Mary Todd Lincoln, wife of American President Abraham Lincoln, had her photo taken in 1872. Behind her, there’s a faint, white, semi-transparent figure with an arm around her shoulder. Strikingly, it bears a resemblance to President Lincoln. However, President Lincoln had been assassinated seven years earlier in 1865. How can this be explained?
The Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection, the custodian of the photo, describes it on their website as follows: “Taken in Boston by spirit photographer William H. Mumler in 1872, the image captures the widowed Mary with the spirit of her beloved, protective husband. For Mary, this photo bore testament to the eternal bond she shared with him.”
This photo of the Lincoln couple is among the most renowned spirit photographs, and William H. Mumler, its photographer, is credited as the world’s first spirit photographer.
A world ready for spirit photography
Interestingly, the Lincoln family seemingly believed in Mumler’s technique. This special photo of the couple has been treasured by Lincoln’s descendants. They have never shied away from the term “spirit” in its description.
Originally a Boston jeweler, Mumler took up photography as a hobby. During one of his self-portrait sessions, he was startled to find a vague white shadow in the developed photo. At first, he assumed he’d mistakenly used an already exposed film. But, upon closer inspection, he was stunned; the figure looked eerily like a cousin who had passed away 12 years prior.
News of this image spread like wildfire. It didn’t take long for the New York Progressive Pioneer to report on the anomaly. Mumler’s reputation skyrocketed, and he opened a studio specializing in his uncanny ability to capture spirits in photos.
During the early 1860s, the U.S. was in the throes of the Civil War. An estimated 10 percent of young men in the North died in the conflict, leaving behind grieving families. Since the 1850s, spiritualism was on the rise in America. Many believed the soul was immortal and that one could communicate with the deceased through mediums. With photography being a relatively new and mysterious technology, many thought photos could be linked to the human soul. It was the perfect environment to enable Mumler’s spirit photography to flourish.
The skeptic’s challenge
One day, a client of Mumler’s visited the renowned photographer James Wallace Black’s studio in Boston with a spirit photo. As one of Boston’s most accomplished photographers, Black studied the image and couldn’t decipher how the image was made. Intrigued, he sent his assistant, Horace Weston, to investigate.
Weston, posing as a regular client, was startled when Mumler produced a photo of him with the spirit of his deceased father. Baffled by the perfectly normal process, he returned to Black to share the astonishing discovery.
Unable to contain his curiosity, Black decided to put Mumler to the test. He wagered US$50 and challenged Mumler to photograph him while being observed throughout the entire process. Mumler agreed. Black scrutinized every step, yet when the photo developed, a clear figure stood behind Black, resembling his father, who had died when Black was just 13. Black lost the bet.
Spirit photography beyond Lincoln
On December 12, 1921, the Shanghai Shenbao reported that in photos from Liu Xiang’s inauguration ceremony as commander of the Sichuan army, the figure of the deceased military leader Zhao Youxin was visible. A notable figure, Zhao had made significant contributions to defending areas of Yunnan and Sichuan for the Nationalist government.
Fast forward to 2010, a video surfaced online showing a distinct figure emerging from raging flames, dancing around the fire at times, and then vanishing back into it. Broadcasted on major Indian television channels, it created quite a stir. The clip was subsequently uploaded to YouTube by Gulte Media, titled “Burning Corpse — Spirit Captured by Camera,” sparking heated discussions among netizens.
Translated by Chua BC
