“These photographs of ’spirits’ are taken from an album of photographs unearthed in a Lancashire second-hand and antiquarian bookshop by one of the Museum’s curators. They were taken by a controversial medium called William Hope (1863-1933). Born in 1863 in Crewe, Hope started his working life as a carpenter. In about 1905 he became interested in spirit photography after capturing the supposed image of a ghost while photographing a friend. He went on to found the Crewe Circle – a group of six spirit photographers led by Hope. When Archbishop Thomas Colley joined the group they began to publicise their work. Following World War I support for the Crewe Circle grew as the grieving relatives of those lost to the war sought a means of contacting their loved ones. By 1922 Hope had moved to London where he became a professional medium. The work of the Crew Circle was investigated on various occasions. The most famous of these took place in 1922, when the Society for Psychical Research sent Harry Price to investigate the group. Price collected evidence that Hope was substituting glass plates bearing ghostly images in order to produce his spirit photographs. Later the same year Price published his findings, exposing Hope as a fraudster. However, many of Hope’s most ardent supporters spoke out on his behalf, the most famous being Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Hope continued to practice, despite his exposure. He died in London on 7 March 1933.”
Read more at Moolf (thanks, SuZi)
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It interesting how the supposed spirits appear in the pictures not in a natural “journalistic” or “candid” way (i.e. caught in “action”) but stiffly posed, just like the rest of the subjects, as was the photographic style at the time. Which in my mind lends credibility to the theory they were faked by inserting glass plates already with photographic images on them.
Furthermore, if the images of the spirits were not recent relations of the subjects, then they surely could have been from any age in history, so the clothing style should be more varied?
just a thought
I have to ask, if he wanted people to believe he really captured the image of a spirit in this photograph, how did he explain the HUGE amount of space he left above his subjects? Did someone say, it’s amazing you managed to get a spirit in this photograph but, in truth, you’re an awful photographer?
It’s hard to imagine how people could have been duped by photographs like that, they look so fake; but then we’ve got all our sophisticated digital technology now, so to them, this must have looked amazing.
I make ‘spirit photographs’ myself (as an art form, not to con anyone,) and when you’re making just as a piece of art, they’re really interesting. Supposedly real ones are even more interesting, although I’ve only seen two or three that look really real. All the rest could very easily be faked.
no offence intended, but havent “spirit” photography changed over these years?
This picture looks really fake compared to todays more better “photoshopped” images.
lol
still creepy looking though.
“despite his exposure”
chortle chortle!
Film-exposure-geddit?
Fake indeed, but still a damn creepy photo…..
LC x
Spirit world fashion ? it’s a bit slap-dash !
Fake or no, they make pretty impressive photos.
Creepy photos yes but not because of the fake spirits…mainly because of the era…Victorian era tends to give me the heebie jeebies…ever since i had the chance to have a look at a victorian book of the dead…google it and you shall see…the photos are creepy but in the same way they are quite serene…..not for the senstive.
I’m from Crewe and my grandmother, who’d be over 100 years old now, was a Spiritualist. Her parents’ generation woud be of the right age to have been photographed by the Crewe Circle.
I’d love to know if any of the ‘spirit’ photos feature my forbears or their friends!
Amazing, amazing photographs. Stating fakery is to misunderstand their charm : )