Description: Vintage and original 1865 albumen CDV of Mary Todd Lincoln ,the First Lady of Civil War President Abraham Lincoln, taken by the fascinating originator of "Spirit Photography" William H. Mumler of Boston. It has been identified by Lincoln expert Lloyd Ostendorf as ML, O-7. He describes it as a rarely published photo of Mrs. Lincoln and believes it may have been taken on one of Mrs. Lincoln's trips away from Washington, D.C. . Letterpress id under the photo reads: "Mrs. Lincoln. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1865, by Wm. H. Mumler, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the District of Massachusetts. 258 Washington street, Boston. William H. Mumler (1832–1884) was an American spirit photographer who worked in New York City and Boston. His first spirit photograph was apparently an accident—a self-portrait which, when developed, also revealed the "spirit" of his deceased cousin. Mumler then left his job as an engraver to pursue spirit photography full-time, taking advantage of the large number of people who had lost relatives in the American Civil War. His two most famous images are the photograph of Mary Todd Lincoln with the ghost of her husband Abraham Lincoln and the portrait of Master Herrod, a medium, with three spirit guides. Mumler was eventually taken to court and tried for fraud and larceny. Noted showman P. T. Barnum testified against him. He was later acquitted by a judge, and his photography career continued. Today, Mumler's photographs are recognized as fakes but they circulated widely during the last quarter of the 19th century and were marketed as objects of belief and visual curiosities both within and beyond the spiritualist movement. He later discovered a process, called the "Mumler Process", by which photo-electrotype plates could be produced and printed more easily Very Good condition. Always happy to combine shipping.Item will be safely and professionally packed.
Price: 175 USD
Location: Worcester, Massachusetts
End Time: 2024-12-23T19:29:11.000Z
Shipping Cost: N/A USD
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Item Specifics
Restocking Fee: No
Return shipping will be paid by: Buyer
All returns accepted: Returns Accepted
Item must be returned within: 30 Days
Refund will be given as: Money Back
Type: Photograph
