Long before the universe of Photoshop , so - call “ spirit photographers ” were manipulate images to convince — and haunting — effect .
One such photographer was William Hope , a well - known , early 20th century spirit lensman who led a group called The Crewe Circle , make up of several other alleged ghost shutterbug . In 2015 , a curator from theNational Media Museumuncovered a series of Hope ’s photo in a Lancashire bookshop .
In the wake of World War I , many were eager to connectwith deceased loved ones , which gave Hope a chance to capitalize more than a decennary after he first " enamour " a flavor while photographing a Quaker . Spirit photographer promised not just a glimpse of those lose souls , but lifelong corroboration of their mien . The most common methods used double exposure or trash plate to reach these pictural apparitions during a time when photo manipulation was a new conception .
Spirit picture taking was so democratic that by 1922 , Hope had relocated to London and became a professional medium . He attracted famous buff such as Arthur Conan Doyle , who not only consider in Hope ’s photographs , but later wroteThe Case for Spirit Photographyin support .
Hope ’s methods were excellently debunk in a studypublished byScientific Americanthe very same twelvemonth he arrived in London , as was lensman William Mumler before him . Mumler was a noteworthy American spirit lensman in the 1860s who dealt with scepticism and lawsuits , but continued to work . He even snapped a characterization ofMary Todd Lincolnaround 1870 with her departed husband at her side .
Despite the pushback and charge , Hope too stayed in the business of smell picture taking and figure out until his dying in 1933 . If that seems mad , consider that his business was really not so unlike the spiritual metier of today — who do well despite the common knowledge that their method acting are unfounded .
you could explore Hope ’s entire eerie collection at theNational Media Museum .
This piece originally ran in 2015 .
