Consumption and Deathliness

The Victorian Era is renowned for excelling in their telling of ghost stories, a revolt against new scientific technology. But why were the Victorian's so good at telling ghost stories? The popularity of ghost stories was highly related to the industrial revolution, many people were escaping the rural land, and entering cities, creating a new middle class. The houses often had servants, taken on in early October/November when the nights drew in quickly, and were expected to be seen and not heard. The bigger houses, contained concealed corridors especially for servants. Many of the servants were not used to their surroundings, so often became frightened with the creak of a floorboard, as they became the ghost-like figures roaming the hallways. The houses never felt completely empty, there was always a presence in their homes. Another element to the rise of the ghost stories were the gas-lamps. The carbon monoxide emitted from the lamps often caused hallucinations, and many people became sure of seeing ghosts roaming their homes, by the middle of the 1800's, it was very common to encounter a spirit. Spiritualists were at an all time high, and seance's became very popular - the only way to communicate with the dead, whether it was their loved ones, or not. The Victorian's interest with the supernatural connected with the rise of the scientific technology, particularly photography. 
'Spirit Photography' became more and more popular within a short space of time, with many people charging enormous fees and using various tricks to show sitters with their deceased. William Mumler is one of the most prolific spirit photographers of the 19th Century. His photo, 'Mary Todd Lincoln with the ghostly hands of her dead husband, Abraham Lincoln', is one of the most famous pieces. 

'Mary Todd Lincoln with the ghostly hands of her dead husband, Abraham Lincoln'
William Mumler
1872

Mary Todd Lincoln was the wife of President Abraham Lincoln, and immediately became interested in the Spiritual world after the death of her son Willie, in 1862. Her and her husband reportedly held seances in The White House, in a desperate attempt to contact their beloved. After the assassination of her husband, Lincoln travelled around America, visiting mediums. Her period of deep mourning led her to Boston, where in one particular sitting, using the name 'Mrs. Tundall', the spirit of Abraham came to her and told her to visit William H. Mumler. Seven years after the death of Abraham, she visited Mumler, under the name Mrs. Lindall. She was sure that Mumler did not know her true concealed identity, keeping her mourning veil on right up until the photo was taken. Mumler also claimed that he believed the identity of the woman to be Mrs Lindall, when infact it was the deceased president's mourning wife. Three days after the image was taken, Lincoln came to collect the photos off Mumler's wife, who asked if she recognised the man with his hands resting on her shoulders, and the boy standing behind. After weeping at the sight of her beloved Willie and Abraham, she asked how long it would be until she could join them in their spirit home. 

(Kira Cochrane, 23rd December 2013, 'Ghost Stories: Why The Victorians were so spookily good at them' (online), [viewed 22nd February 2015], available from: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/dec/23/ghost-stories-victorians-spookily-good)

(Museum of the Macabre, May 14th 2011, 'Mary Todd Lincoln' (online), viewed 22nd February 2015, available from: http://macabremuseum.com/mary-todd-lincoln-and-spiritualism/)