Why Ghosts Are Historically Depicted in White Sheets
Dr. Emily Zarka of the PBS series Monstrum examined why ghosts are historically depicted wearing white sheets. The familiar look originated with burial shrouds used for centuries, while Victorian notions of public decency helped explain why ghosts were depicted wearing clothes.
Victorian-era illustrator George Cruikshank once mused that it would be strange for an intangible spirit to wear physical clothes, but on the other hand, depicting ghosts in the nude would be shamefully indecent.
This ghostly wardrobe caught on and eventually lost its frightening edge, thanks in part to cartoons like Disney’s Lonesome Ghosts and characters like Casper the Friendly Ghost.
In the early 20th century, the floating white sheet had become one of the most recognizable ways to depict a ghost. And then pop culture started making it a lot less scary.
