August 30, 2022

The Spirit Photographer William H. Mumler Part 1 - With Guest Tim Donahue

53 minutes

Our special guest for this two parter mystery is Timothy Donahue, a filmmaker and former co-host of the tv series “Auto/Biography” along with A Study Strange’s host Michael May. Tim wears his skeptic hat as Michael introduces him to the story of William H. Mumler, the father of spirit photography and a likely conman.

It was in New York City in 1869 when William Mumler was accused of fraud. Mumler was a medium who would take portraits of people, and on their photographs would magically appear ghosts. The practice became known as Spirit Photography. While we might look at Mumler’s photographs with a modern eye and clearly see double exposure as a method to create the spirits, no one could figure out how Mumler was pulling off his deceit.

Mumler’s case is connected directly to our cultural beliefs and distrust of the media today. And, we still don’t know how he did it.

Thank you for listening! Visit www.astrudyofstrange.com for more show notes, resources, and strange info!

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Hosted by Michael May

Research Resources:

https://www.amazon.com/Apparitionists-Phantoms-Photography-Captured-Lincolns/dp/0544745973/ref=asc_df_0544745973/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312134266711&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=3198501778131025376&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9031201&hvtargid=pla-412257958969&psc=1

https://www.getty.edu/art/collection/person/104VG5

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/meet-mr-mumler-man-who-captured-lincolns-ghost-camera-180965090/

https://www.newyorker.com/culture/photo-booth/photographer-who-claimed-to-capture-abraham-lincoln-ghosthttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_of_Abraham_Lincoln_(photograph)

https://www.indiatimes.com/trending/social-relevance/worlds-oldest-photos-543067.html

https://www.britannica.com/technology/wet-collodion-process

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ii2O6wz0Zxc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xsx6xqi0vzU

Dive deeper into true crime, unsolved mysteries, and tales of high strangeness each week on A Study of Strange. Hosted by filmmaker Michael May, exploring the dark crossroads of history, folklore, and the unexplained.

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