been out of all proportion to their scientific value as evidence. When Sir Arthur Conan Doyle returned to Great Britain, after his successful tour in America, the controversy was in full swing. With characteristic promptitude he immediately decided to meet these negative attacks by a positive counter-attack, and this volume is the outcome of that decision.
We have used the term “Spirit Photography” on the title-page as being the popular name by which these phenomena are known. This does not imply that either Sir Arthur or I imagine that everything supernormal must be of spirit origin. There is, undoubtedly, a broad borderland where these photographic effects may be produced from forces contained within ourselves. This merges into those higher phenomena of which many cases are here described. Those desiring fuller information on this subject are referred to “Photographing the Invisible,” by James Coates.
It was only when editing the matter for these pages that I fully realised what an overwhelming mass of reliable material we had to work upon. In restricting this book to the necessary limits it has only been possible to make use of a small portion of this evidence. Many more cases have been placed on record and may be published on some future occasion. Most of the letters accompanying these descriptions display a deep and genuine affection for the maligned mediums of the Crewe Circle. Our hearty thanks are due to all those friends who have so readily co-operated in this work and who are so willing to brave the discomforts of publicity for what they know to be the truth.
Fred Barlow.
ILLUSTRATIONS
| PAGE | |
| Barlow, Mr. H. D., Psychic and Normal Photographs of | 127 |
| Burgess, Mrs., with Psychic Picture of Her Uncle | 127 |
| Buxton, Mrs., and Daughter, with Psychic Picture of Her Father | 47 |
| Colley, Archdeacon, Psychic Message in the Handwriting of | 14 |
| Colley, Archdeacon, Normal Handwriting of | 14 |
| Colley, Archdeacon, Photomicrograph of Portion of Normal Signature | 78 |
| Colley, Archdeacon, Photomicrograph of Portion of Signature in Psychic Message | 78 |
| Crawford, Dr. W. J., Psychic Message in the Handwriting of | 15 |
| Crawford, Dr. W. J., Normal Handwriting of | 15 |
| Crookes, Sir William, with Psychic Face | 31 |
| Cushman, Agnes, Psychic Picture of | 63 |
| Cushman, Agnes, Normal Photograph of | 63 |
| Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan, and Group, with Psychic Message from Archdeacon Colley | 14 |
| East, Mr. and Mrs. H., with Psychic and Normal Pictures of Son | 47 |
| Foulds, Mrs. R., with Psychic Photograph of Her Mother | 110 |
| Foulds, Mrs. R., Normal Photograph of the Mother of | 110 |
| Griere, Mrs. A. E., with Psychic Likeness of Husband and Father | 111 |
| Griere, Mrs. A. E., Photograph of the Husband of | 111 |
| Jeffrey, Mr. Wm., and Daughter, Showing Ectoplasmic Bag | 62 |
| Jeffrey, Mr. Wm., and Daughter, with Psychic Likeness of Mrs. Jeffrey | 62 |
| Maddocks, Mr. S., with Psychic Likeness of First Wife | 95 |
| Maddocks, Mr. S., Normal Photograph of the First Wife of | 95 |
| Pickup, Mrs., with Psychic Likeness of Husband | 126 |
| Pickup, Mrs., Photograph of the Husband of | 126 |
| S.S.S.P., Group Photograph with Psychic Face | 30 |
| Spencer, Major R. E. E., with Psychic Face | 31 |
| Tweedale, the Rev. C. L., and Wife, with Psychic Likeness of Mrs. Tweedale’s Father | 46 |
| Tweedale, the Rev. C. L., Photograph of the Father-in-law of | 46 |
| Walker, Mr. and Mrs. Harry, and Friends, with Psychic Likeness of Mr. Wm. Walker | 79 |
| Walker, Mr. Wm., with Psychic Message in Handwriting of Mr. W. T. Stead | 79 |
| Walker, Mr. Wm., Psychic Message in Handwriting of | 94 |
| Walker, Mr. Wm., Specimen of Handwriting of | 94 |
THE CASE FOR SPIRIT PHOTOGRAPHY
CHAPTER I
THE CREWE CIRCLE
An accusation of a damaging, and, as I believe, of an entirely unfounded character, has been brought forward by Mr. Harry Price against Mr. Hope, whose name has for more than seventeen years been associated with the strange phenomenon which has been called spirit photography. I will deal later with this accusation with which the Society for Psychic Research has unfortunately associated itself by publishing the report of it in their official journal. Before touching upon it I should wish to take a broader sweep and to show the overpowering weight of evidence which exists as to the reality of Mr. Hope’s most remarkable gift.
If a man were accused of cowardice it would be natural that his defender should not confine himself to the particular case, but should examine the man’s whole career and put forward instances of valour as an argument against the charge. So also if a man is accused of dishonesty a long record of honesty would be his most complete defence. Therefore in considering the case of Mr. Hope, and the value of his mediumship, one must not limit one’s investigation to a single case, where errors of observation and of deduction may creep in, but must take a broader view which will embrace an account of a long series
