"Mary Todd Lincoln with Abraham Lincoln's 'spirit.'" Mary Todd Lincoln, seated, head and torso, hands in lap, wearing mourning gown and bonnet, with spirit figure of Lincoln behind her resting his hands on her shoulders by William H. Mumler circa 1872. Source:
Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection, Allen County Public Library, Fort Wayne, Indiana

The Camera Never Lies?

History Through the Viewfinder

06.15.18

In the 21st century, we often assume that a picture captures what really happened in a given moment. But on this week’s show, Joanne and Brian look at the early days of photography – when Americans had to figure out how to ‘read’ images – and learn if photos should be trusted at all.

photography

Segments

‘A Mirror With A Memory’

Historian Martha Sandweiss explains how an unusual set of daguerreotypes changed the way she thinks about photography.

Music:

Pigalle by Jahzzar
Filaments by Podington Bear
Red Blood Sun by Ketsa
Euphoric by Podington Bear

photography

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That’s the Spirit

Peter Manseau tells Brian the story of William Mumler, who claimed to capture ghosts in his Civil War-era photographs. But as Mumler’s fame for his so-called spirit photographs grew, so did the doubt that he could commune with the dead at all.

Music:

Conscious Drifting by Ketsa

William Mumler; deception; ghosts; photography; spiritualism

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Wish You Were Here

Photographer Alfred Stanley Johnson created a magical world where carrot-tops tickled the clouds and corn cobs were the size of mighty tree trunks. Historian and Radio Producer Erika Janik delights in the work of this Wisconsin Wizard and his Tall Tale Postcards.

Music:
Bliss by Podington Bear
The Riddle Song by Podington Bear

See more images by Alfred Stanley Johnson on the Wisconsin Historical Society’s website.

art; photography

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