Skip to main content

William H. Mumler: The Man Who Photographs Ghosts

With today's technology, it is difficult to take the dwarf to anyone in terms of image.We have all seen those videos or those "fake" photographs that run so often on social networks.Appearances, shadows, spectra...manipulations are common and our eyes, have enough filming to be deceived by the trick.

But let's get in context.19th century, the world of photography was already showing new and unknown techniques, and people, in a post-war context, needed to hold on to anything to remember their own again.To contact those people that the fatality and horrors of war had taken to that other “almost” always inaccessible world for the living.

William H.Mumler and his ghostly photography business

The American Civil War had come to an end, with the horrible consequences that every confrontation always entails in a country of its own.Neighbors against neighbors, brothers against brothers.People of different aspirations but rooted in the same land, in the same blood.

William H. Mumler: The Man Who Photographs Ghosts

There had been many casualties and dismembered families trying hard to go to ahead, moving forward in a changing world that would soon ignite the engines of progress towards an unstoppable future in the American nation. William H.Mumler, for his part, was one of those visionaries who sought to get a good slice of that context of mourning, of reconstruction and of course, of opportunities.

I had a booming business. Photography .But I also saw that there was a new field that I was finding every time more and more adepts, it was like not, spiritualism.

This was a pseudoscience that was gathering under its bosom layers of society of all you and each one of the strata.From the poorest to the richest, all eager to get in touch with their dead, with those who war, had taken early, without allowing goodbye, an appropriate farewell with which to make the days easier.

It was therefore strange that in any city in the US there was no medium settled in a populous street, with its striking local looking the sensitivity and attention of potential customers.But it is said that among all those fakers (and those who were not so much), there was one whose business stood out from the rest.A very special one: for its sophistication, for its elegance and effectiveness So real it took your breath away.

William H. Mumler: The Man Who Photographs Ghosts

We are speaking of course of Mr.William H.Mumler, who created a photographic service from 1860 where he portrays ba neither more nor less, than to people accompanied by 'their ghosts'. Of those people who were in the hereafter and who suddenly appeared under the lens of Mr.Humler's cameras.All a claim , without a doubt.

Those were the days when photography was advancing with firm and safe feet.Mumler, a jeweler by profession, had become fond of this art and wanted to try his luck but contribute something special.a good back room in his place and, in 1861, he appeared in front of his friends to teach them something surprising: a self-portrait that he had made, and where without knowing how, the form of a young woman appeared: his own newly deceased cousin.

Such photography caused excitement throughout Boston, so much so that dozens of customers in his business soon appeared, willing that the ghost photographer would do the same with them.I would give you back for a moment the image of your beloved people of beyond.

William H. Mumler: The Man Who Photographs Ghosts

William H.Mumler saw his opportunity, and I do not hesitate to charge these photographs at a price five times higher than the ordinary one.And nobody object a word.The result was more How tempting.

His business was a success.He got rich and there were many people who were amazed at his business taking his self-portrait accompanied by a strange shadow, a shadow that most identified with that of a relative. Faith was absolute.

The uncovering of the scam

But those who did not have faith in Mr.Mumler were his professional colleagues, who did not take long to find out how he achieved this effect in his photographs, or so they believed.They suspected that what he did was apply the photo with a same plaque in which there were still residues of the previous one.That, plus a refined technique of revelation, towards authentic miracles.

They took him to trial, by fake.And what happened? That there was not enough evidence.Not at all.Mumler then changed cities and continued to work non-stop echoing his ability to photograph ghosts.In 1868 he opened a second studio, this time in the city of New York .All a success.

So much was the fame that was brought back to trial, being the newspaper New York Sun who along with the prosecution, tried to gather evidence to prove his scam.But you will be surprised to learn that they did not get anything.Absolutely nothing.After a few weeks of testimony and arguments, the judge had to withdraw the charges against Mumler.

That touched his business a little.pay a high cost for their lawyers and, for a while, their business under a little.But something happened one day...A woman appeared at the door of her business that would change her life.

William H. Mumler: The Man Who Photographs Ghosts

She was a woman who asked for discretion, and who, knowing her skills, only asked her to take a picture.It was the year of 1871, and to whom Mumler photo was neither more nor less than to Mary Todd Lincoln , the widow of US President Abraham Lincoln.

No one knew how she did that.No person could ever unmask him.Especially when I can offer him to the widow of Lincoln, that photograph in which, indeed, she went out with her dead husband six years before.

Fascinating but...Do you think it is licit to take advantage of the feelings of these people?

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The day the birds attacked people

Surely on some occasions you have seen the fantastic movie "The birds" by Alfred Hitchcock .Allegedly based on a short story by the French writer Daphne Du Maurier, he told us the overwhelming story of how a small coastal town in the US, was suddenly engulfed in the brutal attack of the birds towards the population, a wonderful classic of the suspense genius, who always manages to terrify us for many times that we see her. But did you know that Hitchcock didn't just rely on the writer's book? Did you know that what was presented in the movie really happened ? The summer of 1961, when the birds turned against men It was any Friday in the Monterrey Bay , south of San Francisco.On a Friday, August 18, 1961, when people prepared for the weekend.Shopping day, beach walks, games with the children in the parks… any summer day where the sun and tranquility flooded everything.But something happened. Suddenly, the country's media began to report something inex...

The prisoner's riddle: Will you solve it?

We return to Mysterious with a new funny puzzle that will take you the odd headache...But it will be very entertaining! In other entries we had already presented other riddles such as "Solve the puzzle and help the couple in love!" And this time we return with another very interesting.Do you want to know what it is? Keep reading! The prisoner This time, what you will have to do to find the solution to this puzzle is ask one of the security guards from his cell. A prisoner is being held in a cell with two doors: one leads to freedom and the other to death.Each door is in custody by a guard.The prisoner knows for sure that one of the two guards always tells the truth and that the other is a compulsive liar. To select the door through which you can only ask one of the guards a question, nothing more. What plan should the prisoner organize to save himself? You should think that c would answer each and once you have the answer , you'll find the puzzle soluti...

The scientist who confirmed the existence of the beyond

Is there life after death? According to the scientist Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, if she exists, this Swiss psychiatrist collected thousands of testimonies from people who were clinically dead and came back to life, discover some of the most shocking stories. Extracorporeal experiences Many people who have been on the verge of death claim to have lived extracorporeal experiences in which they floated above their bodies and could see in great detail what was happening in the room, many others claim to have been in the presence of God, which they describe as a light at the end of a tunnel, bridge or passage. The truth is that Dr.Elizabeth Kubler-Ross dedicated herself to studying the testimonies of thousands of dying people and their co The conclusions are surprising, but even taking into account that Dr.Kubler-Ross was one of the most respected scientists of her time.Elizabeth graduated in psychiatry in the United States and received throughout her career more than 23 hono...

The Challenger chasm, the deepest point of the ocean

Underwater trenches.The mysteries that extend in this world of oceanic silence and darkness is still a challenge for the human mind and its curiosity. The Challenger chasm, with its 10,994 meters, is the deepest point of the ocean, its distance exceeds even the height of our Everest.Can you imagine what kind of life should exist at those depths and under that pressure? Only one man has been able to reach the 10,898 meters to tell us about its darkness and its wonders thanks to a sophisticated submarine, the Deepsea Challenger.His name? James Cameron . The deepest abyss of our oceans Wikipedia Seeing the superior image we can already locate ourselves.We are in the Mariana Trench, in the western Pacific.This region has a length of 2,500 km and extends towards below to reach 10,994 meters.It may be even more, since the National Geographic often comments that the 11km descent can be exceeded.This interesting point on our planet has always been the target of multiple projects o...

The McCormick Riddle: A Strange Death and a CODE WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING

The scene: a broken body in the middle of a cornfield, with no visible signs of violence and a note full of seemingly incoherent signs. It could well be the beginning of a new season of True Detectives or some similar television series, but no, it is a real case, a mystery of the last century that is still waiting for a resolution, or at least an explanation that satisfies everyone, from FBI agents even relatives of the victim. The McCormick riddle: a strange death and a CODE WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING On June 30, 1999, in a cornfield of Saint Charles County, Missouri, the body of Ricky McCormick , a 41-year-old African American who had been last seen five days ago, was found. Not that they had missed him, McCormick had left h a little from jail, where purge condemns for having pregnant a girl of fourteen years; her mother had told a regional newspaper that she was a little "late" (citing her) and her girlfriend, the girl mentioned above, reported that she was moving...

The mystery of the fatuous fires

Fatty fires. They are talked about in many cultures, countries and corners of the world.They are, in general, small and flame-like lights that arise in the most unexpected scenarios.Floating fires blue, yellow and red. But where do you usually see them? What are these curious scenarios in which they say so-called fatuous fires arise? In cemeteries and in humid places, near rivers or swamps and always at dawn or dusk. Why are they? Are they perhaps chemical reactions of some compounds in decomposition , such as dead animals? Let's look at the subject in a little more detail, inviting you as always to give us your opinions and experiences. What are the fiery fires? Scientists seem to be clear.Fatty fires (ignis fatuus) are actually something normal and explainable.It would basically be about sudden inflammations caused by phosphorus.The fact that they make their appearance in cemeteries or swamps is precisely because in these areas are abundant substances in full d...

The 5 strangest archeological objects in the world

The world of archeology always brings us spectacular finds.Parts that give us new data about our history, about our past and personal legacy within each of the civilizations that make up our world.But sometimes, instead of giving us clear information, offer us doubts and authentic challenges .Especially if they are the famous Ooparts, remember, misplaced objects or time, to whom we already dedicate an article in supercurioso. Do you want to know five examples of these really disturbing and inexplicable objects for the world of science? 1.Quimbaya artefacts They were found in Colombia , near the Otun River.These are beautiful gold and bronze figures of the Quimbaya culture dating back to 1000 AD as you can see small planes, unique machines of aerodynamic form that confuse historians greatly.There are 24 figu In the world, but many of them were stolen and taken out of the country illegally.If one day you go to the Gold Museum in Bogota, you can see some of them, but that if....

Is it possible to cry blood?

In Mysterious we talked to you once about 10 curious things you didn't know about your body.This time we want to present you with a phenomenon that has been culturally qualified as something paranormal and that has been associated with both Good and Evil: crying blood .Is it possible for a person to cry blood? Can a human being cry blood? Indeed, there are very few cases that are known, but this condition is called hemolacria and when it manifests it is truly shocking. It is usually part of the symptoms of a disease , for example a tumor in the tear system .Although it can also happen if the eye is injured or we suffer from bacterial conjunctivitis., however, that sometimes l The doctors fail to find the specific cause .Do you want to know a case really surprising ? Crying blood is possible.The shocking case of Calvino Inman Calvino Inman is a American teenager who appeared in various media outlets showing what happened with his body: 3 times a day ...

The Theft of the Gioconda | Did you know that Picasso was charged?

We are at the beginning of the 20th century, in Paris.It is a quiet Monday in the capital of culture, the sun rises, the morning is fresh, everyone goes to work, some quiet, others half busy, the most annoyed, after all it is Monday, anyone would prefer to stay another time in their bed, have a coffee, forget a while about the world.Nothing seems strange, you hardly notice an important absence, in the Louvre museum a piece is missing, and not any piece, La Gioconda has been lost, also known as La Mona Lisa, one of Leonardo Da Vinci's most important works , and soon they will have their main suspect, Pablo Picasso.Join us in Mysterious to know the story of when Picasso was accused of having participated in the theft of the Gioconda. Content Index Picasso was charged with the theft of the Gioconda 1.The poor security of the Louvre Museum The wall of the museum was empty for 24 hours before the disappearance of the painting was noticed. The theft of the Gioconda has gone do...

5 Curiosities about nightmares you probably didn't know

We spend a good part of our existence sleeping, and in the same way that dreams can provide us with moments of calm, the truth is that they can also be transformed into a real hell that we want to wake up from.We are talking about the nightmares, that oneiric state of anxiety and agitation of which we have all been victims at some time and that insert us images of terror or sadness so intense that they generate the interruption of the same dream. Although there are numerous causes to suffer from nightmares (such as episodes of stress, heavy dining, certain addictions or fever), there are numerous studies that affirm dreams as a way in which our brain faces the tensions and fears of our day to day.It is for this reason that the meaning of nightmares acquires special importance ; As much as mystery.And speaking of mysteries, in Mysterious we want to offer you a selection of 5 curiosities about nightmares that will give you data that you might not know until now.Are you ready to dis...