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Spirit photography fraud trial.... ghosts...
Spirit photography fraud trial.... ghosts...
Item # 722161
April 22, 1869
THE WORLD, New York City, April 22, 1869
* Spirit photography - ghosts
* William H. Mumler fraud trial
The top of the front page has one column headings that include: "GHOSTS IN THE TOMBS" Spiritualism on Trial in a Public Court" "Can Spooks Be Photographed ?" and more with loads of testimony. Lengthy report continues on page 2 for a total of almost 4 full columns of text.
Complete with 8 pages, a little irregular along the spine, nice condition.
AI notes: In 1869, William H. Mumler, a New York photographer who had gained fame for producing “spirit photographs” that appeared to show deceased relatives alongside living sitters, was put on trial for fraud. Exploiting widespread grief in the post-Civil War era, Mumler’s photographs seemed to offer proof of the afterlife, but authorities accused him of swindling clients by fabricating the ghostly images. The trial drew enormous public attention, with notable figures such as P. T. Barnum demonstrating how such effects could be produced through photographic trickery like double exposures. Despite mounting skepticism and expert testimony outlining possible methods of deception, the prosecution failed to provide conclusive proof of fraud, and Mumler was acquitted. The case became a sensational legal and cultural event, highlighting both the vulnerabilities of grieving individuals and the early challenges of regulating and understanding photography, while cementing Mumler’s controversial place in the history of spiritualism.
Category: Post-Civil War
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