Spirit Photography

Séance, anyone?

The desire to communicate with the dead (and other supernatural beings) is nothing new. Chances are you’ve seen at least one movie or TV show in which the characters attempt to make contact with ghosts or glimpse “beyond the veil” – you might have even tried it yourself! The belief in life after death and the possibility of communing with deceased loved ones are major tenets of Spiritualism, a religious/philosophical movement in vogue ca. 1840s – 1920s. (By the way, if you’re interested in an overview on Spiritualism, one of our past blog posts is a great place to start!)

Photograph of Mrs. Tinkham and spirit

by William H. Mumler. The J. Paul Getty Museum, 

Los Angeles, 84.XD.760.1.7

In the mid-nineteenth century, Boston was a major center for the Spiritualist movement. The movement drew the interest of true believers and sceptics. Unfortunately, it also attracted opportunistic fraudsters who were looking to capitalize on people’s grief. Various methods of making contact with the spirits existed and are still used today, for example, through consultations with mediums, i.e., people believed to be ‘sensitive’ to the spirit world and therefore able to perceive spirits.

Another way (or so it seemed) was through ‘spirit photography.’ This branch of photography arose when photographers noticed that sometimes blurred or translucent images appeared near or overlapping the actual subjects of their photos. These initially unintended effects were likely caused by the accidental reuse of glass negatives and other issues. The more maverick photographers realized that they could make these images by experimenting with layering multiple negatives and using different exposure times. You can read more about some of the techniques behind spirit photography (and how you can make your own spirit photos!) in this article by photographer Gabriel Biderman.

Some photographers claimed that these translucent figures were in fact spirits and they began to advertise their self-professed abilities to capture the images of spirits haunting the living. Thus, spirit photography was born!

For some, these photographs provided irrefutable evidence of the existence of ghosts; however, not everyone was convinced.

Harper’s Weekly May 8, 1869 issue

One of the most famous of these ‘spirit photographers’ was William Mumler who became active in 1861 and worked in Boston and New York. Illustrations of his spirit photos feature on the cover of Harper’s Weekly’s May 8, 1869 issue (we just so happen to have a copy of this issue in our collection!).

The accompanying article discusses the court case which the people of New York brought against Mumler a month earlier. The spirit photographer had been charged with fraud over his photographs. You can read the digitized version of The Spiritual Magazine’s publication of the trial on Hathi Trust. Mumler was eventually acquitted by Judge Dowling and continued to sell his photos – as can be seen in an advertisement in the Spiritualist newspaper, Religio Philosophical Journal, which published brief descriptions of some of the photos’ subjects. The editors of this journal cited his acquittal as further proof his photographs were genuine.

The following is an excerpt from Religio Philosophical Journal V12 N20 Aug 3 1872 which can be accessed online through the website of The International Association for the Preservation of Spiritualist and Occult Periodicals.

Below are some of the stories of the Massachusetts residents whom Mumler photographed, as advertised in Religio Philosophical Journal:

Mrs. Tinkham, Lowell, Mass. Spirit child, fully recognized. This picture is a remarkable one, inasmuch as it shows the power of spirits in moving tangible objects, the child having raised a portion of the sitter’s dress.

Mrs. Cottrell, Boston, Mass. Spirit child sitting in its mother’s lap. This picture is also a most excellent test, not only from its being readily recognized, but from the correct name of the child, which plainly appears in a wreath of flowers in its lap.

Master Herrod, N. Bridgwater, Mass. This young man is a medium. Before sitting for this picture three spirits offered to show themselves, representing Europe, Africa, and America. As will be seen by the picture, the promise was fulfilled[.] Also a picture was taken while entranced, and shows his double.

Some of Mumler’s photos are held at the Getty Museum in California. Fortunately, the Getty has digitized them, and the photographs can be seen on the museum’s website here. See if you can match the photos with the advertised descriptions!

Spirit photography is only one chapter of the fascinating history of Spiritualism. If you want to learn more about this movement and the key individuals involved, check out some of these titles available in our collection or through the CW MARS network:

• Boston in the golden age of spiritualism : séances, mediums & immortality.
• Trial of the spirits : a discourse delivered in the First Congregational Church, Quincy, Massachusetts, June 25, 1854.
• Preliminary report of the Commission appointed by the University of Pennsylvania to investigate modern spiritualism in accordance with the request of the late Henry Seybert
• The magician and the spirits : Harry Houdini and the curious pastime of communicating with the dead.

Happy hauntings!

Maryellen Larkin

Government Documents Reference Librarian

Sources:

Biderman, G. (2019). “Photographing Phantoms: How to Capture Ghosts and Spirits in Night Images.” National Parks at Night.

Morris, D. (2014). Boston in the golden age of spiritualism: séances, mediums & immortality. The History Press.

Religio Philosophical Journal V12 N20 Aug 3 1872.

The National Science and Media Museum. (2022). “Spirit Photography and the Occult: Making the Invisible Visible.” National Science and Media Museum.


*If you would like to view our copy of the Harper’s Weekly issue in person, please contact our Special Collections Department (special.collections@mass.gov) to arrange an appointment.