Talking with the Dead: The Rise & Fall of Spiritualism in America

People have been trying to communicate with the dead since ancient times. This desire sprang up anew in mid-19th century America. Spiritualism, as this movement came to be called, featured intermediaries or mediums, who promised they could summon departed souls and establish communication with the living through a series of knocks, called spirit rapping. Spiritualism spread rapidly, and Philadelphia was a center for spiritualist activity.  We will trace Spiritualism’s history from its beginnings in 1848 through the twentieth century right up until the present day, with a particular focus on the Victorian era.  Spiritualism became so popular that by 1855, it was estimated that there were 2 million spiritualists in America, out of a population of 31 million.

Speaker: Patricia Rose

Patricia Rose is a native of Ohio, who came to Philadelphia 50 years ago to do graduate work in American literature at Penn.  After a brief teaching career she moved to administrative positions at Penn, and served for many years as director of Career Services, an office that helps undergraduate and graduate students find jobs, gain admission to graduate programs, and begin careers of purpose and meaning.  After retiring in 2018 she began volunteering at Laurel Hill Cemetery, and she offers tours at both Laurel Hill East and Laurel Hill West.  She enjoys traveling, both to Europe and more frequently to California to visit children and a grandson.

Host: Marta Dabezies

Marta Dabezies came to Philadelphia in 1975 to attend medical school at the University of Pennsylvania after studying music at both Harvard and the Peabody Conservatory. After post-graduate training at Penn and in Baltimore, she joined the faculty of Temple Medical School, and worked there for 12 years before joining the Gastroenterology Division at Abington Memorial Hospital. Since retiring in 2018 she spends her time playing music and traveling with her wife, Pat Rose, who is tonight’s presenter.