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The human desire to connect with the dead since the mid-19th century gave rise to a fascination with the supernatural and the magical. Mediums and magicians from Harry Houdini, Margery the Medium, Howard Thurston, and the Fox Sisters offered “communication” with the departed at séances and magic shows, two interrelated forms of popular culture that relied heavily on illusions and stagecraft.
This is the first illustrated volume to gather the art and objects that made medium and magician performances iconic during the Spiritualism movement and beyond, a time when people actively debated and wondered, "can spirits return?" An international selection of paintings, photographs, posters, stage apparatuses, film, publications, and other objects reveal how audiences were entranced and mystified by these experiential performances, captivating willing believers and garnering skeptics as they navigated the intersecting realms of science and spirituality. From the origins of the iconic Oujia board to spirit photography, this book is a treasure trove.
Edited by George H. Schwartz, with contributions by Tedi Asher, Christopher Jones, Lan Morgan, Tony Oursler, Jennifer Lemmer Posey, and Mark Schwartz. Published by Rizzoli Electa with the Peabody Essex Museum and the John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art in 2024. Hardcover, measures 10.7 x 7.7 x 0.8 inches, 144 pages. ISBN 9780847828241
