This Day In Spiritualist History

May
16
Fri
1884: Death of William Mumler
May 16 all-day
1884: Death of William Mumler

William H. Mumler (1832–1884) was an American spirit photographer who worked in New York and Boston. His first spirit photograph was apparently an accident—a self-portrait which, when developed, also revealed the “spirit” of his deceased cousin. Mumler then left his job as an engraver to pursue spirit photography full-time, taking advantage of the large number of people who had lost relatives in the American Civil War. His two most famous images are the photograph of Mary Todd Lincoln with the ghost of her husband Abraham Lincoln and the portrait of Master Herrod, a medium, with three spirit guides.

Oct
5
Sun
1861: Birth of Spirit Photography
Oct 5 all-day
1861: Birth of Spirit Photography
On October 5, 1861, in a photographic studio at 258 Washington Street in Boston, William Mumler created the first spirit photograph. According to the popular retelling, Mr. Mumler was developing some experimental self-portraits that he had taken when he discovered that an image of a ghostly young woman appeared in one of them. Mr. Mumler reported later that he recognized the image as a cousin who had passed away 12 years earlier. This date marks the beginning of spirit photography, a practice whose rise in popularity corresponded with the early days of Spiritualism.

May
16
Sat
1884: Death of William Mumler
May 16 all-day
1884: Death of William Mumler

William H. Mumler (1832–1884) was an American spirit photographer who worked in New York and Boston. His first spirit photograph was apparently an accident—a self-portrait which, when developed, also revealed the “spirit” of his deceased cousin. Mumler then left his job as an engraver to pursue spirit photography full-time, taking advantage of the large number of people who had lost relatives in the American Civil War. His two most famous images are the photograph of Mary Todd Lincoln with the ghost of her husband Abraham Lincoln and the portrait of Master Herrod, a medium, with three spirit guides.

Oct
5
Mon
1861: Birth of Spirit Photography
Oct 5 all-day
1861: Birth of Spirit Photography
On October 5, 1861, in a photographic studio at 258 Washington Street in Boston, William Mumler created the first spirit photograph. According to the popular retelling, Mr. Mumler was developing some experimental self-portraits that he had taken when he discovered that an image of a ghostly young woman appeared in one of them. Mr. Mumler reported later that he recognized the image as a cousin who had passed away 12 years earlier. This date marks the beginning of spirit photography, a practice whose rise in popularity corresponded with the early days of Spiritualism.

May
16
Sun
1884: Death of William Mumler
May 16 all-day
1884: Death of William Mumler

William H. Mumler (1832–1884) was an American spirit photographer who worked in New York and Boston. His first spirit photograph was apparently an accident—a self-portrait which, when developed, also revealed the “spirit” of his deceased cousin. Mumler then left his job as an engraver to pursue spirit photography full-time, taking advantage of the large number of people who had lost relatives in the American Civil War. His two most famous images are the photograph of Mary Todd Lincoln with the ghost of her husband Abraham Lincoln and the portrait of Master Herrod, a medium, with three spirit guides.

Oct
5
Tue
1861: Birth of Spirit Photography
Oct 5 all-day
1861: Birth of Spirit Photography
On October 5, 1861, in a photographic studio at 258 Washington Street in Boston, William Mumler created the first spirit photograph. According to the popular retelling, Mr. Mumler was developing some experimental self-portraits that he had taken when he discovered that an image of a ghostly young woman appeared in one of them. Mr. Mumler reported later that he recognized the image as a cousin who had passed away 12 years earlier. This date marks the beginning of spirit photography, a practice whose rise in popularity corresponded with the early days of Spiritualism.

May
16
Tue
1884: Death of William Mumler
May 16 all-day
1884: Death of William Mumler

William H. Mumler (1832–1884) was an American spirit photographer who worked in New York and Boston. His first spirit photograph was apparently an accident—a self-portrait which, when developed, also revealed the “spirit” of his deceased cousin. Mumler then left his job as an engraver to pursue spirit photography full-time, taking advantage of the large number of people who had lost relatives in the American Civil War. His two most famous images are the photograph of Mary Todd Lincoln with the ghost of her husband Abraham Lincoln and the portrait of Master Herrod, a medium, with three spirit guides.

Oct
5
Thu
1861: Birth of Spirit Photography
Oct 5 all-day
1861: Birth of Spirit Photography
On October 5, 1861, in a photographic studio at 258 Washington Street in Boston, William Mumler created the first spirit photograph. According to the popular retelling, Mr. Mumler was developing some experimental self-portraits that he had taken when he discovered that an image of a ghostly young woman appeared in one of them. Mr. Mumler reported later that he recognized the image as a cousin who had passed away 12 years earlier. This date marks the beginning of spirit photography, a practice whose rise in popularity corresponded with the early days of Spiritualism.

May
16
Wed
1884: Death of William Mumler
May 16 all-day
1884: Death of William Mumler

William H. Mumler (1832–1884) was an American spirit photographer who worked in New York and Boston. His first spirit photograph was apparently an accident—a self-portrait which, when developed, also revealed the “spirit” of his deceased cousin. Mumler then left his job as an engraver to pursue spirit photography full-time, taking advantage of the large number of people who had lost relatives in the American Civil War. His two most famous images are the photograph of Mary Todd Lincoln with the ghost of her husband Abraham Lincoln and the portrait of Master Herrod, a medium, with three spirit guides.

Oct
5
Fri
1861: Birth of Spirit Photography
Oct 5 all-day
1861: Birth of Spirit Photography
On October 5, 1861, in a photographic studio at 258 Washington Street in Boston, William Mumler created the first spirit photograph. According to the popular retelling, Mr. Mumler was developing some experimental self-portraits that he had taken when he discovered that an image of a ghostly young woman appeared in one of them. Mr. Mumler reported later that he recognized the image as a cousin who had passed away 12 years earlier. This date marks the beginning of spirit photography, a practice whose rise in popularity corresponded with the early days of Spiritualism.