When you think of a person as a “spirit medium,” what gender comes to mind? (Quick – don’t think about it). A woman, right? This was especially the case in the 19th century. Although there certainly were male mediums, the nineteenth century spiritualist movement was dominated by women. Here are some of the most famous(…)
spiritualism
Flashback Friday: 19th century Spiritualism, fakers and fakery
Instead of “Fashion Friday,” today will be “Flashback Friday.” I’m re-posting an earlier piece on seance cons in the 19th century, and the devices used. Enjoy! The Entertainment Circuit We often think of seances as events held inside private homes, sort of like consulting a fortune-teller’s tent at a carnival. Certainly, many mediums worked in(…)
19th century Spiritualism, part 4: Gotcha!
Today we’re wrapping up the spiritualism series with some of those “gotcha” moments, sometimes funny, sometimes pathetic, when frauds were exposed in public. “GOTCHA” METHOD 1: Professional De-bunkers Be the first to like. Like Unlike
19th century Spiritualism: Seances, Mediums, Exhibits
the Fox sisters, Leah, Margaret, and Kate The Fox sisters: Seances (whereby a spirit is summoned to communicate with the living) became quite popular in the 1800s, due in large part to the Fox sisters. In 1848, the first recorded spirit-rapping in America took place when Margaret and Kate Fox attempted to communicate with the(…)