The Boston Photographer Who Claimed to Capture Lincoln’s Ghost on Film

More than 150 years ago, a Boston photographer claimed to have captured the spirit of Abraham Lincoln on film and was responsible for the craze known as “spirit photography.”

William Mumler later moved his operation to New York, but rose to prominence at his portrait studio on Boston’s Washington Street.

How popular were his photos? Well, HistoricCamera.com states that at the height of his fame, Mumler was charging $10 apiece for someone to sit for a photo – with no guarantee a “spirit” would appear – while the average price for a photograph at that time was around $2.

Not a bad gig if you can get it.

Get our free mobile app

So How Did William Mumler Start Taking Spirit Photographs?

Mumler was born in 1832 and worked as a jewelry engraver in Boston while also pursuing amateur photography.

Supposedly, Mumler took his first spirit photograph inadvertently when the supposed spirit of his deceased cousin, who had passed away 12 years prior, appeared in a self portrait.

This was in the early 1860s, at the height of the Spiritualist movement in America. This was a time when a large number of people had a strong belief in not only the afterlife, but in the ability of the dead to communicate with the living.

Not surprising, considering this was during the Civil War, when so many were dealing with grief over the loss of a loved one in battle. Many sought out the services of mediums and others who could bring some sort of connection to their loved ones in the Great Beyond, and that meant there was money to be made for a guy like William Mumler and his spirit photography.

William Mumler Was Tried for Fraud and Larceny

Mumler enjoyed a spirited business (pun intended) for a number of years, although he always had his detractors and disbelievers.

In 1869, Mumler was put on trial for fraud and larceny, with P.T. Barnum – who knew a thing or two about fakery, considering he promoted mermaids and giants in his time – testifying against him.

Mumler was acquitted by the judge, however, when it could not be proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that Mumler was in fact faking the photographs.

Mumler continued on with his spirit photography following his acquittal.

William Mumler’s Most Famous Spirit Photograph

The best-known example of Mumler’s spirit photographs is a photograph of Mary Todd Lincoln with what is said to be the ghost of Abraham Lincoln standing behind her.

Most sources list the year of the photo as 1869, while Mumler had said at one point that the photo was taken in 1872.

Mumler also claimed that he had no idea that the woman sitting for the photograph was the former First Lady, and did not find out until later. He said she used an alias, which she was known to do.

William Mumler Also Photographed a Famous Bridgewater Medium

In 1872, a young man known as “Master Herrod” visited Mumler’s photography studio. Hailing from Bridgewater, Massachusetts – later to become infamous for the Bridgewater Triangle, a paranormal vortex in southeastern Massachusetts – Herrod claimed to be a medium.

The photographs Mumler took of Herrod were said to show “the spirits of Europe, Africa and America” standing over him while he was in a trance.

Was Mumler’s Spirit Photography Real?

Today, most people believe that Mumler faked his spirit photographs – but nobody’s exactly sure how.

The most commonly accepted idea is that he was somehow using double exposures to create the ghostly images, but then others question how those sitting for his photos recognized the spirits of loved ones of which Mumler would have had no knowledge or existing photos (Barnum had accused Mumler of breaking into people’s homes and stealing photos of relatives).

There was also the little problem of Mumler’s photos actually showing the “ghosts” of people who were still very much alive, casting doubt on the concept of his camera peering into the spirit realm.

No matter how Mumler’s spirit photography came to be, trickery or otherwise, his photos are still considered a curiosity and are sought after by collectors. Amy Bruni, star of television’s Ghost Hunters and Kindred Spirits, is a noted Mumler collector.

Mumler also made a significant contribution to the world of photography as well, discovering what became known as the “Mumler Process,” inventing the photo-electrotype plates that allowed for photographs to be printed in newspapers for the first time.

Mumler died on May 16, 1884. As far as we know, nobody’s ever seen him appearing in a spirit photograph just yet.