MS SPR Museum

Slate writing became popular in séances in the 1870s. The slates would be shown to be blank before being closed and held under a table. Following the sound of chalk scratching on slate, they would be opened to show apparent spirit writing. The writing on these slates was produced at a séance held by William Eglinton. Eglinton began giving séances in London in the 1870s, producing many forms of spirit manifestations. He gave séances extensively in Europe, South Africa, the United States and India. In 1884 British Prime Minister William Gladstone was so impressed with the slate writing that he witnessed at an Eglinton séance that he became a member of the Society for Psychical Research. Eglinton was no stranger to accusations of fraud, however, with the SPR on a number of occasions attributing his performances to clever conjuring.

Slate By kind permission of the Society for Psychical Research