Spirit Photography

What is spirit photography?

Spirit photography’s goal was to capture images of spirits (extras) or other supernatural events on photographic plates. The example above is typical. An extra appeared as a shadowy presence near the sitter, and, in many cases, those who commissioned such photographs recognised, or thought they recognised, the ghostly companions as loved ones who had died.

Spirit photography became very popular in the second half of the Victorian era, but, as business boomed, the practice also attracted increased scrutiny, resulting in accusations of fraud and several prosecutions. Common fraudulent practices included double exposure and the use of overlapping negatives.

A few notable practitioners

William H. Mumler, an engraver from Boston, USA, was the first big name in the field. In 1861, he produced a photograph of himself along with an extra who he recognised as his dead cousin. Originally, he had no interest in spirit photography, but after encouragement began offering his services and soon he was much in demand. Among the illustrious extras appearing in his photographs were Beethoven and Abraham Lincoln.

Unfortunately, Mumler lost credibility when a customer recognised one of his extras and pointed out that spirit in question was alive and well and living nearby. In fact, Mumler had photographed him a few weeks earlier. Later, there were more accusations of fraud and also allegations that the photographer had broken into clients’ homes to steal photographs so that he could use them to fake spirit images. Eventually he went on trial for fraud and, one of his accusers, the showman P. T. Barnum, testified against him. Mumler was acquitted.

In 1872, the first British spirit photographer, Frederick Hudson, came onto the scene but was swiftly exposed as a fraud later that year. He, like many others, was guilty of employing double exposure and wasn’t above dressing up as spirit himself. But he still managed to convince Dr Alfred Russel Wallace two years later that the photograph he’d produced of the noted naturalist with the spirit image of his mother was genuine. 

William Hope, a member of the Crewe circle of spiritualists, was active in the early 20th century. He numbered Sir Arthur Conan Doyle among his supporters and convinced the psychical researcher Sir William Crookes that he’d obtained an spirit image of Crookes’ wife. Others, however, thought it was obviously a double exposure. Later, Hope was investigated by Harry Price and others and was outed as a fraud. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle spoke up on his behalf when Hope went on trial. The photographer was acquitted.

Why was spirit photography so popular?

The popularity of spirit photography of the kind outlined here spanned from the 1860s to the 1920s, peaking around the time of wars, such as the American Civil War and WWI. A belief that the dead were capable of coming back to them in spirit form offered comfort to the bereaved at a time when so many were dying. But although many ordinary people were keen to believe the apparitions were real, spirit photography failed to convince all but a few of the many photographers, scientists and psychical researchers who studied the practice.

Want to know more? Try these.

The Table Rappers by Ronald Pearsall

The History of Spiritualism by Arthur Conan Doyle.

The Case for Spirit Photography by Arthur Conan Doyle.