The mystery of William Mumler’s ghost photography
Many supernatural films have shown spirits being photographed by cameras. But can it be a reality? Well, the answer is both yes and no. Since there is no scientific evidence of the presence of spirits, it’s not possible to photograph them too. Logical, isn’t it? But spirit photography became a ‘trend’ in the US during the 19th century. The American Civil War (1861–1865) led to a growth in spiritualism with people believing that it was possible to communicate with the dead through a medium. Around this time, an American photographer named William Mumler became well-known for photographing ghosts! Intriguing, isn’t it? Come, let’s find out more about him and his tricky technique.
William Mumler’s ghost photos
William Mumler’s first ghost photograph was taken in Boston in March 1861. He mistakenly took two pictures of himself using the same photographic plate, giving it a spirit like look. Eventually, this photograph ended up in The Herald of Progress, a spiritualist publication. After this, his popularity skyrocketed, changing the trajectory of his life. Well, with great popularity come great rumours! One such rumour was that Mumler could only take two or three pictures of spirits per day because communicating with the afterlife required a lot of energy! Many people soon started flocking to the shop of Mumler and the business of ghost photography boomed.
Mumler is accused of fraudulence
Mumler and his wife Hannah, a professional photographer and spiritualist, caused quite a stir in Boston by selling these ‘spirit photos’. It grabbed the interest of both sceptics and spiritualists. Boston-based professional photographers repeatedly tried to figure out Mumler’s technique but were unsuccessful. Eventually, Mumler was accused of fradulence. So, the Mumlers relocated to New York City, which was considered to be the photography capital of the United States.
Mumler is arrested
Luck was not in favour of Mumler. In New York, he was promptly taken into custody on suspicion of fraud and put on trial. Famous American showman P.T. Barnum, who was asked to testify against Mumler in front of the judge. Like the photographers in Boston, no one in New York could identify his technique. And so, Mumler was freed of charges!
Mumler’s secret technique
Now, are you also thinking he could capture ghosts on camera? Well, his photographs were total fabrications. Before meeting the client, Mumler would obtain an existing photograph of the deceased and expose it onto a photographic plate. Using this technology and a double- or triple-exposure image, he could produce transparent effects one would generally expect of a spirit. Despite the obvious indications that the images were fake, Mumler maintained a strong base of devoted followers who believed his photographs showed the spirit of a deceased friend or family member.
The boom of business after the trial
Mumler’s trial was covered by all New York newspapers. As a result, following the trial, his business of spirit photography gained more popularity. He even photographed notable Americans such as William Lloyd Garrison. However, Mumler’s most well-known ‘spirit’ image is that of Mary Todd Lincoln being comforted by the ghost of her late husband, the assassinated US president Abraham Lincoln. He even accepted mail-in orders from customers who couldn’t make it to the studio.