host and the more modern woman , who by past definitions would be treated as a deviant woman but classed as completely average today . I wanted to highlight the issues with misogynistic terms like this , as it belittles women stripping them of their sense of self . Including a more modern woman , myself who also suffers with mental health issues , in the photography alongside the ghost of the past shows how the ‘ hysterical ’ woman is not always visible and comes in various forms . The ghost represents the history of women and the treatment they went through , how they were not taken seriously for their medical issues , driving them into a sense of madness as documented by photography in case studies , and theatrical poses which I mimicked . Alongside a modern woman who suffers with issues and is merely existing in the space with the weight of these stereotypes still surrounding them .
I am drawing references from Sigmund Freud and Josef Breur with their case studies on Victorian women , who were diagnosed with hysteria and under treatment . Alongside the case studies photography was often included , as it was an invention and viewed as the most realistic form of art , it made sense that these hysterical women were photographed as a warning to others . In terms of literature , I am referencing Henry James The Turn of the Screw , a psychological novel exploring themes of ghosts and haunting . The main female character , the governess , witnessed ghosts of the past workers at the house circling the grounds . As these ghostly figures were not visible to others , it sent her into a state of madness , described as hysteria . I found this particularly interesting as hysteria seemed to be an umbrella term for women , especially those who were suffering from what we would now view as mental health issues . These late Victorian women were not taken seriously by medical professionals ; any sign of suffering was viewed as a weakness .
Without the correct help or support it sent these women into a further downwards spiral , leading to an almost self-fulfilling prophecy .
I decided to choose photography as it is a good visual representation of the past and present , and the concept of combining the two hysterical women is easier to digest visually . It was also a new art form in the Victorian era , “ The invention of photography would revolutionise culture and communication in the West forever ” ( British library , 2022 ), showing how it was viewed as the closest art form to truly capturing life and death . As a new form of communication , it allowed others to have a truer view of reality during those times and viewed as more convincing . Past images of hysterical women were documented and presented in medical books as a warning to other women . One of the most famous documented series of hysteria is by Charcot ’ s , which was used in medical books and by other psychologists as well . “ The photography spurred on the attempt to capture on film Charcot ’ s four ‘ classic ’ stages of hysteria ” ( Decker , 2005 : 354 ), this invention helped to identify the stages of hysteria , categorising women on a condition that was used against any woman who did not obey the misogynistic rules of society . The images recorded were often very theatrical with women bent in unusual positions , contorting their bodies , looking almost possessed . The photo series were all captured inside , as the most popular treatment of hysteria was house arrest , specifically bed rest where they were restricted to one room under constant supervision .
HANNAH HANIF
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