The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1869-03-12

The difficulty in the way of this explain
alton is that the photographer whom VIZ
have called Brown, and who, five gave
his real name, would be instantly recog
nized as excellent authority on the subject
says that there is no process known to the
trade by which the thing could be done by
any unfair means without its being instant.
ly found out. A prepared plate must be
used within five minutes after it comes out
of the nitrate of silver bath, so that it is
impossible that an image could be clearly
impressed on it, and yet leave it so that the
living sitter could be taken as clearly as he
is. Besides, he went through the process
of preparing the plate himself as we have
already mentioned, and yet another face
than his own came, without his seeing any
person near him.
Another photographer of the name of
Quay, whom our reporter met at Mr.. Num-
ler's room, stated that he had spent three
weeks in watching Mr.. Mumler and going
through the process again and again with
his own hands, and had not succeeded in
detecting any imposture.
MR.. MUMLER's THEORY.
Mr.. Mumler says that he really believes
the pictures are produced by departed
spirits who are attached to the sitters by
affection or relationship or affinity. By
some insorutable means they have the pow
er OF affecting the chemicals used in process,
and impressing on the sensitive film their
image.
GHOSTS VISIBLE TO THE NAKED EYE.
Mrs. Mumler, who is the lady by whom
Mr. Mumler was led into the business,
having since married him, asserts that in
many instances she has seen behind the
living sitter the identical spirits whose
likepesses have afterwards appeared in the
photograph. She says, when the living
person sits down, there comes near him, at
first, what looks like cloud; then it
condenses into something like human
form; and finally it comes out clear and
brighter than the sunlight, to her, in dis
tinctly defined image. While the portraits
are being taken, she and her husband both
place their hands upon the camera to assist
the spirits by their personal animal mag
netism.
EFFECT OF THE WEATHER ON THE PRO-
CESS.
When the weather is damp, the obtain
ing of these spirit photographs is very
difficult and sometimes impossible. When
however, Mr.. and Mrs. Mumler can get
tho assistance of another strong medium,
as, for example, Miss Fox, even the damp
ness will not interfere with it; and the
portraits Of the bankers wife, already de-
sscribed, were got on just such day with
Miss FOx's help. Clear bright days. on the
contrary, are favorable, but even on these
Mr.. Mumler can take only few pictures,
in consequence of his vital forces becoming
exhausted by the effort required.
WHAT OUR REPORTER THINKS ABOUT 1T
he declines to say. If there is any trick
used, he does not know what it is. He
gives us the facts, and we give them to our
readers to think about as they please. The
whole thing is a marvel any way, and de-
serves to be investigated by scientific men.
From the description given us, Mr.. and
Mrs Munler are perfectly frank, ingenious
persons, with no appearance of imposture
about them. They court the most rigorous
investigation, and will extend every facil-
ity for inquiry to persons coming properly
accredited.