Supernatural Machines: The History of Spirit Communication Devices

Supernatural Machines: The History of Spirit Communication Devices with David Brandon Hodge

In the heart of every culture lies a fascination with the afterlife, and a yearning to connect with those who have passed beyond the veil. Since the rise of the Spiritualist movement in the Victorian era, clever inventors and aspiring entrepreneurs alike have created a host of devices crafted to breach this veil between worlds and communicate with the dead. In this richly illustrated presentation, author, historian, and collector David Brandon Hodge explores the secret history of séance apparatus in a special sneak-peek into the pages of his upcoming book, Supernatural Machines: The History of Spirit Communication Devices! Nearly 30 years in the making, the unprecedented, large-format coffee table book presents a comprehensive history of all manner of séance tools, including spirit-writing planchettes and the enigmatic Ouija, from their prehistory right up to the modern era. And this event will mark the first time the book will be available for sale to the public, weeks before its official release!

These devices have left an indelible mark on humankind's psyche, and Brandon will guide participants through the extraordinary history and evolution of these conduits created to speak with the dead. From the Victorian Era’s fascinations with the Fox sisters’ spectral rappings to the controversy and intrigue of the Ouija board, Brandon's work draws on nearly 3 decades of historical research into these enigmatic apparatus, during which time he assembled the world’s largest collection of spirit communication apparatus and related ephemera. He has traveled the globe documenting spirit apparatus from many cultures, and his presentation will unveil this rich tapestry of tools and techniques developed by Spiritualists to communicate with the other side, in a captivating, decade-by-decade journey into the mysterious world of séances, spirit boards, and spookshows.

Brandon's presentation will explore, among other topics, the discovery of table-tipping in the early 1850s, which transfixed the world when Spiritualists discovered the furniture around which they sat would move mysteriously--and with seeming intelligence--beneath their outstretched hands, enabling sitters to interpret the strange tippings as communications from beyond. Participants will hear the history of the automatic writing planchette, whose eerily intelligent movements fascinated enthusiasts around the world in the wake of the Civil War, becoming one of America's first commercial pop culture crazes. These spirit-writing devices were eventually paired with boards bearing printed alphabets, giving birth to the talking board in the late 1880s, inspiring entrepreneurs to patent and commercialize the idea as Ouija, as a new pop culture phenomenon was born, which has persisted through captivation and controversy into the modern era. Witness all this and more, through dozens of rich visuals of forgotten séance depictions and rare artifacts drawn from the pages of Supernatural Machines.

Tickets: $15 (in person only)

Please email events@prs.org or phone 323-663-2167 with any questions.

Pre-release copies of Supernatural Machines will be available for sale after Brandon's presentation, which he will be happy to sign for guests.