Chronicles of Spirit Photography — Georgiana Houghton (1882)

A remarkable Victorian record of spirit photography, mediumship, and the nineteenth-century Spiritualist movement, newly returned to print by Holographic Pagan Press.

Physical edition: The Holographic Pagan Press edition is a handmade softcover book, not a hardcover.

Chronicles of Spirit Photography is the cover title of Georgiana Houghton’s 1882 work Chronicles of the Photographs of Spiritual Beings and Phenomena Invisible to the Material Eye: Interblended with Personal Narratives.

Houghton—an artist, Spiritualist, and one of the most distinctive figures of Victorian occult culture—assembled this volume from her extensive experience with spirit photography and séances. The book records photographic sittings, purported appearances of invisible beings, personal observations, correspondence, and the broader debates surrounding photographic evidence of spiritual phenomena. The original edition was illustrated with six plates containing fifty-four miniature reproductions from the photographs discussed in the text.

This Holographic Pagan Press edition preserves the character and content of the historic edition while presenting the work in a newly prepared, large-format reading edition. The handmade physical edition features deep green cardstock, black binding tape, and gold-toned cover artwork based on the original 1882 binding.

This is a newly prepared Holographic Pagan Press edition and not an original antique copy.

Handmade edition note: Holographic Pagan Press editions are produced, assembled, and finished by hand in small batches. As a result, minute variations may occur between individual copies, including slight differences in materials, color, binding, trimming, placement, or hand-applied details. Materials may also vary slightly according to availability. We make every effort to preserve the intended design, character, and quality of each edition while allowing for the natural variations inherent in handmade bookmaking.

Title: Chronicles of Spirit Photography
Full original title: Chronicles of the Photographs of Spiritual Beings and Phenomena Invisible to the Material Eye: Interblended with Personal Narratives
Author: Georgiana Houghton
Original publication: London, E. W. Allen, 1882
Original extent: x + 273 pages + 6 leaves of plates
Formats: Handmade physical book or digital PDF
Physical dimensions: 8.5" × 11"
Cover: Deep green cardstock with black binding tape and gold-toned artwork
Interior: Black-and-white
Edition publisher: Odd Enough Books / Holographic Pagan Press
Condition: Newly produced

Historical Note

Houghton’s book is an important primary source in the history of Spiritualism, psychical research, and spirit photography. Its claims and interpretations reflect the beliefs, practices, and photographic culture of the late nineteenth century and are presented here for historical, scholarly, and esoteric research.