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Emotions in/out of Place: Sentiment, Performance and the Magic Lantern in Belgian Colonial Charity Campaigns

par Van Hassel, Marte ;Vanhaesebrouck, Karel ;Wynants, Nele
Référence Emotions: History, Culture, Society, page (1-28)
Publication Publié, 2024-12-01

Article révisé par les pairs

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Résumé :

During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the magic lantern emerged as a prominent tool for colonial propaganda, notably for missionaries seeking support. This essay examines the propaganda efforts of the Belgian Scheut Missionaries, focusing on Jozef Napoleon Flameygh (1888–1969), a West Flemish priest deeply involved in these campaigns. By analysing Flameygh’s lantern lectures, personal correspondence and archival materials, this study uncovers the complex interplay of emotions and identity in missionary discourse. Through a microhistorical lens, these sources elucidate the role of the magic lantern in colonial propaganda and missionary self-fashioning, revealing Flameygh’s public and private personas. Despite projecting heroism in public, Flameygh’s private writings expose sentiments of fragility and vulnerability, highlighting the multifaceted nature of missionary identity and the performative dimensions of colonial discourse in constructing emotional communities.