Science of Scams - Factoids

Ghost on Film

See an investigation into ghosts on film.
The world's largest examples of the Pepper's Ghost illusion are at the Haunted Mansion and Phantom Manor attractions at Walt Disney theme parks.
The method for Pepper's ghost was first outlined by John Henry Pepper in his booklet 'A True History Of The Ghost and All About Metempsychosis', printed in 1890.
The effect first premiered during a scene of Charles Dicken's 'The Haunted Man'.
Though Pepper tried many times to give the credit of the invention to Henry Dircks, the name 'Pepper's Ghost' has stuck until the present day.
As long as there have been cameras, there have been attempts to capture ghosts on film. During the 19th century the spiritualism craze produced many spirit or ghost photographs. However, it is difficult as a modern audience to see how anyone was ever deceived by such crude methods.
See some 19th century ghost photos.
One of the most famous ghost photographs of all time is claimed to be of the brown lady of Raynham hall.
Since the advent of digital photography, a new anomaly has sprung into fashion as proof of spirit phenomena on film, that of orbs. See some orb and other modern ghost photographs.
Although some circles are utterly convinced of the authenticity of orb photographs, it is worthy to note that identical phenomena can be produced simply through the presence of dust particles or moisture droplets in the air.
After World War One, ghost photographs which claimed to show deceased soldiers were extremely popular with bereaved families.