ABSTRACT
In 1863, all London was abuzz about “Pepper’s Ghost,” a new science exhibition in which a human walked through a fully visible ghost. The display used plate glass, screens, and lighting to create the optical illusion of the ghost. It was the most famous creation of J. H. Pepper (1821-1900), a showman of science so well known that he has been styled by one historian “the celebrity chef of Victorian science.”1 The ghost first appeared in a Christmas theatrical performance, and thereafter became the main draw at the Royal Polytechnic Institution, a popular hall to which Londoners and tourists alike flocked to be amazed by the powers of science (after paying the 1s. entrance). Pepper’s Ghost was a huge sensation that drew thousands of spectators, including Prince Albert,2 and gave Pepper the chance to educate by entertaining, astonishing his audiences with the rational powers of science.
