A séance is an attempt to communicate with spirits. The word "séance" comes from the French word for "seat," "session" or "sitting," from the Old French "seoir," "to sit." In French, the word's meaning is quite general: one may, for example, speak of "une séance de cinéma" ("a movie session"). In English, however, the word came to be used specifically for a meeting of people who are gathered to receive messages from spirits or to listen to a spirit medium discourse with or relay messages from spirits; many people, including skeptics and non-believers, treat it as a form of entertainment. The popularity of séances grew dramatically with the founding of the religion of Spiritualism in the mid-nineteenth century. Perhaps the best-known series of séances conducted at that time were those of Mary Todd Lincoln who, grieving the loss of her son, organized Spiritualist séances in the White House, which were attended by her husband, President Abraham Lincoln, and other prominent members of society.
During the 1850's there was a spiritualist movement in the United States, and cities like New York and Boston had hundreds of mediums who allegedly were putting the living in touch with the dead. Mary Todd probably became interested in the subject during the 1850's in Springfield when prophets appeared in the Midwest. News from Europe that Empress Eugenie and Queen Victoria practiced spiritualism probably helped confirm Mary's interest.
After her son Willie's death in the White House in 1862, Mary often visited the home of the Lauries who were well-known Georgetown mediums. Here a clairvoyant would darken the parlor and arrange the patrons in a circle with their hands on the table. The goal was to attain communication with invisible beings; in Mary's case, it was Eddie and Willie, her two dead sons.
There were possibly as many as eight seances held in the White House itself. Abraham accepted gifts and read books and letters from mediums, but he never became a believer. According to Lincoln Day By Day edited by Earl Schenck Miers, the President “allegedly attended a spiritualist seance in the White House” on April 23, 1863. Mary was the real spiritualist in the family. In October, 1863, Mary said to her half sister, Emilie Todd Helm, "Willie lives. He comes to me every night and stands at the foot of the bed with the same sweet adorable smile he always has had. He does not always come alone. Little Eddie is sometimes with him, and twice he has come with our brother, Alex."
After her husband's assassination, Mary was visited in the White House by several spiritualists. They attempted to console the grieving widow. Years later, while living in Chicago, Mary went to seances under an assumed name. She liked to 'test' the mediums' skills. Once, on a trip to Boston, she attended a seance using the name "Mrs. Tundall" to avoid recognition. Abraham 'appeared' before her during the seance. She then visited William Mumler's studio. Mumler was a spirit photographer. He produced a photograph of Mary with Abraham superimposed in the background with his hands on her shoulders. This photograph gave Mary great comfort that Abraham was hovering over her.
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