William Mumler’s Spirit Photography

In another post the story of the British Spirit Photographer, William Hope is told here.

Mumler photo showing
Fanny Conant with the
ghost of her deceased
brother.

William Mumler was an American Spirit Photographer. He was a jeweler in Boston and an amateur photographer. One day as he was developing a self-portrait he spotted the shadowy figure of a young girl floating behind his image.

Mumler at first thought it was an accident, it was just a trace of an earlier negative made on the same plate. But he changed his mind when friends and family told him the young girl looked like his deceased cousin.

This photo came to the attention of the American spiritualist community and was proclaimed the first photo ever taken of a spirit.

Mumler didn’t disagree. Instead he became the world’s first spirit photographer. Expert photographers in Boston stated they believed these photos were not tampered with.

Mumler’s new business became a success, in part because it was just after the Civil War and many people were seeking proof their deceased relatives still existed in some form.

So Mumler’s was basically preying on their desperation.

His British counterpart William Hope acquired photos by telling his clients he needed them to communicate with the dead during his séances. In contrast, Mumler would just break into people’s homes to obtain them.

Later, his girlfriend, a medium, was able to acquire them for him.

Mumler became wealthy and moved to New York to continue his business. The spiritualist community supported him wholeheartedly while his critics accused him of fraud.

Once in New York it was discovered that several ghosts in Mumler’s photographs were actually people who were still living. In 1869, the New York police sent an undercover agent to investigate him. They then charged him with fraud.

At his trial expert witnesses were brought in to testified that Mumler had created his photos with the use of double exposures. The notorious showman P.T. Barnum even testified against him.

A photo taken of P.T. Barnum with the ghostly image of Abraham Lincoln floating in the background was introduced as evidence to show how easy it was to create fake photos.

Faked photo of P.T. Barnum
and ghost of Lincoln
used as evidence in trial.

Despite the condemning evidence presented, Mumler was acquitted. His defense team was able to bring in a large number of witnesses that stated the images in the photographs given to them by Mumler were real.

Mumler moved back to Boston and continued producing spirit photos. But his business was no longer lucrative. In 1871, a lady using the name “Mrs. Lindall” visited him.

Photo of Mary Todd
Lincoln  with the ghost of
Abe Lincoln that was
widely circulated.

She was actually Mary Todd Lincoln and Mumler took the now famous photo of her with Abraham Lincoln floating over her left shoulder. Mumler stated afterwards that he had no idea that Mrs. Lindall was the former first lady and wife of Lincoln.

Mumler’s faked photo is the last one taken of Mary Todd Lincoln before she died in 1882.

Mumler wrote an autobiography in 1875 but his career was in ruins by this time. He stopped producing spirit photos in 1879 and according to most accounts he died penniless.

Japan's Haunted Military Bases

In Japanese tradition ghosts, spirits and demons appear more often than any other culture. In other posts I have shared several traditional Japanese ghost stories.

 In addition to Japan’s rich ghost legend tradition they have many locations that are today considered haunted by real ghosts. Not surprising many of these haunted places are military bases.

A short drive from Tokyo is Atsugi Navel Base. Today all the military bases in Japan are controlled by American Military Forces.

 One infamous American who was stationed at Atsugi in 1957 was Lee Harvey Oswald who assassinated John F. Kennedy. Another young Marine was killed while stationed on this base in a car accident in the 1960s. 

Witnesses state they often see his restless spirit wandering from room to room at Atsugi. Across the base from where his ghost is seen is an old airplane hanger. During World War ll Japanese Kamikaze pilots used this hanger. 

When Japan surrendered to the Allied Forces several of these pilots in disgrace, committed suicide in this hanger. Today soldiers state they still hear doors slam without cause in this hanger. Other witnesses have reported seeing floating “red eyes” in this area.

Sagami Depot another military base located in Kanagawa Prefecture is also said to be haunted. In recent years, a Marine staying in a field hospital located on this base went into a drunken rage and broke a mirror. He then picked up one of the broken shards and used it to slit his wrist. 

Since, late at night other American soldiers who have stayed in this same room have seen a ghostly face in the room’s mirror. More than one reported feeling very frightened when they saw glaring eyes staring back at them.

At yet another American Military base, Camp Hansen located in Okinawa a full-bodied apparition was seen by soldiers and these witnesses even conversed with this ghost. 

On weekends soldiers stationed at one of the Camp’s gates reported seeing a soldier approach them wearing bloodied WW ll fatigues. Holding a cigarette in his hand he would ask the MPs on duty for a light. Each soldier that obliged reported that once they lit his cigarette he then vanished where he stood. 

The base did not acknowledge this haunting but this experience so unnerved these soldiers that it was decided to shut this gate down permanently.

A ghost from an era even further back haunts one Navel base located at Yokosuka. On this base there is a narrow tunnel that runs through a hill. Countless witnesses have reported seeing the ghost of a Samurai warrior in and around this spot. 

The story that is told is that this Samurai was on his way to avenge the death of his master when he was ambushed in this tunnel and killed. It is stated that since he failed to avenge his master he must remain in the area where he died. 

In more recent years several motorists who have driven by this tunnel have been so disconcerted at the sight of this ghost that they have lost control of their cars. Unfortunately this has resulted in some bad accidents.