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19. Yüzyıl Ruhçuluğunda Teknolojik Medyumluk Biçimi Olarak Fotoğrafçılık

Year 2022, , 272 - 291, 31.05.2022
https://doi.org/10.47124/viraverita.1080119

Abstract

19. yüzyıl görme, gözlemci ve algı üzerinden kırılmanın yaşandığı bir yüzyıldır. Rasyonel görme biçiminden öznel ve fizyolojik bir görme, algı ve ifade biçimine dönüşmüştür. Bu yüzyıl aynı zamanda ruhçuların da ruhlarla iletişim biçimi olarak bedensel fizyolojilerini kullandıkları öznel bir süreçtir. Fotoğrafın icadıyla beraber farklı disiplinler ve uzmanlık alanları ortaya çıkmıştır. Ruhçular tam da bu dönemde fotoğraf ile fizyolojiyi birleştirmişler, “medyumlar” olarak ruhların görülebilirliğini kanıtlamak üzere teknolojiyi kullanmışlardır. Nitekim 19. yüzyıldaki değişim farklı disiplinlerin, üretim araçlarının faydası kadar sömürüsünün de yaşandığı bir yüzyıl olmuş, ruhçular ve ruh fotoğrafçıları da sahtekarlar olarak atfedilmişlerdir. Buna rağmen ruh fotoğrafçılığı dönemin gözlem biçimleri üzerinden görünenin ötesinde de bir gerçek olduğunu kanıtlamak için çabalamış ve teknoloji, fotoğraf ve gözlem arasındaki bağı kuvvetlendirerek ruhların görünürlüğünün mevcut ruhçu anlatıları desteklemesini sağlamıştır. Bu makalede 19. yüzyılın ruhçuları, destekçileri ve karşıtlarının görüşleri belgelenecek ve sadece ruhçuluk adına değil gözlem ve öznellik (medyumluk) adına sundukları katkılar da betimlenecektir.

References

  • Crary, J. (1992). Techniques of the observer: On vision and modernity in the 19th century. London: MIT Press.
  • Doyle, Sir. A. C. (1926). The history of spiritualism Vol. II. London: Cassell & Co., Ltd.
  • Galvan, J. (2012). The Victorian post-human: Transmission, information and the seance. The Ashgate research companion to 19th-century spiritualism and the occult. Kontou T., & Willburn, S. (Eds.). Farnham, England: Ashgate, pp. 79-95.
  • Guiley, R.E. (2007). Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Spirits, Facts on File. Inc. pp. 24, 264, 265
  • Hartzman, M. (2018). William Mumler and The Great Spirit Photograph Craze of The 1860’s. [online] http://www.weirdhistorian.com/mumler/ [accessed 22 September 2019].
  • Houghton, M. (1882). Chronicles of The Photographs of Spiritual Beings and Phenomena Envisible to The Material Eye. Ballantyne, Hanson and Co.
  • Kaplan, L. (2008). The strange case of William Mumler, spirit photographer. London: University of Minnesota Press.
  • Kaplan, L. (2003). Where the paranoid meets the paranormal: Speculations on spirit photography. Art journal, 62 (3), pp. 18-29.
  • Loxton, D. (2014). Photographing phantoms: Part one. Skeptic, 19 (2), pp. 65-73.
  • Loxton, D. (2014). Photographing phantoms: Part two. Skeptic, 19 (3), pp 65-73.
  • Manning, P. (2018). Spiritual signal and theosophical noise. Journal of linguistic anthropology, 28 (1), pp. 67-92.
  • Natale, S. (2018). A mirror with wings: Photography and the new era of communications. IN: Leonardi, N. and Natale, S. (eds.) Photography and Other Media in the 19th Century. University Park, Pa: Pennslyvania State University Press, pp. 36-48.
  • Patterson, T. (1965). 100 Years of Spirit Photography. Regency Press London.
  • Sconce, J. (2000). Haunted media: Electronic presence from telegraphy to television. USA: Duke University Press.
  • Sidgwick, H. (1892). On spirit photographs: A reply to A.R. Wallace. Proceedings of the society for psychical research, Vol. VII. London: Kegan Paul, Trübner and Co., pp. 268-290.
  • Simmel, G. (2002). Chapter 1: The metropolis and mental life. G. Bridge, S. Watson (Ed.), The Blackwell City reader. Malden, MA: Blackwell. pp. 11-19.
  • Tagg, J. (2009). The disciplinary frame: Photographic truths and the capture of meaning. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
  • Wolfe, N. B. (1875). Startling facts in modern spiritualism. Chicago: Religio- philosophical Publishing House.

Photography as a Form of Technological Mediumship in the 19th Century Spiritualism

Year 2022, , 272 - 291, 31.05.2022
https://doi.org/10.47124/viraverita.1080119

Abstract

The 19th century has been a shift in sight, observation and perception. It has been a change from the rational way of seeing to the subjective and physiological way of seeing, perception and expression. This century has been also a process for spiritualists who used their physiological bodies to communicate with spirits. Different disciplines and professions have been formed with the invention of photography. For this very reason, spiritualists have combined photography with physiology, and used technology as “mediums” to prove the visibility of spirits. Nevertheless, the 19th century has been also the exploitability of different disciplines and means of productions as much as their benefits. Spiritualists and spirit photographers have been denounced as impostors. However, spirit photography has endeavored to prove that a reality existed beyond the visible, and the visibility of spirits endorsed the spiritual narratives by invigorating the ties between technology, photography and observation. This article will document the arguments of the spiritualists, defenders and debunkers of the 19th century and portray their contribution to observation and subjectivity (mediumship) as much as spiritualism.

References

  • Crary, J. (1992). Techniques of the observer: On vision and modernity in the 19th century. London: MIT Press.
  • Doyle, Sir. A. C. (1926). The history of spiritualism Vol. II. London: Cassell & Co., Ltd.
  • Galvan, J. (2012). The Victorian post-human: Transmission, information and the seance. The Ashgate research companion to 19th-century spiritualism and the occult. Kontou T., & Willburn, S. (Eds.). Farnham, England: Ashgate, pp. 79-95.
  • Guiley, R.E. (2007). Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Spirits, Facts on File. Inc. pp. 24, 264, 265
  • Hartzman, M. (2018). William Mumler and The Great Spirit Photograph Craze of The 1860’s. [online] http://www.weirdhistorian.com/mumler/ [accessed 22 September 2019].
  • Houghton, M. (1882). Chronicles of The Photographs of Spiritual Beings and Phenomena Envisible to The Material Eye. Ballantyne, Hanson and Co.
  • Kaplan, L. (2008). The strange case of William Mumler, spirit photographer. London: University of Minnesota Press.
  • Kaplan, L. (2003). Where the paranoid meets the paranormal: Speculations on spirit photography. Art journal, 62 (3), pp. 18-29.
  • Loxton, D. (2014). Photographing phantoms: Part one. Skeptic, 19 (2), pp. 65-73.
  • Loxton, D. (2014). Photographing phantoms: Part two. Skeptic, 19 (3), pp 65-73.
  • Manning, P. (2018). Spiritual signal and theosophical noise. Journal of linguistic anthropology, 28 (1), pp. 67-92.
  • Natale, S. (2018). A mirror with wings: Photography and the new era of communications. IN: Leonardi, N. and Natale, S. (eds.) Photography and Other Media in the 19th Century. University Park, Pa: Pennslyvania State University Press, pp. 36-48.
  • Patterson, T. (1965). 100 Years of Spirit Photography. Regency Press London.
  • Sconce, J. (2000). Haunted media: Electronic presence from telegraphy to television. USA: Duke University Press.
  • Sidgwick, H. (1892). On spirit photographs: A reply to A.R. Wallace. Proceedings of the society for psychical research, Vol. VII. London: Kegan Paul, Trübner and Co., pp. 268-290.
  • Simmel, G. (2002). Chapter 1: The metropolis and mental life. G. Bridge, S. Watson (Ed.), The Blackwell City reader. Malden, MA: Blackwell. pp. 11-19.
  • Tagg, J. (2009). The disciplinary frame: Photographic truths and the capture of meaning. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
  • Wolfe, N. B. (1875). Startling facts in modern spiritualism. Chicago: Religio- philosophical Publishing House.
There are 18 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Journal Section Articles
Authors

Burak Bayülgen 0000-0003-3200-2679

Tolga Hepdincler 0000-0001-9453-7148

Publication Date May 31, 2022
Submission Date February 28, 2022
Published in Issue Year 2022

Cite

APA Bayülgen, B., & Hepdincler, T. (2022). Photography as a Form of Technological Mediumship in the 19th Century Spiritualism. ViraVerita E-Dergi(15), 272-291. https://doi.org/10.47124/viraverita.1080119