THE FIRST SPIRIT-PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN IN MANCHESTER

My thanks to this site for drawing my attention to this piece I cannot find a copy of the actual photograph http://www.condensermagazine.com/2009/09/photographing-spirit.html

From an 1874 issue of The Spiritual Magazine.

THE FIRST SPIRIT-PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN IN MANCHESTER.

Mr. F. Silkstone, 76, George Street, Hulme, Manchester, in a letter, dated October 23rd, to the Christian Spiritualist for November, gives the following particulars respecting the first spirit-photograph taken in Manchester:—


Elizabeth Ann Williamson, a little girl of 12 years, small for her age, but apparently full of life and health, residing with her parents at 2, WilBngton Street, Lower Ardwick, Manchester, went at the commencement of the present month to have her portrait taken to Mr. Thomas M. Waters, photographer, 105, Hyde Road, Manchester. Her likeness was taken as requested, but at a stance where she was present during the following week, it was communicated by knocks through the table that in the process the photographer had rubbed out a spirit-face, which he in his ignorance of the whole affair considered a defect. She was instructed through the table to go again to the same photographer, and the spirit would appear a second time on the plate. She accordingly went, accompanied by her father, on the 10th October, 1874. A few questions were asked the photographer, and he acknowledged having erased, on her previous visit, some figure he could not understand. He was requested, should anything appear except the little girl, to let it remain untouched. The result was that a shadowy face, with features, however, quite clear, distinct, and well-defined, appears by the side of the girl. The forehead is broad and high, the beard and whiskers short, but plentiful. It is decidedly one of the beat spirit-photographs I have seen; and this opinion is shared by many Spiritualists who are competent judges. The spirit is one of the guides of the young medium, to whose name great interest will now be attached; and many warm hopes will be excited that this innocent, guileless child will be the means of our obtaining in the future striking phenomena, which shall establish in our midst the certainty of our continued existence. The guide who was thus photographed gave his name at a stance as a Dr. Pearson, of London, who practised when in earth-life on the Surrey side of the water. He is entirely unknown to any Spiritualists in Manchester

Very interesting Jim. I wonder what happened to that little girl in the ensuing years?