From The Choice Works of Thomas Hood, 1881.

Visitors to Disneyland's Haunted Mansion might recognize the diminutive figure on the cabinet as a precursor to "Little Leota."  From Phantastes by George MacDonald, 1894.

Here's a precursor to Disneyland's Haunted Mansion's changing portraits, from The Maid of London Bridge by Somerville Gibney, 1892.  The caption reads, "Ah! thou are right, Lucy, it is changing, and growing stern and angry."

"She would see the light flash around the old painting."  From Thrilling Life Stories for the Masses, 1892.

Here's a precursor to the haunted bendy door in Disneyland's Haunted Mansion, from Ladies' Home Journal, 1948.

[For HBG2 and the Disneyland Haunted Mansion pop-up ghosts.]

Here are some creepy old portraits from Broadstone Hall and Other Poems by William Edward Windus, with illustrations by A. Concanen, 1875.  One's canine or skeletal, one's feline, and one's avian or alien.  Note also the dimensionality of the portraits — the standing figure looks like he's ready to step right out into the room.  And even the drapery at the right is haunted.  

An illustration from an 1897 issue of The Quiver magazine.  The caption reads: "Tormented by the family pictures."

Here's a precursor to a stretch portrait at Disneyland's Haunted Mansion: an illustration from an 1863 issue of Punch magazine.  The caption reads: "Death on the Rope."

"Lamia":  an illustration from a 1900 issue of The Idler magazine and a precursor to the spooky portraits hanging in Disneyland's Haunted Mansion.

Here's a precursor to the spooky wallpaper in Disneyland's Haunted Mansion, from a 1904 issue of Good Housekeeping magazine.  This illustration prefigures the work of M.C. Escher by about three decades.

In the grand finale of Disneyland's famous Haunted Mansion, a ghost sits next to you.  Here's an illustration from an 1891 issue of The Strand magazine.  The caption reads: "Haunted."

[This one's dedicated to our friend at Long-Forgotten, who ruminates fascinatingly on the eccentric masterpiece that is the Haunted Mansion.]

THIS is someone you guys should know. He's a bona-fide genius. He runs a whole raft of blogs and websites and is the author or co-author of more than 60 books (including WHOLE DICTIONARIES). That's six zero. And he doesn't even look 40. Amazing fellow.

Anyway, he's a big Haunted Mansion fan, and he leaves nice comments at el bloggo now and then. He's a voracious reader, going through old journals and magazines and other obscure stuff. Probably reads and writes more before breakfast than you or I do in an academic semester. Today I got an email from him explaining that he's found a couple of precursors to the HM, one in a 1902 Cosmopolitan mag and the other in an 1891 The Strand mag.

He's already published the 1902 Cosmo pic HERE, so it's available to see. It illustrates ghosts coming out of a pipe organ as it is played. (Note that there are two organists in the pic, so don't be confused. Look at the lower left. The artwork is not especially clear.)

The second one I have seen but can't share yet, as it's pre-blogged and won't be published until the end of March, but it's even better, showing ghosts sitting alongside someone seated on a bench (or in a vehicle?). It's very much like the (original) HHG mirror gag. In fact, IMO, this drawing could be an actual source of inspiration. You'll see it at the end of March.

Reminiscent of a famous scene in Disneyland's Haunted Mansion, here's an illustration from a 1902 issue of Cosmopolitan magazine.  The caption reads: "From the smaller organ raved up a pandemonium of ghoulish execrations."