A photograph probably taken by William Hope (1863-1933). A woman mourns for her husband in a Chapel of Rest, standing by his body which is wrapped in sheets and laden with flowers. The woman's son stands beside her. The image of a man's face has been superimposed over the original photograph. The spirit album notes that the family were Roman Catholics and believed in life after death. Hope used multiple exposure techniques to render the appearance of ghostly apparitions. Hope founded the spiritualist society known as the Crewe Circle and his work was popular after World War One when many bereaved people were desperate to find evidence of loved ones living beyond the grave. Although his deception was publicly exposed in 1922, he continued to practice.
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