In these days of earnest inquiry for spiritual truths, I feel that it is incumbent upon me to contribute what evidences of a future existence I may have obtained in my fourteen years' experience in Spirit-Photography; and although these may be but an atom in comparison with what others have received, yet that atom is necessary to constitute the great whole of Spiritualism in the nineteenth century.
 
The history of all pioneers of new truths is relatively the same, and happy is the man who is not the chosen one to meet the prejudices of a skeptical world in the development of some new discovery.  And yet, as I took back upon my past experience, I feel that I have been the gainer, personally, for all the sacrifices I have made, and all the troubles I may have endured in the knowledge I have gained of a future existence, and in the soul-satisfaction of being an humble instrument in the hands of the invisible host that surrounds us for disseminating this beautiful truth of spirit-communion.  Nevertheless it has been a difficult task to battle with the skeptical world, to bear persecution and poverty, to outlive slander, and to overcome the many obstacles that beset the path of one whose mission it is to advance some hew truth.  And if in the following pages some of these rough experiences creep in, let it not be thought they are inserted in malice or for the evocation of sympathy, but that the story would be incomplete without them.

Before commencing to take spirit-pictures I had a reputation as an honest and trustworthy person, enjoying for many years the confidence of the leading jewelers of Boston, in whose employ I was, and often being entrusted with their valuables to a large amount.  But this reputation that I had been years in establishing, vanished like a soap-bubble when I commenced to take spirit-photographs.  I was condemned as a trickster, branded as a fraud, and deserted by those who were happy to acknowledge my acquaintance when in—to them—a more honorable business.  And, strange as it may seem, many of my strongest opponents have been professed Spiritualists — men who have seen and are familiar with the difficulties that attend the demonstration of spiritual truths; who, while endeavoring to enlighten a skeptical and bigoted world with new truths will, at the same time, with the same skepticism and bigotry, denounce other truths of which they have not been convinced.  "Consistency, thou art a jewel."

At the time of taking my first picture, in March, 1861, I was in the employ of Bigelow Brothers & Kennard, leading jewelers of Boston, as their principal engraver.  Being acquainted with, and somewhat interested in, parties engaged in the photograph business, by often witnessing the operation I became familiar with the process of taking a picture, and it was thus, in whiling away an idle hour in taking a negative, that the spirit-form first appeared.

The picture was indeed at that time a strange looking one, and, from the fact that it was taken when no visible person was present but myself, it was, to me, unaccountable.  But on submitting it to tho operator for an explanation, his opinion was that the negative was taken upon an old glass that had previously been used for the same purpose, but had been insufficiently cleaned; and when a second negative was taken upon the same glass, the latent form, so to speak, was re-developed sufficiently to give an indistinct and shadowy form.  This theory was at the time, with my limited knowledge of photography, acceptable, and when asked by my employers and others how the picture was produced, the above statement was given.  But the picture was, to say the least, a novelty; and I had one printed to show my friends, who called on me, in my office, where I worked at engraving.

One day a gentleman visited me who I knew was a Spiritualist; and not at that time being inclined much to the spiritual belief myself, and being of a jovial disposition, always ready for a joke, I concluded to have a little fun, as I thought, at his expense.  I therefore showed him the picture, and with as mysterious an air as possible, but without telling an untruth, which Mr. P. T. Barnum calls "drapery," I stated to him "that this picture was taken by myself when there was no visible person present but myself."

He asked me if I would put this statement on tho back, and sign my name to it?  I did so, and gave it to him, never dreaming of any publicity ever being given to it.  I was greatly surprised in about a week from that time, in receiving a paper from New York called the Herald of Progress, published, I believe, by Andrew Jackson Davis, and having a column or more descriptive of this very picture, with my name and statement that were on the back.

I felt, on reading this statement, considerably mortified in seeing my name in public print in support of what at that time I thought to be a kind of misrepresentation; but feeling really innocent of any evil intention, and knowing that New York was many miles away, and I an humble and secluded engraver, I thought nobody would be damaged much.  I could not help feeling a little amazed, however, that for once the tables were completely turned on me, and the would-be joker was joked.  Comforting myself with the idea that what was printed in a New York paper would not trouble me much in Boston, you can judge of my surprise and chagrin when I discovered that the whole article had been reprinted by a paper in Boston called the Banner of Light, which it seems was on the alert then, as it is now, and I hope always will be, to grasp at new truths.  It not only gave the description of the picture, but stated where in Boston it was taken, viz., 258 Washington street.

After partaking of my dinner, I thought I would call at the gallery and inform them of the mischief I had done; but I was too late — the Banner had saved me the trouble; for when I entered the reception room I found it filled with people anxious to see this wonderful picture and learn something more in regard to it.  When I first opened the door tho lady behind the counter (who was not then but has since become my wife), exclaimed, "Here comes Mr. Mumler."

Of course all eyes were centered on me, and a number of gentlemen came forward to congratulate me upon my success in taking the first spirit-picture.  Two of the gentlemen were very desirous of having me make some sittings for them, in hopes of getting a spirit form.  I declined to make any sit tings, as that was not my business, and my time was otherwise engaged.  Besides, I remarked that I was not sure that it was a spirit form, and told them how the operator accounted for it.  This solution was scouted by one of the gentlemen, who, it seems, was a scientist from Cambridge, and thoroughly acquainted with photography.  He said that explanation of how the picture was produced was, to a person acquainted with the business, harder to accept than the spiritual; that while it might be possible, and even probable, in daguerreotyping, it was an impossibility in photographing on glass.

These gentlemen were so pressing in their desire to have me make a sitting for them, that I reluctantly acquiesced.  We went up stairs into the operating room, and after making sittings for both a number of times, I succeeded in getting a spirit form for one of the gentlemen.  When we again reached the reception room, and the success of this gentleman became known, nearly every person in the room desired a sitting.  I hardly knew what to say or how to act; the result of the last sitting was so entirely different from what I expected, that I was fairly bewildered.  I had other business that demanded all my time; hut still here was a wonderful phenomenon that needed investigation.  I therefore concluded to take pictures two hours a day, thinking that I might be able to take this amount of time from my other business.  Those present immediately booked their names for a sitting — enough, I think, working two hours a day, to have kept me employed for three months.  I soon found it necessary, however, to devote my whole time to the business, which, with the exception of two intervals of short duration, I have continued to do from that day to this.

I had never before met Mr. Adams, and was not aware of his intention of visiting me until I was introduced to him in the gallery.  I mention this fact, because it has been stated that I knew beforehand of parties who intended to have sittings, and was thus prepared for them when they came.  I took a negative for Mr. Adams, and on developing it, there came out a very distinct face by the side of his own.  On bringing out the negative to show to him, Mr. Adams said: "If you have a form on that plate beside my own, I know who it is."  I asked him how he knew.  He replied by saying: "In the first place this gentleman (pointing to a stranger who was witnessing the operation) says he is a medium, and has described a very peculiar face, which I recognize by the description.  Secondly, at the time you took my picture I received a signal from the spirit whom this gentleman has described; and which I always receive when this spirit is present.  Now," he said, "Mr. Mumler, if you have got the picture, I shall consider it a pretty good test."  I then exhibited to him t he negative, when he exclaimed: "That is he, my guardian spirit, Daniel Webster."
 
Here, then, is a treble test, proving clearly the fact of clairvoyant sight, of spirit telegraphy, (for the signaling was nothing else,) and spirit photography.  This test cannot be vitiated by the plea of "credulity" on the part of Mr. Adams, for his shrewdness and ability are too well known.

"When I got home I took the pictures out of my pocket, without even looking at them, threw them into a drawer in my desk, and have never looked at them since, until last evening, when, happening to think of them, I took one out and held it up to the light, when I unexpectedly discovered in it a perfect likeness of my wife, even to the mole on her cheek!  Why," he added, "the likeness was so plain that I was at once convinced, and so I started this morning to see you and make this apology."

". . . I have been engaged in business twenty-eight years; I have visited Mr. Mumler to have my picture taken; I witnessed the process, but I did not discover any deception; I saw the process of preparing the plate for taking the photograph; and in developing the negative I applied the chemicals myself, and upon the negatives was a shadowy form."

The effect . . . was soon manifest, for my place of business was thronged with visitors of all grades of society—the high and the low, the rich and the poor—many no doubt attracted out of idle curiosity, but most of them showing an intense interest in the phenomenon of spirit-photography.  And what is there, I ask, that is more important than the life to come?

 

My success in New York was fully all that I anticipated, for in a few weeks I was enabled to buy Mr. Silver's interest in the establishment, and thus became sole owner and proprietor.  But hardly had this change been consummated, when I was arrested by the order of Mayor Hall. . . when the Mayor had a prisoner arrested he was as good as convicted; but—thanks to Judge Dowling—there was, at least, one exception to this rule.  It is possible also that the case might have been decided differently, were it not for the very able manner in which it was conducted by my counsel, Mr. John D. Townsend, of New York . . . when at last he made his peroration, it seemed as though he was actually inspired.  After the decision of the court was had, there seemed to be as many to congratulate him upon his great and eloquent effort as myself upon my honorable acquittal.

My trial was ended.  But another trouble had commenced.  My gallery had been leased over my head, and I was thus deprived again of a place to do business in; my money was gone, and I had not the necessary means to start another gallery.  A friend suggested that, in view of the great advertising my pictures had received on account of my trial, I might make it pecuniarily profitable to exhibit them.  Acting upon this suggestion, and being assisted by a Spiritualist friend, I gave a number of exhibitions, but failed to make them remunerative.  Then I resolved to return to Boston.  I did so, and commenced to take pictures at my residence, where I have continued until the present time.

". . . Mr. Mumler visited me at my gallery in Poughkeepsie, and used my material in the process of taking pictures that ensued, from beginning to end, including my camera, glass, chemicals, and all the other appliances necessary to the production of photographs.  During this operation I watched him intently throughout, and the only unusual circumstance that I observed was placing his hand on the camera, as I had before noticed in New York, and spirit-photographs were produced."