Here we have a set of rare antique photographs by a notorious spirit photographer from Chicago by the name of Sylvanus W. Fallis (1842 - 1908). And we actually have a photograph of the notorious man, and I can't find another example anywhere. He's in a very strange pose in a known sacred spot of the Native Americans, the Pipestone Quarry in Minnesota. There is something strange going on in the photograph with Fallis seated cross-legged. He looks like he's in a trance, and that device he has in his hand is playing a role. Check out his eyes..creepy as all get out. Fallis is known for dabbling in seances and documenting them via his photography. The mystery is thick in this scene, and the Fallis mob was definitely checking out the spiritual scene at this sacred place.
The fine folks at Spirit Photo Studio provide a great biography of Sylvanus W. Fallis, found here.
Here is a great article about Spiritualism photography, with examples of ghostly photographs taken by S.W. Fallis.
Here is a famous spirit photograph taken by Fallis found in the Library of Congress:
The rare spiritualist photography came out of a very old estate north of the Twin Cities. All four photographs are stamped "S.W. Fallis 587 W. Ohio Street, Chicago" on the revers. They were likely created sometime in the late 1800s.
The rare set of antique photographs measure just under 4 1/4" tall by 6 1/2" wide. There is patina from age throughout the photographs. Please see all pics as they are part of the description.
I ship FedEx to street addresses in the continental USA only (no PO boxes). Free shipping on the rare and unusual set of 19th century photographs.
The 1800s will haunt you. Be careful.
