Frederick. A. Hudson England
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Photograph by Frederick A Hudson UK, of Lady Newenham the extra was said to be her Spirit daughter. 1872.
June 4, 1872
Hudson had a studio at 177 Holloway Road, London. He is credited with producing
the first Spirit photograph made in Britain on March 4, 1872, just three months
before this image was made.
Inscription on verso:
"June 4th 1872/Mrs. Olive (?) and Mr. Herne, Mediums. Lady Helena Newenham and
the Spirit of her daughter."
Frank Herne was a prominent Medium who began giving seances in January, 1869.
Witnesses reported he was capable of levitation during seances and was even
miraculously transported from place to place by Spirits.
Bibliography
Cyril Permutt, Beyond the Spectrum, A Survey of Supernormal Photography
(Cambridge: Patrick Stevens, Ltd., 1983). p. 89
Photograph by Frederic A Hudson from the UK Subject being photographed is Mr Raby, the Spirit forms are The Countess and James Lombard, Tommy, also Mr Woottons mother. 1875.
Obtained by Messrs. Raby Wootton & Rutherford at Hudson's Studio.
At a Seance at Mr. Wootton's the Spirits desired him to go to Hudson's promising
they would try to produce their likeness.
Mr. W. did so, accompanied by his friends. The gentlemen operated [i.e., took
the photograph] themselves without allowing Hudson to take any part in the
manipulations. The result was exactly as the Spirits had told beforehand it
would be. Mr. Raby sat and the Spirits "Countess," "James Lombard," "Tommy," and
Mr. Wootton's mother appeared when the plate was developed.
Frederick A. Hudson was England's first Spirit photographer. His earliest
results were obtained in 1872. The editor of the British Journal of Photography
investigated the following year, bringing his own plates and chemicals, and
could not come up with an explanation. Dr. Alfred Russel Wallace, who shares
credit with Charles Darwin for the discovery of evolution, was a client of
Hudson and obtained two different photographs showing his deceased mother.
Hudson was occasionally caught in the act of faking his images, and was even
found dressing up to play the role of the ghost. Nevertheless, he "became the
best known British psychic photographer and was known for producing supernormal
extras on his plates under the closest of scrutiny." (Cyril Permutt, Beyond the
Spectrum [Cambridge: Patrick Stephens, 1983], p. 17. )
Photograph by By Frederick
A. Hudson
In the portrait are the Reverend
William Stainton Moses (also
known as M.A.Oxon) also Mr and Mrs Parkes with the photographed Spirit, which was
later recognized as their mother. 1873
Frederick A Hudson is claimed to be the first Spirit photographer in England. Hudson started in March 1872, then went on to produce a regular amount of Spirit images with his human subjects individual and personal photographic plates up until about 1879.
The Reverend William Stainton Moses did hundreds of experiments with Hudson to try and get at the truth. In later years he published many articles after he was convinced that Hudson was genuine. when under test conditions Hudson continued to have the Spirit World place the deceased people onto the photographic plates with their relatives or friends they could recognize.
Photograph by
Frederick
A Hudson
Alfred Russel Wallace with the Spirit of his mother, 1874
Alfred Russel Wallace, was a very well known scientist of his day who truly profoundly believed in happenings of spiritualistic phenomena and took it as fact that it really was a reality. Wallace wrote about the taking of the photograph in the book A Defense of Modern Spiritualism 1875, p.190-191.
Quote: On March 14th, 1874, I went to Hudson's, by appointment, for the first and only time, accompanied by Mrs.Guppy, as Medium. I expected that if I got any Spirit picture it would be that of my eldest brother, in whose name messages had frequently been received through Mrs. Guppy. Before going to Hudson's I sat with Mrs G., and had a communication by raps with the effect that my mother would appear on the plate if she could. I sat three times, always choosing my own position. Each time a second figure appeared in the negative with me. (...) I recognized none of these figures in the negatives; but the moment I got the proofs, the first glance showed me that the third plate contained an unmistakable portrait of my mother, - like her both in features and in expression; not such a likeness as a portrait taking during life, but somewhat pensive, idealized likeness - yet still, to me, an unmistakable likeness.
Photograph of Medium Charles Williams in trance while the table is levitaing and a Spirit extra had been placed on the photographic plate.
Photograph taken by Frederick A Hudson in 1872.