Through Edwardian Eyes: Jessie Adelaide Middleton's Ghost Photographs
Third in a four-part series exploring the mysterious world of ghost photography
In our previous explorations of ghost photography, we've examined both the deliberate frauds of professional spirit photographers and the more intriguing accidental captures of apparent apparitions. Now, we turn to a fascinating historical perspective through the work of Jessie Adelaide Middleton, whose early 20th-century investigations provide a window into how ghost photography was viewed during an era when the boundaries between science and spiritualism were still being negotiated.
Jessie Adelaide Middleton: Edwardian Ghost Hunter
In an age when paranormal investigation was dominated by men, Jessie Adelaide Middleton established herself as a meticulous chronicler of ghostly phenomena. Unlike many of her contemporaries who approached the subject with either blind faith or dismissive skepticism, Middleton brought journalistic integrity to her investigations, documenting supernatural accounts across social boundaries with an even-handed approach.
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| Illustration Depicting Jessie A. Middleton as a Ghost Hunter |
Her trilogy of works—The Grey Ghost Book (1912), Another Grey Ghost Book (1914), and The White Ghost Book (1916)—represent some of the most comprehensive collections of ghost accounts published during the early 20th century. Written during a period when World War I had heightened public interest in matters of mortality and the afterlife, Middleton's books provided comfort to many seeking evidence of existence beyond death. Middleton's books are available on Amazon here, here, and here.
What distinguished Middleton's work was her insistence on authentication. She focused on cases where credible witnesses—often including clergymen, military officers, judges, and other respected professionals—had experienced inexplicable phenomena. In The White Ghost Book, she turned her attention to the controversial subject of ghost photography.
Middleton on the Credibility of Spirit Photography
Middleton approached spirit photography with healthy skepticism. In The White Ghost Book, she acknowledged the prevalence of fraud, writing that she had seen photographs of supposed spirits "whose obvious art-muslin draperies (supposed to represent the orthodox costumes worn by departed spirits) would not deceive anyone but a person of weak mind or one highly susceptible to trickery."
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| Illustration from Walter Woodbury's Photographic Amusements, 1897 |
Yet unlike many skeptics of her day, Middleton maintained that genuine ghost photography was possible, stating plainly: "But instances of genuine ghost photography are by no means rare, and I have seen several fine specimens." This balanced perspective—acknowledging fraud while remaining open to authentic phenomena—characterized her approach to paranormal investigation.
The Ghost Photographs of The White Ghost Book
The Ghost at Temple Newsam
One of the most compelling cases Middleton documented involved Mr. Fletcher Moss, President of the Lancashire and Cheshire Antiquarian Society. While visiting Temple Newsam, the Yorkshire estate owned by Lord Halifax, Moss and a companion took photographs of the interior rooms, including one where Lord Darnley (husband of Mary Queen of Scots) was born.
When developing the photograph, they were startled to discover "the face of an old man sitting in the chair by the fire"—a figure that had been invisible to them at the time of exposure. Middleton emphasized Moss's credibility, noting he was "a Justice of the Peace for Lancaster, an Alderman of the City of Manchester, and President of the Lancashire and Cheshire Antiquarian Society, and is certainly the last man in the world to authorize the reproduction of a 'faked' ghost photograph in his book."
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| Ghost Photo of Temple Newsam, Yorkshire |
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| Face in the Pillow |
This case is interesting because the photographers weren't seeking to capture anything supernatural. They were simply documenting the historic room when the unexpected apparition appeared in their image—a classic example of what we now categorize as ghost photography rather than spirit photography.
The Ghostly Monk
Perhaps the most dramatic photograph mentioned in The White Ghost Book is one showing "the ghost of a gigantic monk." Middleton describes the entity as "tall and grim, with a most malignant face—and the panelling of the room is plainly visible through him." The photograph was taken in what she describes as "dramatic circumstances in an old manor house in the West of England."
While Middleton originally intended to include this image in The Grey Ghost Book (Available at Amazon), publishing constraints prevented it. However, she was able to reproduce it in The White Ghost Book (Available at Amazon), providing readers with visual evidence of the haunting she had previously only described in text.
What's interesting about this case is that the full account behind the photograph appears in The Grey Ghost Book, written by a dental surgeon named Clifton-Walker. His detailed investigation of "Wessex Manor" (a pseudonym used to protect the identity of the family involved) represents one of the most thorough paranormal investigations of the early 20th century. This will be covered in our next post, along with the photograph.
The Ghost in the Window
Middleton described a photograph taken by an amateur photographer near Acton who was capturing exterior views of an old farmhouse. The photographer "snapped" the farmer, his wife, and their family posing in front of the house. Two photographs were taken minutes apart, but when developed, one showed "a face appeared peeping out from a window of the house."
What made this particularly striking was that the room in question was "entirely empty and locked up, quite unfurnished save for the curtains in the window." Moreover, this room had a reputation for being haunted and was left unused for this reason. The photograph showed "the portrait of an elderly woman, in a white cap, looking out of the window on the left-hand side of the door."
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| The Ghost in the Window |
This case exemplifies the accidental nature of ghost photography—the photographer had no expectation of capturing anything unusual and only discovered the apparition during development.
Warner's Dying Cousin
Among the most emotionally compelling cases Middleton documented was a portrait session that captured more than anyone bargained for. In May 1905, a small-town photographer arranged to take a portrait of a working man, Middleton refers to as Warner. The session seemed entirely routine—a fresh photographic plate from a new packet, just the photographer and his subject present, with no one involved having any interest in spiritualism or the supernatural.
When the plate was developed four days later, however, the results were anything but ordinary. Alongside Warner's image appeared the distinct figure of another man, positioned on Warner's chest to the left of his handkerchief. The mysterious figure was remarkably detailed—his turn-down collar and necktie were clearly visible, along with his watch-chain and a hand adorned with a white cuff that appeared just above Warner's knee.
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| Warner's Cousin |
The identity of this unexpected guest became clear when Warner's family examined the photograph. They immediately recognized the face as belonging to Warner's cousin, who at that very moment lay dying in a hospital some fifteen to twenty miles away, suffering from a gunshot wound that would claim his life within days. Multiple witnesses, including the cousin's own mother, confirmed the likeness was unmistakable.
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| Warner's Cousin's Face |
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| Warner's Cousin's Hands |
What makes this case particularly intriguing is the complete absence of any connection between the photographer and Warner's family prior to the sitting. The photographer had never met Warner before their appointment and was entirely unaware that Warner even had a cousin, let alone one who was gravely ill. The cousin himself had never been photographed by this particular photographer, eliminating any possibility of accidental double exposure from previous sessions.
The photographer's integrity was vouched for by Reverend W. Romney, whose own brother served as choirmaster in Romney's church and who knew the photographer's family well. Under oath, the photographer affirmed that the negative had not been manipulated in any way, and examination of the plate revealed no flaws or irregularities that might explain the anomalous image.
This case represents a fascinating intersection between spirit photography and ghost photography—while it involved a formal portrait sitting typical of spirit photography, neither the photographer nor the subject had any expectation of capturing supernatural phenomena, placing it firmly in the category of accidental ghost photography.
The Edwardian Perspective on Ghost Photography
What makes Middleton's account particularly valuable is how it illuminates early 20th-century attitudes toward photographic evidence of the supernatural. For Victorians and Edwardians, photography represented objective scientific evidence—the camera, they reasoned, could not lie. Though they were aware of photographic trickery, many believed that photographs taken under controlled conditions by reputable individuals provided compelling evidence of supernatural phenomena.
Middleton's emphasis on the credibility of the photographers and witnesses reflects this perspective. She repeatedly stresses the professional standing of those involved, their lack of motive for deception, and the circumstances that made fraud unlikely. For her contemporaries, the character of the witness was as important as the technical analysis of the image itself.
This approach contrasts markedly with modern paranormal investigation, which focuses primarily on eliminating natural explanations through technical analysis rather than witness credibility. Yet Middleton's cases remind us that the human element—the experiences and testimony of those who capture these images—remains an essential component of ghost photography.
Join the Conversation
In our final installment, we'll take a closer look at the fascinating case of "The Terrible Monk of Wessex Manor," one of the most thoroughly documented hauntings in Middleton's collection, including the remarkable photograph that appears in The White Ghost Book.
Join us in our next post for "The Terrible Monk of Wessex Manor: Anatomy of a Haunting," the final installment in our four-part series on ghost photography.
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