The Seance and the Hatpin

[Philippe Cordier]

I'm a few days late with this, but has anyone else thought that the list of participants at the infamous seance where Angelique met her demise has seemed to expand a few times?

I mean, at first it seemed that there had only been about six participants at the seance ... but from the most recent commentaries by various characters regarding the seance, I've compiled this list of participants:

Cyrus Longworth
Sabrina Stuart
Angelique Collins
Quentin Collins
Edward Collins
Elizabeth Collins (Stoddard?)
Carolyn Loomis
Bruno
Will (?? not sure of this)
Trask
and, yes, Buffy Harrington ("She used to work for us," according to Carolyn)

(Carolyn named Trask and Buffy as participants at the seance just a couple of episodes, right before her dream of realization concerning who had committed the murder ...)

That's at least 10, if not 11, people who were crammed around that small table in the drawing room ...

I found Elizabeth's collection of hatpins quite interesting ... they looked like expensive pieces ... Does anyone remember women actually using these?  I have a very vague memory of those days ... but what I remember more, and was reminded of by Angelique's attire upon returing from her shortened walk when she decided Maggie might need her, was how women used to wear scarves on their heads.  Really kind of too bad that custom died out ... it seems like they could be both useful and a fashion accessory.

Anyway, regarding the hatpins ... at about the time Dark Shadows originally aired in the early '70s, my sister had a mystery novel checked out from the library that I read -- I remember nothing about it except that the murder was accomplished with a hatpin!

Wouldn't be surprised if Sam Hall borrowed the idea from this mystery novel.

[Cassandra Blair]

I thought the same thing the other day, Vlad.  When they first started talking about the seance, it didn't seem to be so well attended.  But now, everyone was there.  I'm surprised it hasn't come out that Horace Gladstone, Claude North, Roxanne and half the gang from down at the Eagle weren't there too! 

BTW, does anyone know when it was that women wore such hatpins as those in Liz's collection?  Was it back in Edwardian times when they had the elaborate hair and hats?

[Raineypark]

I'm pretty sure they were using them during Victoria's reign......and certainly during Edward's because both the hair and the hats reached absurd proportions at that time.

But they were still being used in the 1950's and 60's....if a woman wore a hat, she almost certainly owned hat pins.  I have several that belonged to my mother.... ...simple long pins with pearl heads.

[Birdie]

Don't know exactly when hat pins were used but my mother has her mothers displayed on her bureau.  At least I think they are her mothers perhaps her grandmothers.  I will have to ask her.

Birdie

[Midnite]

I've compiled this list of participants:

Cyrus Longworth
Sabrina Stuart
Angelique Collins
Quentin Collins
Edward Collins
Elizabeth Collins (Stoddard?)
Carolyn Loomis
Bruno
Will (?? not sure of this)
Trask
and, yes, Buffy Harrington ("She used to work for us," according to Carolyn)

(Carolyn named Trask and Buffy as participants at the seance just a couple of episodes, right before her dream of realization concerning who had committed the murder ...)

You meant Roger.

She named Trask and Buffie among the people that went to Angelique in the confusion (the lights went out), but I never thought they were participants in the seance.

I don't think Will was present either.  That would make 8, which is the total that many fans give regarding the seance.

[Raineypark]

I've never taken part in a seance, nor known anyone who has.....is there a numerical limit (most or least) of participants?  Must the number be odd or even?  Not knowing anything about the phenomenon, I would assume it was merely dictated by the size of the table, and the willingness of the guests.

[Cassandra Blair]

I participated in a seance once.  It was a strictly amateur affair (nothing much happened), but one of the people there had been to a few 'real' ones.  He said he'd heard that best results came from an odd number of people at a round table, with a mix of males and females.  I didn't hear anything about a maximum number of attendees, but would think that any more than 7 or 8 would just be difficult.  Think of the size of the table if you had 13, for example!   

[Raineypark]

Well, if you wanted a ROUND table to seat 13 for a seance, you'd have to have inherited one from your uncle "King" Arthur.

But if your average oblong would suffice, a 10' table will do.  I can seat 14 at my kitchen table, when fully opened. 

[Patti Feinberg]

So, Rainey, you're saying you could have quite a few of us over for coffee, eh?

 

(I wanted smilies with coffee, but this was so weird looking, hey, why not)

Patti

[Philippe Cordier]

I wish we had seen more of the kitchen.  Grounding the show in everyday reality every once in a while might have been nice.  The show became more and more divorced from "realistic" aspects, like kitchens, after the first year or so.  (Just think how realistic "The Brady Bunch" was -- all those scenes in the kitchen with Alice!  )

Of course, I'd have no interest today in watching re-runs of "The Brady Bunch"!

So, maybe the "timeless" quality of only seeing the formal things -- drawing room, bedroom suites, study -- contribute to the show's undying timeless quality.  Just a thought.  When you factor in the period pieces -- the costumes of the various eras -- that also contributes to this timeless, historic aspect, whereas the '60s and '70s fashions "date" the show.

My uncle attended a seance sometime in the late '60s or early '70s, but I don't know any details.

[jennifer]

Wow Rainey you're getting good(this from a person who is just learning to copy and paste)we used to have seances all the time
at PJ parties when i was about 12! scared the life out of us too!
never attended one as an adult or even been around anyone that would even suggest one!(such a dull life!)LOL

jennifer

[Raineypark]

Wow Rainey you're getting good(this from a person who is just learning to copy and paste).......jennifer

Yes, it's a wonderful post, isn't it?

Too bad it's not MY post!!!  I didn't post it!!  I don't know how!!

Next thing you know I'll have an (shudder) avatar under my name!!

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Next thing you know I'll have an (shudder) avatar under my name!!

Haven't you learned from the examples of what has been known to happen to others that you should never say something like that because it could easily happen? Oh, so easily!

[Raineypark]

Odd.....just this afternoon I was telling someone on the forum about my dreadful first encounter with an avatar....an unholy union of a pair of ice skates and a flame thrower, if memory serves......oh, the horror.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Odd.....just this afternoon I was telling someone on the forum about my dreadful first encounter with an avatar....an unholy union of a pair of ice skates and a flame thrower, if memory serves......oh, the horror.

As I recall that was not an avatar - it was a "special" membergroup for people who were skating on thin ice at the time. In fact, I believe it was actually called "Dark Shadows Forums Skating On Thin Ice Member". It just happened to have an accompanying graphic because it was so "special"...