Gordon Rutter

The Ghost that came back for its photographs

Whilst this story is in the book the relevant pictures are not, so here they are.

From left to right we have

Mr Dickinson, a photographer on whom a ghostly client called
The Photographic shop and studio of Mr Dickinson
The Portrait of Mr Thompson which not even the grave would keep him from collecting
Warning in W T Steads book for those about to read the ghost stories within

Here is the relevant section from the book to give you a taste

Desperate for the photographs
In the latter part of the nineteenth century a Mr Dickinson had a photographers shop on Grainger Street and the following story of an event that occurred at his shop is related in Real Ghost Stories by W T Stead, published in 1891.  On the morning of Saturday the 3rd of January, 1890, a Mr Thompson called to collect his previously sat for photographs.  Mr Thompson did not have his receipt but they were able to work out that his photographs had been taken on the 6th of December.  Mr Thompson was told that the photographs were not yet ready and could he call again later?  Mr Thompson, with a measure of displeasure, replied that he could not.  He had been travelling all night and he was already very tired.  At this point he left the photographers studio.  Mr Dickinson remembers thinking at the time that the gentleman looked very ill and he determined to complete the order as soon as possible.  On January the 9th Mr Thompson’s father arrived to collect the photographs.  Mr Dickinson enquired after his son to be told that he had died on the previous Saturday, the 3rd of January.  In fact he had died at 2.30 p.m. and for the previous part of the day he had been unconscious.  Before passing out the night before he had been delirious and had called out many times for his portrait pictures.
There are many reports in the literature of a category of ghost called a crisis apparition.  These appear, usually at the time of death, to carry out a task that had been preying on the mind of the recently deceased or to say their farewells to a friend or family member.  Is it possible that the portrait was so important to young Mr Thompson that not even death could stop him collecting it?
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Paranormal Newcastle