This exploration into the Spiritualism Movement began when one of our Archives staff members, Dave Hooper, discovered an intriguing wooden object in our collections. We immediately recognized it as some type of planchette. Further investigation revealed that it was used during the Victorian era for “automatic writing,” a tool designed to communicate with the dead. This artifact is a relic of the Spiritualism Movement, which peaked in the Victorian era, when attending a seance was a common late-night activity.
Spiritualism was a movement popular in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, asserting that an individual’s consciousness persists after death and can be contacted by the living.
The Fox Sisters: Pioneers of Spiritualism.
Most people attribute the start of the Spiritualism Movement in the U.S. to the Fox sisters, Maggie and Kate, who were spirit mediums from Rochester, New York. In 1848, in Hydesville, NY, the two young girls claimed they were communicating with a spirit in their home through rapping and knocking sounds. These claims quickly spread, and the Fox sisters, along with their older sister Leah, soon became renowned mediums who helped others “communicate with the dead.” The movement eventually developed into a religious one.
Spiritualism appealed to many because it promoted individualism, especially for women. It was the only religion in which women were seen as equals and one of the few avenues that allowed them to speak publicly. Many women embraced it as a way to advance the women’s rights movement.
There were various tools and methods that spiritualists and mediums used to communicate with the dead. One popular tool, like the one in the Leelanau Historical Society Collection, is a Planchette used for automatic writing. This type of planchette, from the Victorian era, was intended to communicate with spirits. Unlike those used with Ouija boards, this planchette has a pencil at its point and wheels on the bottom, allowing spirits to move it across paper to write messages. The planchette in our collection was made by Selchow & Righter and was donated by the Woodbridge Family from Leland.
The Spiritualism movement cannot be mentioned without acknowledging the most popular method of contacting the dead: holding a Seance. Aside from being a forum for grieving individuals to connect with loved ones, seances also served as entertainment for the wealthy in Victorian times. Typically, a seance was led by a “medium”—someone claiming the ability to communicate with spirits or the dead and acting as an intermediary between the living and the spirit world. A group would gather around a table with the medium, who would attempt to channel or communicate with a spirit. Mediums sometimes used various tools, such as spirit cabinets, Ouija boards, and planchettes. However, many so-called mediums were frauds who created the illusion of communicating beyond the veil to profit.
Spirit Cabinets were another popular tool. They were not always actual cabinets; they could be a curtained-off area or even a doorway. The medium would enter this space to become entranced by the spirit they were attempting to contact. The idea behind the cabinet was to shield the medium from direct view while producing strange phenomena, which audiences found captivating. Mediums were often bound hand and foot in these cabinets, yet seemingly impossible phenomena would manifest around them. For more, visit American Hauntings Ink.
The most infamous tool of spiritualists is undoubtedly the talking board, or Ouija board, which still fascinates people today. Inspired by automatic writing, the Ouija board features a board with the alphabet, numbers 0-9, “yes” and “no,” and “goodbye,” along with a planchette. Participants place their fingers on the planchette, and theoretically, spirits move it across the board to spell messages. Unlike automatic writing planchettes, these planchettes have an eye in the center and no pencil at the bottom. After its commercial patent passed to businessman Elijah Bond on February 10, 1891, the Ouija board was considered a harmless parlor game until American spiritualist Pearl Curran popularized it as a divining tool during World War I.
The scientific community criticizes paranormal and supernatural beliefs about Ouija boards as pseudoscience, explaining the board’s actions as the result of unconscious movements by participants, a phenomenon known as the ideomotor effect. Nevertheless, the Ouija board remains a popular subject in media and a thrilling activity for those seeking a scare.
J. Elder Blackledge: Leelanau’s Own Magician Skeptic.
Not everyone embraced the Spiritualism Movement. Many, including magicians like Houdini, spoke against it and worked to expose fraudulent mediums.
J. Elder Blackledge, a magician who summered in Leland, shared this skepticism. Born in Indianapolis, IN, in 1891, Blackledge developed an interest in magic as a pupil of Maro, the Prince of Magic, at age twelve. After studying architecture at the University of Pennsylvania and serving in World War I, Blackledge traveled to 22 countries, performing and researching magic. His skill and knowledge made him one of the most charismatic magicians of his time.
Modern Spiritualism.
Although Spiritualism is still practiced today, it is far less popular than during the Victorian era. Modern-day Spiritualist churches emphasize life after death and the possibility of communication with spirits, though they place greater emphasis on God than their Victorian counterparts. If you’re interested in learning more about contemporary Spiritualism, one church in Northern Michigan provides more information here: Michigan Spiritualist Association.
Visit the Leelanau Historical Society’s “Maro, Prince of Magic” exhibit to see the artifact that inspired this blog, currently on display. The museum is open year-round. View the full Exhibit Listing for current displays and hours.
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