The Art of Ectoplasm

The curious history of Winnipeg’s “ghost” photographsIn 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.

The Hamiltons’ work and photographic evidence attracted international attention in their day, with notable figures like Arthur Conan Doyle participating in the Hamilton family’s séances. Their investigations also had the support of the psychical scientific community, whose membership included renowned physicist Oliver Lodge, the inventor of wireless telegraphy. In the century since their creation, the images (now housed in the University of Manitoba Archives) have continued to perplex and inspire, with ectoplasm appearing as the subject of academic study, comedic parody, and artistic and cinematic renderings.

This fascinating collection reflects on the history and legacy of the startling and otherworldly images found in the Hamilton Family archives. As contemporary society continues to feel the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, The Art of Ectoplasm offers a compelling look at a chapter in social history not entirely unlike our own.