Eusapia Palladino 1892

The spiritualism initiated by the Fox sisters in 1848 provoked a surge of spiritualist mediums ⁸ who encouraged the public to make contact their deceased relatives . Illusionism seized on this lucrative wave including in their shows spirit acts which bordered on dishonesty .

Great controversial female figures offered their services such as Florence Cook ( Mme Corner , 1856-1904 ), Eusapia Palladino ( 1854-1918 ), Anna Eva Fay ( 1851-1927 ) and Eva Fay ( 1877-

1931 ). They used special effects and illusion techniques to deceive their audiences . The female medium ’ s figure was a social phenomenon and it forced male spiritualists to reconsider gender equality and female emancipation .

16 SPECIAL EDITION | 2021