Secure the Shadow: Spirit & Post-mortem Photography in the 19th Century

On November 1, known as All Hallows Day, when the veil between the living and the dead feels thin, the Museum of Old Newbury invites you to a night where history, memory, and the supernatural converge.

Shadows Secured, Spirits Revealed

In the 19th century, photographic processes were little understood—and for many, photographers offered a glimpse into a liminal world. Two distinct practices emerged:

• Post-Mortem Photography: Families commissioned portraits of deceased loved ones, especially children or those never captured in life. These images, often posed to resemble peaceful rest, became cherished mementos of grief and remembrance.
• Spirit Photography: Far more controversial, this trade promised to reveal ghostly figures lingering beside the living. Using double exposures, props, and trickery, photographers like Boston’s William H. Mumler convinced clients they had tangible proof of life beyond the grave.

Together, these practices reveal how the lines between technology, grief, and the supernatural blurred in the 19th century.

Historian and Executive Director Bethany Groff Dorau will lead guests through an illustrated journey into this fascinating era. Discover how New England photography studios—Newburyport among them—advertised “miniatures of deceased persons”, as charlatans and mezmerizers produced ghostly images on film. Explore why these photographs held such deep meaning for families navigating loss and a changing vision of death and the afterlife.