In the latter half of the 1800s the rising interest in the new technology of photography sprouted a peculiar trend for “Spirit Photography”. Tying in nicely with the public’s contemporary fascination with death and the macabre- ghosts, ectoplasm, and other phenomena were recorded on film by crafty photographers. William H. Mumler was the first to employ this method, he cultivated a reputation as a medium and showed people their deceased loved ones in photos as ghosts or other apparitions.

Some photos in this style display translucent ghosts hovering, the faces of the dead appearing in clouds, people vomiting up ectoplasm, or scrawling words in light. These phenomena were later proven to be frauds, the products of trick photography and nefarious business practices. This style of photography is still very fascinating to us here at the ‘Cult, so we undertook our own nod to the morbid snake-oil-salesmen-photographers of the past.

In the first of 2 series we recently created with models Grayling and Syringe we staged our own spirit photography style images! The House of Pomegranates’ sensual gossamer style was the perfect match for this concept.

Check out the whole album in our facebook!

What do you think?

-Taeden