{"id":2844,"date":"2024-06-18T13:53:27","date_gmt":"2024-06-18T13:53:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/library.umbc.edu\/specialcollections\/garrett\/?page_id=2844"},"modified":"2024-06-27T14:06:09","modified_gmt":"2024-06-27T14:06:09","slug":"seaford-poltergeist","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/library.umbc.edu\/specialcollections\/garrett\/hauntings\/poltergeists\/seaford-poltergeist\/","title":{"rendered":"Seaford Poltergeist"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/library.umbc.edu\/specialcollections\/garrett\/hauntings\/poltergeists\/herrmann-house-image\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"864\" src=\"https:\/\/library.umbc.edu\/specialcollections\/garrett\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2024\/06\/image.png\" alt=\"In Cellar of Their Bedeviled House, The Herrmanns - In a photograph by Nina Leen - gaze at a bookcase that mysteriously fell over \nFrom &quot;House of Flying Objects&quot; by Robert Wallace, in Life magazine, 1958 \nThe Herrmanns and their two children, a girl and boy, stand next to the fallen bookcase in the cellar, looking down at it with disturbed expressions. Mr. Herrmann appears serious, Mrs. Herrman has her arms crossed, the daughter appears curious, and the son is holding his hands at his chest. Clothes hang on a line above beside the fallen bookcase. \" class=\"wp-image-2852\" srcset=\"https:\/\/library.umbc.edu\/specialcollections\/garrett\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2024\/06\/image.png 1024w, https:\/\/library.umbc.edu\/specialcollections\/garrett\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2024\/06\/image-300x253.png 300w, https:\/\/library.umbc.edu\/specialcollections\/garrett\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2024\/06\/image-768x648.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Among the most famous poltergeist stories is the Seaford Poltergeist, the inspiration for the 1982 film, <em>Poltergeist<\/em>. From February 3 to March 10, 1958, the Hermann family of Seaford, NY, experienced unusual phenomena &#8212; mysteriously opened bottles, an exploding bowl of sugar, an overturned bookcase, loud noises, and flying objects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/library.umbc.edu\/specialcollections\/garrett\/hauntings\/poltergeists\/mystery-in-l-i-house-deepens\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"853\" src=\"https:\/\/library.umbc.edu\/specialcollections\/garrett\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2024\/06\/image-1.png\" alt=\"A clipping of a newspaper article, &quot;Mystery in L. I. House Deepens; Family, Experts, Police Stumped&quot; by Milton Bracker, Special to The New York Times\nThe article details the mysterious case of the Seaford Poltergeist, explaining various theories that have been proposed to explain these phenomena.\" class=\"wp-image-2853\" srcset=\"https:\/\/library.umbc.edu\/specialcollections\/garrett\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2024\/06\/image-1.png 1024w, https:\/\/library.umbc.edu\/specialcollections\/garrett\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2024\/06\/image-1-300x250.png 300w, https:\/\/library.umbc.edu\/specialcollections\/garrett\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2024\/06\/image-1-768x640.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:18% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><a href=\"https:\/\/library.umbc.edu\/specialcollections\/garrett\/hauntings\/poltergeists\/seaford-poltergeist\/seaford-poltergeist-research\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"472\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/library.umbc.edu\/specialcollections\/garrett\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2024\/06\/Seaford-Poltergeist-Research-472x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Newspaper article: &quot;Now It's Magnetism That Pops the Bottles&quot; by W.M. Michelfelder, World Telegram\" class=\"wp-image-3090 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/library.umbc.edu\/specialcollections\/garrett\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2024\/06\/Seaford-Poltergeist-Research-472x1024.jpg 472w, https:\/\/library.umbc.edu\/specialcollections\/garrett\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2024\/06\/Seaford-Poltergeist-Research-138x300.jpg 138w, https:\/\/library.umbc.edu\/specialcollections\/garrett\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2024\/06\/Seaford-Poltergeist-Research-768x1667.jpg 768w, https:\/\/library.umbc.edu\/specialcollections\/garrett\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2024\/06\/Seaford-Poltergeist-Research-708x1536.jpg 708w, https:\/\/library.umbc.edu\/specialcollections\/garrett\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2024\/06\/Seaford-Poltergeist-Research-944x2048.jpg 944w, https:\/\/library.umbc.edu\/specialcollections\/garrett\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2024\/06\/Seaford-Poltergeist-Research-scaled.jpg 1180w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 472px) 100vw, 472px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p>The Seaford Case gained media attention as investigators continued to theorize the potential cause of the paranormal activity. Some theories revolved around the son, such as the theory by John Layard, which Hereward Carrington and Nandor Fodor cite in <em>Haunted People: Story of the Poltergeist Down the Centuries<\/em>. This theory suggests that poltergeists are an external manifestation of internal tensions, produced unconsciously and involuntarily. Other theories include the idea that the sexual energies of a pubescent individual are externalized as vibrations, or that vibrations from physical objects, like jet planes, are transmitted through underground water. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Theories about the Seaford Poltergeist drew from beliefs and interests of the time, some of which are recognized as especially offensive and incorrect today. The article pictured below uses language that perpetuates harmful stereotypes that were used by European colonizers to justify the theft of land from and murder of Indigenous peoples. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Click <\/strong>on the articles to learn more<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/library.umbc.edu\/specialcollections\/garrett\/hauntings\/poltergeists\/bottle-popping-blamed-on-indians\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"566\" src=\"https:\/\/library.umbc.edu\/specialcollections\/garrett\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2024\/06\/image-2.png\" alt=\"&quot;1680 Devil Worship - Bottle Popping Blamed on Indians&quot; by W. M. Michelfelder, World Telegram Staff Writer \" class=\"wp-image-2857\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.8091872791519434\" srcset=\"https:\/\/library.umbc.edu\/specialcollections\/garrett\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2024\/06\/image-2.png 1024w, https:\/\/library.umbc.edu\/specialcollections\/garrett\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2024\/06\/image-2-300x166.png 300w, https:\/\/library.umbc.edu\/specialcollections\/garrett\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2024\/06\/image-2-768x425.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\">Other Poltergeist Cases<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-1 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-fill\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-white-color has-text-color has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/library.umbc.edu\/specialcollections\/garrett\/hauntings\/poltergeists\/poultry-farm-poltergeist\/\" style=\"background-color:#9d91a4\">Poultry Farm Poltergeist<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-white-color has-text-color has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/library.umbc.edu\/specialcollections\/garrett\/hauntings\/poltergeists\/baltimore-poltergeist\/\" style=\"background-color:#9d91a4\">Baltimore Poltergeist<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:60px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/library.umbc.edu\/specialcollections\/garrett\/hauntings\/poltergeists\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"1711\">\u2190 Back to &#8220;Poltergeists&#8221;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Among the most famous poltergeist stories is the Seaford Poltergeist, the inspiration for the 1982 film, Poltergeist. From February 3 to March 10, 1958, the Hermann family of Seaford, NY,&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":2852,"parent":1711,"menu_order":1,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/library.umbc.edu\/specialcollections\/garrett\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2844"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/library.umbc.edu\/specialcollections\/garrett\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/library.umbc.edu\/specialcollections\/garrett\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/library.umbc.edu\/specialcollections\/garrett\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/36"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/library.umbc.edu\/specialcollections\/garrett\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2844"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"https:\/\/library.umbc.edu\/specialcollections\/garrett\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2844\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4312,"href":"https:\/\/library.umbc.edu\/specialcollections\/garrett\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2844\/revisions\/4312"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/library.umbc.edu\/specialcollections\/garrett\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1711"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/library.umbc.edu\/specialcollections\/garrett\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2852"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/library.umbc.edu\/specialcollections\/garrett\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2844"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}