipsky: {{cite book|title=Nārrātiōnēs Biblicae from the Vulgate|location=New York|publisher=Silver, Burdett & Company|year=1928}}
co-edited with Wilbert Lester Carr and George Depue Hadzsits: {{cite book|title=Living language, a second Latin book|location=Boston; New York|publisher=D.C. Heath & Company|year=1934}}{{cite journal | url=https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/439817 | doi=10.1086/439817 | title=Review of The Living Language: A Second Latin Book edited by Wilbert Lester Carr, George Depue Hadzsits, and Harry E. Wedeck | year=1935 | last1=Hutchinson | first1=Mark E. | journal=The School Review | volume=43 | issue=6 | pages=474–475 | s2cid=143186533 }}
co-edited with Wilbert Lester Carr: {{cite book|title=Latin poetry|location=Boston|publisher=D. C. Heath & Company|year=1940}}
{{cite book|title=Classics of Greek literature, from the literary beginnings to the second century A.D.|location=New York|publisher=Philosophical Library|year=1963}}
{{cite book|title=Classics of Roman literature, from the literary beginnings to the end of the silver age|location=New York|publisher=Philosophical Library|year=1963}}
{{cite book|title=Putnam's Dark and Middle Ages reader; selections from the 5th to 15th centuries|location=New York|publisher=Putnam|year=1964}}
co-edited with Frederick M. Schweitzer: {{cite book|title=Dictionary of the Renaissance|location=New York|publisher= Philosophical Library|year=1967|isbn=978-1-5040-6725-6}}; {{cite book|title=2021 edition|publisher=Open Road Media|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hLUsEAAAQBAJ}}

=as translator=

co-translator with Thomas Taylor and others: {{cite book|editor=Kiernan, Thomas P.|title=Aristotle Dictionary|location=New York|publisher=Philosophical Library|year=1962|postscript=; with an introduction by Theodore E. James}}; {{cite book|title=2018 edition|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xV1gDwAAQBAJ}}
{{cite book|title=The Foundation of Life|location=New York|publisher=Philosophical Library|year=1962|postscript=; especially abridged translation of Fons Vitae, written in Latin by the famous medieval Jewish philosopher Solomon ibn Gabirol}}
{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UIthngEACAAJ | title=The Fountain of Life: Fons Vitae | isbn=9781258180102 | date=October 2011 }}
{{cite book |last=von Krafft-Ebing |first=R. |author-link=Richard von Krafft-Ebing|title=Psychopathia sexualis: A medico–forensic study |publisher=Putnam |orig-year=1886 |year=1965 |postscript=; translated from the original German by Harry E. Wedeck|location=New York}}
{{cite book|title=Late Latin Writers and their Greek Sources|author=Courcelle, Pierre|author-link=Pierre Courcelle|postscript=; translation by Harry E. Wedeck of 2nd edition of Les Lettres grecques en Occident de Macrobe à Cassiodore; xii+467 pages|location=Cambridge, Massachusetts|publisher=Harvard University Press|year=1969}}{{cite journal|author=Browning, R.|date=December 1971|title=Review of Late Latin Writers and their Greek Sources by Pierre Courcelle, translated by Harry E. Wedeck|journal=The Classical Review|volume=21|issue=3|pages=411–412|url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/classical-review/article/abs/late-latin-writers-and-greek-courcelle-pierre-late-latin-writers-and-their-greek-sources-translated-by-wedeck-harry-e-pp-xii467-cambridge-mass-harvard-university-press-london-oxford-university-press-1969-cloth-725/111D54C36C90594B27F8D70262DA74FF}} {{LCCN|69012721}}