Of Spooks, Proofs, and Truths: Reflections on the Mumler Spirit Photograph Case

Louis Kaplan, Chair, Department of Visual Studies, and Professor of History and Theory of Photography and New Media at the University of Toronto, outlines the Mumler Spirit Photograph Case. William H. Mumler, a spirit photographer, claimed that he could photograph subjects with the spirits of their deceased relatives and friends. Mumler was eventually tried for fraud, resulting in a heavily debated trial. One of his more notable subjects included Mary Todd Lincoln, who was photographed with the spirit of her deceased husband, Abraham Lincoln. This lecture is presented as part of the Truth, Lies, and Photographs symposium in conjunction with the exhibition Faking It: Manipulated Photography before Photoshop.
The exhibition is made possible by Adobe.
This program is made possible by Joyce Frank Menschel.

[@popcornbutter347]

More people should watch this

[@4seasonsTrucker]

Just received his book today. Interesting read this far!

[@NGHPassageira]

Very interesting

[@magorzatamasztalerczuk5017]

Totally agree.

[@jondoes8222]

I can assure you there are real ghost photos. One was taken accidently here one summer afternoon when we all were outside when my niece took photos of this house. When she returned home in NH, she viewed the digital pictures and aa African man was peering out the upstairs window. There is no explaination for this

[@jondoes8222]

whats that?

[@jjbentley9]

Wow oh I believe you there definitely is ghost regardless if those pictures from William mumler was fake or not.

[@HarshalMore]

can you share tha picture?

[@marksadventures3889]

Get a new camera built, get someone else to take the pictures, have another process the plates so that he had NO contact with any of it and then get the images and throw it in the face of the so called scientific morons who are probably people who talk to an invisible friend every Sunday.

[@jjbentley9]

Actually

[@davidson-mielellc980]

Interesting subject, but this man's voice is too irritating to listen to.