This is not a prosthetic, but a 'Spirit Rapping' hand. Such props were used during séances to ‘rap out’ mysterious messages from beyond the grave. . This hand dating from the 1930s is on display in our new Smoke and Mirrors exhibition, open now until September 2019. Find out more about magic and the psychology of illusion in ‘The Spectacle of Illusion,’ Dr Matthew L Tompkins new book accompanying the show @wellcomecollection . Credit: Senate House Library, University of London. . . #Repost @wellcomecollection @get_reposter . . #WellcomeCollection #histmed #history #museum #health #medicine #medicalhistory #historyofmedicine #magic #WellcomeMagic #illusion #psychology #hand #seance #ghosts #spirits #SmokeandMirrors https://www.instagram.com/p/BwzR4IdnB_h/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=19zm1vkcjy6kf
