Spirit photography is a practice that emerged in the mid-19th century, where photographers claimed to capture images of spirits or ghosts alongside living subjects. This genre gained popularity during the Victorian era, as people sought evidence of the afterlife and a connection to deceased loved ones. Many early spirit photographs were created using double exposure techniques, where two images were combined to create the illusion of a ghostly figure. While some believed these images were genuine, others later revealed them as clever tricks or manipulations, leading to skepticism about the authenticity of spirit photography.