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Séance
American photographer Shannon Taggart (born 1975) became aware of spiritualism as a teenager when her cousin received a message from a medium that revealed details about her grandfather's death. In 2001, while working as a photojournalist, she began photographing where that message was received--Lily Dale, New York, home to the world's largest spiritualist community, proceeding to other communities in, for example, Arthur Findlay College in the UK. Taggart expected to spend one summer figuring out the tricks of the spiritualist trade. Instead, spiritualism's mysterious processes, earnest practitioners and neglected photographic history became an inspiration. Her project evolved into an 18-year journey that has taken her around the world in search of "ectoplasm"-- the elusive substance that is said to be both spiritual and material.
With Séance, Taggart offers a series of haunting photographs exploring spiritualist practices in the US, England and Europe. Supported with a commentary on her experiences, a foreword by Dan Aykroyd, creator of Ghostbusters and fourth-generation spiritualist, and illustrated essays from Andreas Fischer and Tony Oursler, Séance examines spiritualism's relationship with human celebrity and its connections with technology, and concludes with the debate over ectoplasm and how spiritualism can move forward in the 21st century.
With Séance, Taggart offers a series of haunting photographs exploring spiritualist practices in the US, England and Europe. Supported with a commentary on her experiences, a foreword by Dan Aykroyd, creator of Ghostbusters and fourth-generation spiritualist, and illustrated essays from Andreas Fischer and Tony Oursler, Séance examines spiritualism's relationship with human celebrity and its connections with technology, and concludes with the debate over ectoplasm and how spiritualism can move forward in the 21st century.
298 pages, Hardcover
Published November 26, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 8, 2025
Like a portal to another world. Taggart is a magician.
I love everything about this book--the photographs, that seem to have come from a place beyond such unimportant matters as truth and falsehood; the stories told by believers, the deep sense of place they have in their breathless, dusty spaces; the fascinating history of spirit photography, what an important piece it is in the history of photography itself; how big and heavy and thoughtfully constructed the book itself is! I read Séance months ago and I still think about it all the time.
I love everything about this book--the photographs, that seem to have come from a place beyond such unimportant matters as truth and falsehood; the stories told by believers, the deep sense of place they have in their breathless, dusty spaces; the fascinating history of spirit photography, what an important piece it is in the history of photography itself; how big and heavy and thoughtfully constructed the book itself is! I read Séance months ago and I still think about it all the time.
August 24, 2021
Beautiful book, great for a coffee table.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews