Winning Paper: Specters, Séance, Sex, and Spirit Cabinets: A Glance at the Smoke and Mirrors of Victorian Era England’s Obsession with Contacting the Dead

Authors

Shelby L. Oshel, Fort Hays State UniversityFollow

Abstract

The Victorian era, which lasted from 1837 to 1901, gave birth to a rapidly evolving new world; England entered a time of prosperous trade and wealth through imperialism and colonialism. However, the fruits of rapid industrialization came at a high cost to working and poor class individuals.1 Death rates rapidly increased among individuals working in industrious jobs due to a lack of labor laws and safety regulations. Sickness spread quickly, as many families lived in tiny, terribly ventilated flats that often went uncleaned. Many children died from injury from the back-breaking labor forced upon them, malnourishment, and fast-spreading illness. While high levels of death constantly loomed over the working class, it remained present in the minds of upper-class individuals as well, typically in the form of infant and child death.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2022

Rights

© The Author(s)

Comments

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Recommended Citation

Oshel, Shelby L., "Winning Paper: Specters, Séance, Sex, and Spirit Cabinets: A Glance at the Smoke and Mirrors of Victorian Era England’s Obsession with Contacting the Dead" (2022). 2022 Lynn Haggard Undergraduate Library Research Award. 2.
https://scholars.fhsu.edu/lhulra_2022/2