The Photograph of Harriet

When John Mackay first arrived in Virginia City, NV, he was practically broke after trying his hand at mining in California. He was determined not to quit and was able to secure a mining job when he arrived and was initially earning $4 a day, which in those days was a fair amount for a miner.

He worked his way up through the company and invested his money as well. Finances were good enough that he was able to buy property and purchase a three-story home from George Hearst (Father of William Randolph Hearst).

The home was built in 1859 and featured wiring installed by Thomas Edison as well as the first plumbed-in toilet. The mansion is considered to be the oldest building in Virginia City.

Along with three other men, Mackay went on to strike it rich when they hit what became known as the "Big Bonanza," the largest silver strike in the world. The strike catapulted Mackay to become one of the richest men in the world.

Mackay lived in his home with his wife, Marie Louise Mackay, as well as their children. Money wasn't an object for the Mackay family, and Mrs. Mackay didn't need to lift a finger around the house. She had servants to do that instead. The servants were well cared for and even had their own rooms in the house.

One of the most beloved servants was their maid, Harriet, who was quite thorough and fastidious about her work. She gave everything she had to the family, and it was a sad day when Harriet passed away. The family wanted a way to remember her, and as they had no pictures of her, they decided to have a post-mortem photograph taken of her.

If you look at the photograph above, you'll see how the face looks a bit distorted, not just because of the lighting and glass of the picture frame, but of Harriet herself. The reason? Because Harriet was dead.

In order to take a successful photograph of her, the eyes had to be sewn open, while the mouth was sewn shut. The fingers were sewn together as well and carefully placed in the portrait.

This may seem like a pretty morbid process, but it was actually quite common in Victorian days, especially with families who had young children pass away.

If the family didn't have any photographs to remember their child by, they would have post-mortem pictures taken, and often done as a family portrait. Fortunately, the popularity of this kind of photography dwindled around the beginning of the 20th century.

You may wonder (or you may not) how Harriet felt about the family's last memory of her being dead in a photograph. I can tell you this. Even though Mr. and Mrs. Mackay have passed on and the family mansion is no longer in the family, both the mansion and Harriet live on.

The home is now a museum and open for tours, and many of the employees have either seen or felt Harriet still in the home. (She is usually encountered in the parlour.) Harriet is still trying to fulfill her duties as the maid and will let you know if she is having a problem with untidiness. Just recently, a tour guide was doing some cleaning after an event took place in the home, and a voice whispered in his ear, "Clean it!"

Should you visit the home and encounter Harriet, there's nothing to be afraid of. She won't harm you. Of course, she isn't the only spirit that resides in the Mackay house, but that's a story for another time. If you do visit, you'll find her post-mortem photograph in the parlour. Just be sure to pick up after yourself and don't leave any kind of a mess behind.