Paranormal pioneer, William Hope, was a spirit photographer. You’ve probably seen those old timey images of 19th century spiritualists gathered ’round a table, haunted by ghosts. It’s a well-known fact that those photos were doctored, thanks to double exposures and other visual tricks — but that doesn’t make them any less fascinating and in some cases funny. Hope — who also happened to work as a professional medium, channeling supposed supernatural beings as part of his Crewe Circle Spiritualist group — was eventually exposed as a fraud when an investigator discovered he was ” … substituting glass plates bearing ghostly images in order to produce his spirit photographs.” This didn’t dissuade anyone from continuing to support him — including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who even wrote The Case for Spirit Photography to show his loyalty to the undead world. Check out some of Hope’s supernatural finest after the jump.
Image credit: Collection of National Media Museum [Spotted via National Media Museum]
Couple with a young female spirit.
Image credit: Collection of National Media Museum
A clergyman and two spirits.
Image credit: Collection of National Media Museum
Family group with two spirits.
Image credit: Collection of National Media Museum
Man with a spirit face.
Image credit: Collection of National Media Museum
Man with the spirit of his helper.
Image credit: Collection of National Media Museum
Woman with two boys and a female spirit.
Image credit: Collection of National Media Museum
Man with a female spirit.
Image credit: Collection of National Media Museum
Man with a spirit face appearing.