Ghosts For Christmas! The Harmsworth Magazine and its competitor,The Pall Mall Magazine gave The Strand a run for their money in the ghost department. Their numbers included authors such as W. W. Jacobs, Richard Marsh, M. R. James, Algernon Blackwood, E. F. Benson and that one-hit wonder, F. G. Loring. Here for your Christmas pleasure are some of those tales with their original artwork– the part of the ghost story experience we have lost since we usually read these stories in collected book form or paperback anthology.
The Victorian illustrators, Sidney Paget and his Sherlock Holmes come immediately to mind, were a fine group of craftsmen. Their images usually add something to the telling of the tale. You will find specters here, of course, but also a couple of vampires, a giant cat, even furniture with attitude. So get your twelve drummers drumming for this dozen hair-raisers…
“Lost Hearts” by M. R. James (The Pall Mall Magazine, December 1895) For more on this story, here.
“The Spectre of Severn Tunnel” by E. Thurlow (Harmsworth Magazine, February 1899)
“The Haunted Island” by Algernon Blackwood (The Pall Mall Magazine, April 1899) For more on this story, here.
“The Mystery of the Bronze Statue” by W. S. Sutton (Harmsworth Magazine, October 1899)
“The Gray Cat of the Colosseum” by Sidney Pickering (Harmsworth Magazine, May 1900)
“A Case of Eaves-Dropping” by Algernon Blackwood (The Pall Mall Magazine, December 1900)
“The Tomb of Sarah” by F. G. Loring (The Pall Mall Magazine, December 1900) For more on this story, here.
“The Haunted Chair” by Richard Marsh (Harmsworth Magazine, January 1902)
“The Well” by W. W. Jacobs (Harmsworth Magazine, November 1903)
“The Man Who Went Too Far” by E. F. Benson (The Pall Mall Magazine, June 1904)
“The Bus-Conductor” by E. F. Benson (The Pall Mall Magazine, December 1906)
“The Room in the Tower” by E. F. Benson (The Pall Mall Magazine, December 1912)
Have a happy holiday, whatever you celebrate…
