The Metropolitan Museum of Art - Group at Head Quarters

Art Object

Faking It Symposium: Of Spooks, Proofs, and Truths

The symposium "Truth, Lies, and Photographs" was presented in conjunction with the exhibition Faking It: Manipulated Photography before Photoshop, on view October 11, 2012, through January 27, 2013. In this talk, Louis Kaplan, Chair, Department of Visual Studies, and Professor of History and Theory of Photography and New Media at the University of Toronto, outlines the Mumler Spirit Photograph Case. William H. Mumler, a spirit photographer, claimed that he could photograph subjects with the spirits of their deceased relatives and friends. Mumler was eventually tried for fraud, resulting in a heavily debated trial. One of his more notable subjects included Mary Todd Lincoln, who was photographed with the spirit of her deceased husband, Abraham Lincoln.

Part Five of Seven

Recorded November 2, 2012

The exhibition is made possible by Adobe.
This program is made possible by Joyce Frank Menschel.

Video/Audio (1)

James Nares: Street
(00:02:17) 18091 views

Group at Head Quarters

Roger Fenton (British, 1819–1869)

Date:: 1855
Medium:: Salted paper print from glass negative
Dimensions:: Image: 19.2 x 16.4 cm (7 9/16 x 6 7/16 in.) Mount: 57.7 x 40.2 cm (22 11/16 x 15 13/16 in.)
Classification:: Photographs
Credit Line:: Gift of Paul F. Walter, 2009
Accession Number:: 2009.460.9

This artwork is not on display

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Inscription: Printed on mount recto BC: "LORD BURGHEISH. // AIDE DE CAMP, // COL. VICO. // LORD RAGLAN. // PELISSIER // SPAHI,. AIDE DE CAMP, // Group at Head Quarters // Deposé // Photographed by R. Fenton. Manchester, Published by T. Agnew & Sons. Feby. 29th. 1856 // London, P. & D. Colnaghi & Co. Paris, Moulin, 23, Rue Richer. New York, Williams & Co." Blind stamp on mount BC: "T. AGNEW & SONS // Publishers // MANCHESTER"
Provenance

[George Rinhart]; Paul F. Walter, 1976
See also
Who
Roger Fenton (52)
What
Photographs (32,550)

Salted paper prints (1,573)
Where
Europe (148,586)

United Kingdom (25,557)
When
A.D. 1800-1900 (80,185)
In the Museum
Photographs (29,384)
Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History
Roger Fenton (1819–1869)

Great Britain and Ireland, 1800–1900 A.D.

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Faking It Symposium: Of Spooks, Proofs, and Truths

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Group at Head Quarters

Roger Fenton (British, 1819–1869)

Met Media

Met Kids

Met Store