Ghost Sighting

Source: National Fairground Archive of The University of Sheffield

A ghost sighting of a rare 1889 two-color handbill advertising Professor Pepper's popular Phantasmagoria at the Royal Polytechnic, featuring some frightfully spirited letterforms. Pictorial spooks and skeletons in costume, menacingly spell out ghost in all caps to announce a new revival of Pepper's popular performance. 
     Pepper's ghost, as the illusion came to be called, was popularized by John Henry Pepper (1821-1900), a London scientist and showman. His ghost conjuring illusion was part science; part theater, and used rear projection in a darkened room, hidden from the audience view, to call forth ghostly apparitions on a glass plate. When the lantern's light was cast on an actor in the hidden room, it reflected their image as a translucent figure on the plate of glass. Below are two woodcut images from the collection of Richard Balzer, which help to illustrate the illusion.  

This broadside, from Richard Balzer, advertises Professor Pepper's earlier 1870 sideshow.

Victorian audiences never tired of their fascination with the afterworld. Fairground showmen from traveling sideshows continued to flourish in England throughout the late 19th century. These showmen were quick to pick up on Pepper's popular ghost illusion and attracted audiences by creating colorful hand lettered banners and ornately carved and painted entrances to their sideshows. The first image below is of the Biddall's Ghost illusion exhibit from 1880. The other is of the interior of the Clark's Ghost Show exhibit from 1890.

Source of photos: National Fairground Archives of The University of Sheffield.

Even today, this same principle of Pepper's ghost trickery has continued to entertain audiences in cabarets, sideshows, museums, concert halls, sports stadiums, haunted houses and theme parks. At the 2006 Grammy Awards, Madonna was projected onto stage in a "live" performance. Last year at the Coachella Music Festival, a projection of deceased rapper Tupac Shakur was displayed in a performance with Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg. Even Hallmark had to get in on the act last year when they released some Pepper's Ghost collectibles for Halloween. By pressing the cap on a small bottle, a transparent "My Pet Ghost" appears with a recorded saying. Now that is scary!

Xmas Maximus Posters

A great 19th century British circus bill most likely from 1884. This 15x21" bill advertised the Great National Xmas Fair at the New Cross Public Hall in South London with a host of savory and not-so-savory gigantic attractions. Below is an 1881 circus bill for a Christmas Eve opening performance at the Royal Agricultural Hall. It measures 15x20". Both of these chromolithographed bills are from the British Library's Evanion Catalogue. 

More from the British Library's Evanion Collection: The Royal Agricultural Hall in Islington saw much circus maximus in its day. The 2 posters immediately above and below are for the same event of the 1879 Boxing Day Grand Christmas Fète avec Monstre Christmas Tree. Accommodation for 80,000 people wet or dry! The poster bill above measures 15x21 inches. The poster below measures approximately 20x30 inches. The beautiful woodcut engraving below is an interpretation of the same lithographed illustration just above.

An undated circus bill with wood type headlines for The Royal Circus Company opening on Boxing Day, December 26th. The circus bill below for the Grand Christmas Ball is dated 1858. Both are from Leeds Playbills. A reprint of the poster image above is available here.