Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s ‘Ghostly’ Photograph Up For Auction

The signed photograph, believed to depict the ghost of a young girl, is expected to fetch a substantial figure when it goes under the hammer at Fraser’s Autographs next month.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s ghostly photograph, believed to have been ‘taken with one exposure only’, is purported to be the ghost of a young girl sitting on the lap of a young man.

The 2.5 by 4.5 inch ‘spirit’ photograph is signed clearly, in full across the bottom margin.

The photograph is being auctioned by London-based Fraser’s Autographs, part of the renowned philatelic group Stanley Gibbons, on 17th June 2010 in their postal auction, PA76.

Auctioneer Olivia Odell commented that ‘though the jury is still out on whether the photograph shows a genuine ghost, it remains, none-the-less, quite chilling to look at’.

“It is certainly a completely unique piece signed by the great man himself”.

Conan Doyle’s most famous character, Sherlock Holmes, was strictly a man of scientific reasoning and logic, though following the death of his wife in 1906 Conan Doyle became fascinated by spiritualism. Convinced of the existence of fairies and spirits he became a member of The Ghost Club, founded in Cambridge in 1862.

The paranormal photograph is expected to reach at least £1,200 in the postal auction at 399 Strand, London, on Thursday 17th June.

For further information please contact Olivia Odell: oodell@frasersautographs.co.uk / 0207 5574405

PA76 closes at 10pm GMT on Thursday 17th June 2010. The Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Spirit photograph is lot number 151 of 1147 lots. www.frasersautographs.com

NOTE: Since I'm an autograph collector and dealer, this is a fairly important piece though, the alternative investigator in me says it's a double exposure. I suspect £1,200 is a very conservative estimate. I may need to get into the bidding on this one...Lon

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s ‘Ghostly’ Photograph Up For Auction