In 1909, there was an attempt to investigate spirit photography to determine if it was an actual happening or a fraud. A “Commission” was set up by the London “Daily Mail” to inquire into the facts of spirit-photography. It consisted of R. Child Bayley, F. J. Mortimer, and E. Sanger-Shepherd, A. P. Sinnett, E. R. Serocold Skeels, and Robert King. Their inquiry was not to conduct experiments, but to evaluate previously produced spirit photographs.

spinnetThe Commission invited the general public to send photographs produced under test conditions to “The Daily Mail.” Only a small number were submitted. In the end, the Commission decided that the photographs couldn’t be evaluated for the following reasons, quoted from their report:

I.―That none of the photographs submitted were shown to be taken under conditions which precluded fraud.

II.—That photographs submitted by Mr. Sinnett as taken in his own presence were clearly the result of “faking” and easily explainable on material grounds.

III.―Other photographs shown to us were taken under conditions of which we were told less; but in these we also saw no reason to suppose that anything out of the ordinary played any part. Some of them failed to show anything beyond defects due to careless manipulation, which were mistaken by their producers for supernatural results.

IV.—A large proportion of the photographs shown to us which lead any definite spirit-forms on them were produced by one photographer, who appears to be carrying on a business in the production of these things for a profit.

V.―According to invitation, packets of plates were sealed by us and submitted to Archdeacon Colley to receive “psychic writing” without being opened. This test, however, was not carried out, as Archdeacon Colley, after receipt of the plates, stated that “his discarnate friend having again recently made progress in the spheres may not from his higher degree yet for a while . . . be able to find the communicating link to transmit through one or more minds removed from this life the faculty or power requisite to impress the photo plate with psychic writing or spirit faces.”

VI.—A gentleman in Manchester offered to arrange a series of seances with a lady medium at which experiments might be conducted. On the first occasion he was unable to be present. On the second he attended, but informed the Commission that the lady was indisposed, and there was no prospect of the seances being held for a considerable time.

The Commission concluded that unless actual tests could be arranged, they couldn’t form an opinion about the photographs. A. P. Sinnett, E. R. Serocold Skeels, and Robert King wrote a column, “The Spiritualist Report” to accompany their decision. They blamed the Commission’s failure on the fact that some members “were unacquainted with the intricate science of which spirit-photography is a small part, that it was necessary for them to undertake some preliminary study of Spiritualism generally before they could even appreciate the evidence they might be called upon to deal with.” They stated that, “They have shown no inclination to prepare themselves in this way for the work they undertook, nor even to go unprepared in search of the great volume of evidence available. They have merely asked for experimental demonstrations, in ignorance of the conditions under which such demonstrations are possible.” They concluded that the “Commission has failed to secure proof that spirit-photography is possible, not because evidence to that effect is otherwise than very abundant, but by reason of the unfortunate and unpractical attitude adopted by those members of the Commission who had no previous experience of the subject.”

Even though, the Commission could not come to any conclusion about spirit photography, the conditions under which some photos were taken at the time were documented. The following testimony was given in a letter to Prof. Jas. Coates, of Rothesay, from Mr. John Auld.

john-auld“In reply to your expressed wish that I should give you an account of how I obtained the psychic photographs in which you are so much interested, and as you propose to publish my statement, I will be brief.

“In September, 1908, while visiting London, with the object of seeing the Franco- British Exhibition, I embraced the opportunity of calling upon Mr. Boursnell and got my photograph taken, in the hope that some psychic figures might come on the plate. Armed with an introduction given me by Mr. James Robertson, Hon. President of the Glasgow Association of Spiritualists, and with the knowledge that Mr. Boursnell had succeeded in getting many recognised spirit-photographs, I called upon him with some degree of confidence.

“On calling at the house Mr. Boursnell—an old man, who impressed me favourably―met me at the door and escorted me upstairs to a large room, apparently a dining-room, with two windows on one side facing the street. On handing Mr. Boursnell my letter of introduction I found that he had already given a sitting that day, and that he could not give another to do himself justice. It was arranged that I should call on the following day at noon.

“I was photographed in the room mentioned above. The day was fine and bright outside, and the room was flooded with daylight throughout the sitting. I make this statement definitely, because some critics thought the photos were taken by artificial light. Before taking my photograph he said there were three psychic forms present in my surroundings, a man (photo below is said to have faded) and two ladies. He also got the name of “Lizzie.”

john-auld-father“In broad daylight he exposed two plates in succession withdrew the slide, and put in a fresh slide, and these were rapidly exposed. I asked him if he thought the figures seen would show on the plates. He told me that they would be there all right. I waited until the plates were developed, when he informed me that there was a spirit-form photographed on each. On receipt of the cabinets I found on two the face of a gentleman about 70 years of age; snow-white hair on head, silvery whiskers, moustache, and beard; expressive eyes, a countenance of much refinement, glowing with intelligence and advanced spirituality. On the other two plates were two ladies, one on each plate. None of the faces were known to me, though the gentleman and one of the ladies are considered by you like those of departed relatives. Mr. James Robertson, who has an extensive collection, and has seen some hundreds of similar photographs, says that they are new to him. Mr. Robertson has obtained through Mr. Boursnell photographs of departed friends under conditions beyond cavil. Mr. Wm. T. Stead and Mr. John Lobb, Editor of “The Christian Age” for over thirty years, have had speaking likenesses of departed friends, and from other sources of testimony, and from my own favourable impressions on seeing Mr. Boursnell, I did not think it necessary to have my photographs taken under test conditions. I trust if Mr. Boursnell is spared, and I have the opportunity of having some further sittings, I hope that I, too, will get a recognisable portrait of some departed friend.”

Reference: A BRIEF HISTORY OF SPIRIT PHOTOGRAPHY A Resume, in Three Parts, of the Efforts Made to Obtain Photographs of Departed Persons by Experimenters in Great Britain, the United States, and France.  James Johnson Morse, taken from the Two Worlds Friday August 27th 1915