The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1869-03-12
MisGRllan&ons.
From tile New York Sun.
Fl Wonderful .Nysfcry.

GHOSTS SITTING FOR THEIR PORTRAITS,
DEPARTED FRIENDS PHOTOGRAPHED.
Readers of the Sun may perhaps have
noticed in yesterday mornings paper tel
egraphic item from Poughkeepsie stating
that the spiritualists of that city-the for,
mer home of Andrew J. Davis-had been
greatly excited over some remarkable spe-
cimens of what is called spiritual photo
graphing; that is, the photographing of
likenesses Of departed spirits, not exactly
from life, but from their present spiritual
embodiments. 1t being added that those
photographs were taken at an establish
ment on Broadway, in this city. The Sun,
ever on the alert for new and interesting
intelligence, lost no time i'll sending a re-
porter to find out whether there was any,
thing in the matter worth publishing. He
came back with such remarkable story
that we have decided to print it in full,
though we wish to have it distinctly un-
derstood that we do it simply as matter
of news, and without endorsing the theo-
ries of the spiritualists.
HISTORY OF THE WONDER.
About eight years ago young lady, who
was what the spiritualists call medium"
kept shop for the saleof jewelry in Bos-
ton. One important part of her business
was the weaving of hair into bracelets,
lockets, and similar articles, as mementos
of friends, both living and deceased. Usu-
ally there was attached to these objects
some provision for Photographic likeness
Of the persons to be remembered, and at
the solicitation of her customers she under
took the taking of these likenesses, in the
size and form required, and learned enough
of the art to do it tolerably we'll. One day,
however, the chemicals failed to work as
usual, the pictures coming out blurred and
confused, and inexplicable figures like stars
and comets showing themselves, instead of
the image of the sitter. In studying into
the cause of the difficulty, the lady made
the acquaintance of Mr.. w. H. Mumler,
then silver engraver in leading silver
manufacturing establishment in Boston,
who had some chemical knowledge, though
he was inexperienced in photographing.-
MIR. Mumler, being entirely alone one day
In the photographing room, engaged in ex
perimenting, thought he would try taking
picture, and, having got chair into the
right focus, attempted to photograph it,
To his surprise, on developing the plate,
he found the chair represented as filled by
human being dimly outlined, whom he
recognized as deceased cousin. How to
account forSthis phenomenon he knew not !;
but ON showing the picture to the young
lady for whom he was prosecuting his in
quiries, she, being, as we said, medium,
instantly pronounced it the portrait of q
spirit who had taken this method of COM
municating with mortals on earth. Fol-
lowing up the discovery, Mr.. Mumler ex-
perimentcd further, and from that time to
this has been engaged in taking these
ghostly pictures, with remarkable success.
For the present he has established himself
at the gallery Of Mr. w. w. Silver, $50
Broadway, where our reporter, in company
with an eminent photographer of this city,
whom we shall call Brown, and gentle
man who was formerly leading banker and
stock broker in Wall street, visited him
yesterday morning.
WHAT THE PICTURES ARE LIKE.
Mr.. Mumler has preserved hundred or
so OF the more remarkable photographs ia
ken, and our reporter saw and examined
them. They all present licensees of living
persons, which look exactly as ordinary
photographs do, being, indeed, taken in
the regular way. But behind, or at one
side of the living sitter appears sometimes
only head, sometimes head and shout
ders, and sometimes the full length of an
other person, rather indistinct and shad-
owy, but still in many cases clearly enough
defined for likeness to be recognized
There are, our reporter was told, cases in
which the spirit likenesses have been taken
without any living sitter; others taken by
the help OF photograph ola living person,
which has been sent for the purpose; and
Others in the night time.
REMARKABLE EXPERIENCES.
One of the most remarkable of these
strange pieces of work is picture taken
for the ex-banker above mentioned. Sew
eral years ago he lost wife to whom he
was tenderly attached, and who, as he be-
lieves, has never ceased to be present in her
spiritual form with him. A day or two ago
he sat to Mr.. Mumler, and on the plate
there came along with his, an image of q
lady, which he and his friends all de.
clare to be correct likeness ofhis deceased
wife. The face is perfectly distinct, one