Voices from beyond the grave

Something as inconsequential as dying on the Titanic wasn't going to stop campaigning journalist W. T. Stead.

The Titanic leaving dock. Picture courtesy of US NARA.

W. T. Stead is a popular topic among us journalists. The great man (1849 - April 15, 1912) was a pioneer of investigative journalism - he saw journalism as "a glorious opportunity of attacking the devil".  Apparently, he wanted to launch an attack on the ever-increasing size of liners as he was dubious about their safety but, never having been on one, jumped on one about to leave Southampton: The Titanic. He perished after it struck the iceberg. But Stead was also a Spiritualist and death wasn't going to stop him publishing. He returned from beyond the grave through medium Pardoe Woodman and Stead's daughter, Estelle, was so convinced of his return that she published Stead's posthumous book, Blue Island, with the help of Woodman. It's now freely available on Google books and includes a Spirit photograph of Stead taken three years after his death.