Do you believe in ghosts? In 1864, when J. H. Brown’s Spectropia was first published, beliefs in ghosts were reaching a high point. Mediums across the country were selling the idea of communication with the afterlife. And people were buying it. With the Civil War raging, death was plaguing America and grieving families were willing to cling to any hope of reconnecting with lost loved ones.

As séances conjured up spirits through rappings on walls, levitating tables, mysterious images in photographs, and other fantastic appearances, Brown decided to do something about it. He had had enough of “the absurd follies of spiritualism.” As Brown notes in the pages of this book, “All the senses are more or less subject to deception, but the eye is pre-eminently so.” With the sixteen color plates in Spectropia, he created a way for anyone to see ghosts through nothing more than science.

Follow Brown’s simple instructions and the spectres within these pages will take shape in your newly haunted house. Only for a short time though, after which they will vanish beyond the veil.

This new edition republishes the original text and illustrations, and includes a foreword by author and founder of WeirdHistorian.com, Marc Hartzman.