| |
The reasons people visited fortune tellers (or “spirit mediums”) confounded 19th-century observers. One author wrote that it was not only “ignorant servants, unfortunate girls of the town, or weak-minded, imbecile young men” who frequented them, but also “ladies of wealth and social possibility” and “merchants of good credit and repute.” Critics claimed fortune tellers were merely fronts for prostitution, luring in young new workers and customers. Shown here are both a portrait of fortune teller “Madame Rand” and one of her cohorts in action. |
