Séances in the City: The “Operational Aesthetic” and “Modern Spiritualism” in the Popular Culture of New York City, 1865–1870

This paper will demonstrate that spiritualism became a significant element of popular culture in New York City between 1865 and 1870 because it catered to the “operational aesthetic” so prevalent in urban entertainments. The historian Neil Harris invented the term “operational aesthetic” to denote the spirit of playful inquiry common to the urban culture of mid-nineteenth-century America. By the 1860s, urbanization had undermined the social transparency so integral to the American Republic, causing cultural anxiety about the fraud and deceit, which was thought to thrive on urban anonymity. Several cultural genres, including detective fiction and urban guides, not only reflected, but also invited the investigation into, the divorce between the “superficialities” of the city and the “processes” driving criminal behavior. Spiritualism featured regularly in these genres, particularly the urban guides, as it was appealing to people eager to uncover another instance of urban deceit. Similarly, spiritualists attracted skeptical and agnostic audiences who shared this interest in investigation. Apparent “exposés” of spiritualism, therefore, as well as the mediums themselves, reached out to skeptical audiences, drawn to the “operational aesthetic” inherent in spiritualist demonstrations.     

The Individualist Collaborator: Andy Condron in Korea and China, 1950–62

Abstract

Repatriation of prisoners of war delayed the conclusion of a ceasefire to the Korean War by at least a year. Twenty-three Western POWs opted to remain in mainland China, including Andy Condron, a member of the Royal Marines. The non-repatriates were the focus of intense Cold War speculation, and most ultimately returned quietly to their homelands in subsequent decades. This article suggests that Condron's motivations and actions were specific to him as an individual rather than reflecting some broader ideological position, as has sometimes been assumed.