Merchant House Museum in New York City ghosts, a funeral, and photos of the dead
October 6, 2010
The Merchant’s House Museum in New York City was built in 1832 at 29 East Fourth Street. This Federal-style brick row house was home to the family of Seabury Tredwell, a wealthy merchant, for 98 years. In 1936 it opened as a museum, with original furnishings and family belongings. Because it was owned by the family until just before it opened as a museum, it offers a unique opportunity to see the home and lifestyle of a fairly wealthy family.
This fall, the Merchant House Museum will offer special events and exhibits. These are annual events which require separate admission, and are so popular that they often sell out. If you want to participate in the special events, make reservations now. The Photography exhibit is ongoing with no additional fee.
Memento Mori: “The Birth & Resurrection of Postmortem Photography.
This exhibit traces the history of postmortem photography in America. Families did not have many opportunities for expensive photographs, so when an unexpected death occurred, especially of a child, photographs were sometimes taken of the deceased as a memorial. This postmortem photography as well as modern art inspired by these historic images will be on display at the Merchant’s House Museum until Monday, November 29, 2010.
Candlelight Ghost Tours.
Candlelight Ghost Tours of “Manhattan’s Most Haunted House” will be offered on Sunday, October 24. The museum offers tours “by flickering candlelight – complete with eerie scenes of mid-19th century death and mourning.” Hear about paranormal investigations and “strange and inexplicable occurrences from people who actually experienced them.”
From Parlor to Grave: 1865 Funeral Reenactment
On October 31, the 1865 funeral of Seabury Tredwell will be recreated, and the mourners will follow the coffin to New York City Marble Cemetery, for a tour. The Museum staff points out that this cemetery is rarely open to the public.
Spine Tingling &True: Ghost Stories of the Merchant’s House
Classic ghost and horror stories read by Anthony Bellov in the parlor arranged for a 19th century funeral. He will also report on his ongoing research into strange and supernatural occurrences in the Merchant’s House Museum s part of this November 17 event.
Reading: Sleeping Beauty III Memorial Photography: The Children
Dr. Stanley Burns will speak on postmortem photography and sign copies of his latest book in the Sleeping Beauty series. There will be a reception following with the opportunity to meet the author, but space is limited for this free program.
These phocom
Joseph said, "These are a series of photos that were taken on the second floor of the Old Merchant's House located in New York City. The first photo shows what appears to be a very faint but discernable white colored orb taking form on the red carpet. The second photo shows the anomaly in full form moving across the carpet. In the last frame, it disappears from sight. Because this happened so fast, I didn't have much of a chance to take more pictures. Thinking it might have been some type of freak reflection, I tried to take many more pictures after this all in different positions while standing in the same spot but I was unsuccessful. All were taken with a Yashica KC600 Digital Camera.""This was once home to wealthy marine-hardware merchant Seabury Tredwell back in the 19th century. Bought for about $18,000, he lived here with his wife Eliza and their seven children (five daughters and two boys). Five years later, Gertrude, their newest child was born in the house.""It may be perhaps that Mr. Tredwell was by nature disapproving of suitors wanting to marry his daughters for their wealth, but nevertheless the hauntings seemed to have centered around three of his daughters Phoebe, Sarah and the unhappy Gertrude."In addition to the sad history of the house the parlors of the house have been witness to a number of family funerals. In 1909, Gertrude's last remaining sister Julia passed away in the house. She was left alone in the house for the next 24 years, living as an eccentric recluse till her death in 1933.""While this is not an actively haunted location, there have been disturbances from time to time. The apparition which has appeared to visitors and curators of the house is that of Gertrude herself. The main manifestations occur in the lower level kitchen area along with the upper hallways and bedrooms of the house."
