Magnetism in the 19th Century – Talk & Soirée

Magnetism -- at once occult, scientific, and entertaining -- took the nineteenth century by storm.

Anton Mesmer’s set off a 19th century craze for hypnotism and spiritism, and magnetic practices themselves blurred the boundaries between healing, theatre and magic. Two scholars unpack it all - the mystical, the creepy and the semi-erotic. Q&A follows, along with a drinks soirée upstairs. The evening also celebrates Performing Magnetism: The Theatrics of Persuasion in the Long Nineteenth Century, with copies available for purchase and signing.

Kristof Smeyers is a senior research fellow at KU Leuven. He has written books on the history of religion and the supernatural, fauna, flora and folklore. Kurt Vanhoutte is a professor at the University of Antwerp. His research explores how science was performed in the nineteenth century, with a special interest in obsolete media technologies and popular entertainment.