The Victorian era (about 1837– 1901 saw an explosion of passion in interacting with the dead. Rapid social modification, high death (specifically from war and disease), and brand-new modern technologies (especially photography) combined with a wish for convenience and proof after loss. Two linked sensations– the parlor séance and spirit digital photography– became characteristic of that age’s effort to make death visible and negotiable. This short article traces the essential occasions and people and clarifies just how those practices affected later mystical activities and the general public creativity.
Timeline of Key Events & & Figures
1848– The Fox Siblings and the birth of contemporary Spiritualism
In March 1848 in Hydesville, New York, Maggie and Kate Fox reported strange “rappings” that they and their household took communication from a spirit. Their public demos (and later on scenic tours) stired up a motion of tools and séances throughout the united state and to Britain. The Fox sisters ended up being the face of early Spiritualism– whether sincere or deceitful– and their efficiencies made spirit interaction an industrial and social sensation.