The Photographer Who Claimed to Capture Abraham Lincoln’s Ghost.

William Mumler was a 19th-century photographer known for capturing the images of one particular kind of subject: ghosts. Mumler was described as a "spirit photographer," who would take portrait photos of ghosts alongside their loved ones. His talents were widely known in post-Civil War America. 

Mumler's studio was located at
170 West Springfield Street in Boston, Massachusetts.

Mumler mostly retired from spirit photography because of legal suits in his final years, though he couldn’t resist one high-profile client: Mary Todd Lincoln. Initially pursuing mediums and spiritualists after the death of her son Willie Lincoln, Mary sought contact with the spirit of her dead husband.

Mary Todd Lincoln. Photograph by William H. Mumler, February of 1872.

Mumler’s grim portrait of the widowed First Lady depicted an ethereal Abe resting two comforting hands on her shoulders. The picture, ersatz but powerful, exemplifies the “peace and comfort to the weary soul” that Mumler trumpeted as his hallmark. 

Later, the image has been dismissed as a fraudulent double exposure. In 1869, Mumler had been put on trial in New York for fraudulently producing his spirit photographs. Because the prosecution could not prove exactly how he did it, he was ultimately acquitted. 

How can a 'spirit' photograph, seven years after the death of President Lincoln, be made with a double exposure?

Compiled by Neil Gale, Ph.D.

Elsah, Illinois... A Village Frozen In Time.

Unheard of by most, this tiny village of Elsah on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River is one of the loveliest places to visit. Preserved in its 19th-century condition, it was cut off from the rest of the state and is now a time machine to the past. 

James Semple, a local lawyer, a prominent politician and United States Senator from Illinois, founded Elsah in 1853 and offered free lots to anyone who built a house with stone from his nearby quarry. It's believed Semple named the village after Ailsa Craig, a Scottish island that was the last bit of land his family saw as they left Scotland for the United States.

Elsah flourished as a shipping point for Jersey County farmers and a critical link to the Mississippi River.

Hidden by a valley of bluffs and forests, Elsah was once a vibrant riverside town that lost popularity once the railroad came through this area, as tracks could not be built through these rock formations. Due to being cut off physically and economically, the town never developed past its 19th-century roots and maintains the original buildings constructed during the village's settlement. 

The village's beauty can be attributed to its founder, who insisted that anyone who moved there build their residence foundations out of stone, which today adds romantic charm to this riverside wonderland. It is beautiful at any time of year and will take you back to a simpler time. Elsah is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and contains many wonders, including several inns and an old-fashioned general store. 

Illinois' best-kept secret is a village frozen in time that will show you what life was like centuries ago. Take your time meandering through the bluffs and enjoy the lovely scenery around Elsah.

By 1861, the village had grown to its current size, as geographic and economic limitations prevented further expansion.

The village of Elsah experienced a revival when Principia College opened, a 2,600-acre campus on the bluffs of the Mississippi River in 1930. In 1934, Principia's new four-year liberal arts college graduated its first class. Principia College is a private liberal arts, Christian Science college founded in 1898 in St. Louis.

CLICK FOR FULL-SIZE MAP.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.