The Art of Ectoplasm: Encounters with Winnipeg's Ghost Photographs edited by Serena Keshavjee

In the wake of the First World War and the 1918–19 pandemic, the world was left grappling with a profound sense of loss. It was against this backdrop that a Winnipeg couple, physician T.G. Hamilton and nurse Lillian Hamilton, began their research, documenting and photographing séances they held in their home laboratory. Their decades-long study of the survival of human consciousness after death resulted in a stunning collection of photographs, including images of tables flying through the air, mediums in trances, and, most curious of all, ectoplasm—a strange, gauzy substance through which ghosts could apparently manifest.

This fascinating collection reflects on the history and legacy of the startling and otherworldly images found in the Hamilton Family archive.

“The first dedicated essay collection on a wholly unique and highly significant Canadian psychical research archive. I have no doubt that the volume will inspire a new generation of artists, academics, local historians, and paranormal researchers.”

— Christine Ferguson, University of Stirling

Learn more about the book.