{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Ep. 7: A New World Dawning","description":"Episode 7 explains how the Victorian-era fascination with Spiritualism, science, and the supernatural influenced entertainment, early psychology, and the horror genre. Social conditions such as the American Civil War, high infant mortality, and popular Gothic literature\u2014especially works by Edgar Allan Poe and Sheridan Le Fanu\u2014helped fuel widespread interest in communicating with the dead, inspiring phenomena like spirit photography and stage illusions. One of the most famous technological spectacles was Pepper\u2019s Ghost, popularized by John Henry Pepper from an invention by Henry Dircks, which used angled glass and lighting to create realistic ghostly apparitions on stage, influencing theater, film, and even modern attractions like The Haunted Mansion. At the same time, intellectual interest in the paranormal led to the founding of the Society for Psychical Research, whose members\u2014including figures like William James and Frederic W. H. Myers\u2014studied hypnosis, hallucinations, and telepathy, contributing to the emerging field of psychology. These cultural currents also shaped early filmmakers such as George Albert Smith, whose background in mesmerism, stage performance, and visual spectacle\u2014along with the work of collaborators like actress Laura Bayley\u2014helped bridge Victorian theatrical illusion, psychical research, and the development of cinematic storytelling. Check out our website at https:\/\/www.rhapsodyin35mmpodcast.com\/ and subscribe so you don\u2019t miss a new posting. Please make sure to follow us on the social media platform of your choice (or all of them!) Rate and comment so more people can find us. See the blog post for credits:&amp;nbsp;  https:\/\/www.rhapsodyin35mmpodcast.com\/post\/ep-7-remixed-a-new-world-dawning Until next time! ","author_name":"Rhapsody in 35MM","author_url":"http:\/\/rhapsodyin35mmpodcast.com\/","html":"<iframe title=\"Libsyn Player\" style=\"border: none\" src=\"\/\/html5-player.libsyn.com\/embed\/episode\/id\/41015990\/height\/90\/theme\/custom\/thumbnail\/yes\/direction\/forward\/render-playlist\/no\/custom-color\/2b12f3\/\" height=\"90\" width=\"600\" scrolling=\"no\"  allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen><\/iframe>","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/assets.libsyn.com\/secure\/content\/201193775"}