Headquartered in Southeast Ohio, the Luscinia Historical Society has been collecting, archiving, and preserving lesser known esoteric and spiritualist ephemera since 1895.

Our volunteers have spanned multiple generations, collecting and preserving works from the mid-19th Century to today. Our collection includes physical artifacts of esoteric and spiritualist practices from around North America, including personal letters and diaries, photographs, prints, and short-run publications. Starting in the 1970s, our collection expanded to include analog video and audio pieces, including VHS and cassette tapes.

Since our inception we have called various locations in the greater Cincinnati area our home, including warehouses and storefronts in Clifton, Over-the-Rhine, and Camp Washington. LHS is currently in-between brick-and-mortar locations and actively seeking a new home.

In 2004, a major fire broke out in the Lower Price Hill neighborhood of Cincinnati. The Queen City Barrel Fire caused an estimated $5 million in damages, including crucial pre-digitized archives of the Luscinia Historical Society itself. While no casualties nor major damages to the collection were reported during the fire, the resulting loss in knowledge continues to haunt us to this day.

In 2013, LHS was able to purchase its first computer, document scanner, and basic recording equipment, allowing us to begin the necessary digitization process to bring our collection to the 21st Century. These machines are still in use to this day, empowering our volunteers to revolutionize our research and disseminate it in ways never before seen. The process of digitization has been slow and methodical, ensuring our collection is transcribed and organized with accuracy and efficacy.

In 2023, LHS announced a brand new Archivist-in-Residence program to better serve our vital collections and help continue the digitization efforts.