Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1876-11-29
Photographed ssspirits."

"Spirits," though still refusing to be
captured like ordinary mortals, have
consented to allow themselves to be
photographed. They now obediently
follow those over whom they watch to
the studios of photographers, and there
falling into a graceful attitude, allow
those who believe themselves to be ac-
companied through life by guardian
angel' to satisfy their vanity (and cred
ulity) by having a carte-de-visite taken
of themselves and their ''attendant
spirit" The resulting carte gives such
an air of reality to the affair that it is
considered rank folly to doubt any Ion
ger, when the spirits can be actually
photographed, and thus brought within
the ken of the most hardened skeptic.
Such piteous folly on one side and ar
rant deception on the other are more
prevalent than ordinary folks generally
suppose. A case brought to our notice
from Paris will illustrate the way in
which this class of photographers i'm
pose on the public. The police, hearing
that certain photographer of that city
was pocketing large profits by taking
these photographs for credulous people,
dispatched an emissary to discover the
fraud. On making known his wish to
be photographed with his guardian
spirit, he was requested to leave the stu
dio for short time for the purpose of
the spirit being invoked. During his
absence, plate, prepared in the ordi-
nary way, was exposed to light for
few seconds opposite screen whereon
vague ghostly image was figured. The
mans photograph superposed-gave, it
is needless to say, the required effect.
The photographer, on hint from the
Police, ceased to take spirit photo
graphs. These photographs may also
be produced by the photographers
common process of printing from two
negatives; one negative takes the sitter,
the other the ..spirit" as before; on
printing from both the effects are COM
bined. Another method depends upon
a curious electrical fact. If tinfoil
device be laid between two sheets of
glass, and tinfoil be laid on the outer
surfaces of the glass, and then electric
sparks passed between the tinfoil coat
ings, it is found that an image of the de-
vice is formed upon the two glass plates,
caused by molecular change in the
glass This imaue ia at first invisible
but on breathing on the glass it becomes
visible, and photograph can then be
taken of it I'm the ordinary way. But
the cleverest plan of all is that which
utilizes the lately-discovered optical
principle known as fluorescence. Paint
on white screen with sulphate of qui-
uine (which is colorless) something
shadOwy to represent the ''ethereal be-
ing" Expose this to bright sunlight
for short time, and then place your
unsHspecting believer in guardian an
gels" before this screen; photograph
him in the ordinary way, and at the
same time you obtain picture Of your
painting, about which he is ignorant.
Finish the photograph in the ordinary
way. The quinine drawing will "come
out" hazy and indistinct as part of the
picture, and then your believer in
spirits who has longed to have his sat
tendant spirit" manifested to him, re-
ceives it tremblingly with gratitude
Chambers Journal.