“Spirit” pictures were extremely popular and extremely fake during the early history of photography.  If you think that paranormal fraudsters are a new thing, think again.  The linked article below from Slate does a nice job of profiling two charlatans who practiced the fraudulent fad that lasted for decades.  Does this mean all ghost photos are fakes?  Certainly not.  Should we be careful?  Absolutely.

Link: Slate

Image Credit: Swann Auction Galleries.