From MISS ESTELLE STEAD
During the last seven or eight years I have had several sittings with the Crewe Circle, and can state truly that I have always found both Mr. Hope and Mrs. Buxton most anxious to have me examine the dark room, the camera, the slides, the room in which the photographs were taken, and had I wished to examine anything else I am sure they would have agreed to my doing so.
At some sittings I have had no results, whilst at others the results have been excellent.
The very first time I visited Crewe I bought a box of plates in London and took it with me. Mr. Hope never handled the box at all excepting in my presence, and we obtained two excellent pictures of my father. During that same visit I bought a box of plates in Crewe, neither Mr. Hope nor Mrs. Buxton had any idea at which shop I bought it. I sealed the box and took it with me to 144, Market Street. I held it in my hands until we, Mr. Hope, Mrs. Buxton, Mr. Harry Walker, at whose house I was staying, and myself—were seated round the table. I then placed the box on the table, where it remained visible to all, as the room was well lighted by gas, whilst we held the little service usually held by the Crewe Circle. We all then placed our hands under and over the box and held it in this way for a little while. I then placed the bottom of the box against Mrs. Buxton’s forehead and then held it between my hands whilst instructions were given, through Mr. Hope, to the effect that I should go into the dark room with him, unseal the box myself, take out the bottom plate and the plate next to it. I was told to take particular note as to which was the bottom plate. I was instructed to develop the two plates in Mr. Hope’s presence, but not to allow him to touch them until I had developed them. Note, the box was not unsealed until we went into the dark room, and the plates were never exposed to the light at all.
Nothing appeared on the bottom plate, nor was there any sign of fogging. On the other plate were two messages, one in Archdeacon Colley’s handwriting and one in Mr. William Walker’s handwriting, together with a faint outline of my father’s face.
About one year after receiving the above I went up to Crewe with Miss Scatcherd. I had previously, without saying a word to Miss Scatcherd or anyone, made an engagement with my brother Will, who passed over in 1907, to meet me there and give his picture if he could manage to do so. Miss Scatcherd thought I wanted a picture of my father or a message from him. I do not think either Mr. Hope or Mrs. Buxton knew of my brother’s existence, and even if they did they certainly had no means of getting hold of his photograph. I took my own plates from town. On the very first plate exposed my brother’s face appears between Miss Scatcherd and myself.
During a visit the Crewe Circle paid to the “W. T. Stead” Bureau in Baker Street in 1919, at my father’s request I took my mother to have a sitting with them without advising them beforehand as to who it was I was bringing. I took my own plates, put them in the slides myself and stood over Mr. Hope whilst he developed the plates after the sitting. On the plate exposed on my mother alone there appears a very good picture of my father.
(Signed) E. W. Stead.
5, Smith Square, S.W. 1.