Spirit Pictures

The following spirit pictures are shown with permission of collectors, Jack and Beverly of "A Collection of Collections." They were gracious enough to allow us to share some of their private collection of wonderful spirit pictures on Angels & Ghosts.

Spirit pictures evolved into quite an art form - from lengthened exposures to double-exposures to even placing images of deceased people onto the photographic plates. Some made this quite an event, with witnesses observing the entire procedure (when the photographer's sleight of hand had to be very good - even to the point of "palming" the image and somehow sticking it onto the plate after it was examined). Each spirit picture creator seemed to possess their own process and secrets.

About the Spirit Pictures on This Page (in order, first to last)

  1. Made on Christmas Day in 1875 by Jay J. Hartman of Cincinnati, this spirit picture makes one wonder if it is a very good a trick or a real picture of a spirit. The back of the spirit picture bears the signatures of fifteen witnesses who observed the entire photographic procedure, certifying that Hartman never touched the plate or saw the dark room during the development of the picture.
  2. Two photos of a presumed couple in the same chair with possibly their deceased loved ones appearing behind them.
  3. British medium Robert Boursnell created this spirit picture in 1902 of a mustached man and see-through woman appearing with him. Jack and Beverly have four spirit pictures created by Boursnell in their collection.
  4. Jack and Beverly believe this spirit picture was taken in the early 1900s, due to its dramatic lighting. The photographer remains unknown.