Mirror and skull. Staging for phantasmagorias

Manufacturer	unknown
Date	Circa 1830
Register	01875

These two elements were probably part of the staging of a phantasmagoria show. These shows were developed and popularised by Robertson in the late eighteenth century, from similar but less evolved and sophisticated earlier performances by the German Paul Philidor. In fact, it was Paul Philidor, a magician and self-proclaimed greatest exponent of occult magic, who coined the term ‘phantasmagoria’ to define visual spectacles that summoned up spectres, monsters, ghosts, the deceased, demons and all kinds of paranormal images appear. Robertson technically evolved this show in its performances in Paris from 1798, especially thanks to new projection techniques and a very elaborate set design, with multi-sensory elements that helped to create an unreal, Gothic atmosphere, and that contributed to the success of the ghost experience. The public space, totally in the dark and painted black; the effects of gloomy sound and light; smoke projections; the smell of incense; shadow effects; the images of ghosts wandering among the audience, etc., are some of the elements of this staging. This mirror and this skull should be understood as part of the environmental ensemble of a phantasmagoria show. In the mirror, when illuminated from the back, the terrifying image of the head of a demon surrounded by snakes appeared (like the head of Medusa in Greek mythology) and the skull was fitted a lamp inside it that illuminated the sockets of the eyes and mouth.

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