The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1885-07-17
Chicago Tribune.)


Observation-Disclosures Of Man who
Exists whom No Man Ever Saw
The average Of Faces"
Chicago Tribune)
The scientific photographers have accom-
pshed wonderful thing. They have sue
ceeded in producing an actual portrait OF the
man who exists and whom no man ever saw
The assertion is not as fanciful as 1t seems
In the last issue of Science appear four portraits
illustrating what has been accomplished asI.oa Lne
methods OF composite photography, devised Or
igipay by Francis Gaeton, Is simply TINS
Given number Of men or women, shadowy
photographs of each are taken, and from al
these shadows blended, is proposed a face. 1t
Is face of no one Of thos ewho sat- but IL IS the
face Of human being whose countenance ex.
presses all their traits. This Is the theory OF
The photographer. The face produced bears out
the idea. 1t is clearly defined countenance
with an expression of its own. 1t 10 something
striking and fascinating.
In one of the photographs printed twelve
mathematicans have their faces Blended In
new countenance. 1t is the typical matbema-
tician. Sixteen naturslists' faces form one,
those OF thirty one painters another. There IS
wonderful resemblance between the two faces
thus produced. Naturalists and painters alike
are students of form and color and outline. IL
is now face produced by this queer process.
No one of the original faces Is reproduced. Inc
remarkable device eliminates that source-so
far as it appears in the face of so much OF our
happiness and unhappiness, "the personal equa-
ton" Like the body after dea b, 1t disappears,
but still exists, though, unlike the body aiteI
death, it is not dissipated through all nature bu
is condensed into one eternity, visible thing.
The striking thing about these composite "a
ces Ia that the blending seems to bring out IN
bold relief Of expression the dominant trait OF
the class. The one prevailing idea OF the group
~l.,. a. &ho foC ctr U1V. IL
gests vast possibilities from the discovery OF the
photographers. The face shows the nature OF
class, its strength and weakness, its degree OF
kindlinet sand dignity, its faults and fOlles.
is the reflection Of the soul of the group. What
studies might be made on this idea, what So
cisl and political reforms suggested by its pur-
suit, and how curious and interesting would De
the result Of some combinations
1t is the fact that the central idea 20 protrudes
itself in the developed countenance which makes
the experiment attractive. 1t would De lntef-
esting to combine the faces of a score OF prize
fighters to secure the resultant conscious brute,
to mingle the faces Of city's ward politicians
and get the face Of creature so crafty, and Gov
etous, and inscriptions as to methods fhat II
would be alarming. Would the faces Of dozen
clergymen reveal one with kindly eye for the
sisters and look betokening that "call
would be felt tor that place offering the largest
salary? And what sort OF face would the
combination of those OF dozen leading editors
produce?
There is charm about the idea. What a
face could be constructed from group of the
money-makers, the men who steal franchises
and live on indirect taxation of the public
How the mark would come out in that coun-
tenance how foxy would become the nose OF
which in the individual we scarcely note the
dishy, side long indentatiOn. And SO might be
made experiments wifi hundred types.
Perhaps by a thousand tests, blending the ia.
ces of those with at least clean records, picture
could be produced that would tell better story,
which would be recognized without debate as
belonging to the ideal man; strong, with fierce
but restrained passions, but kind and wise
unfortunately that man in the flesh could new.
er be reproduced. Our system OF blending blood
in real life would not allow the ages upon ages
of requisite stirpiculture.
or course these are but fancies. Yet in Gae'
tons discovery there is probably the germ O.
what will result in q thousand practical bene
fits. The average of forms is frequent requis
| lite of the artist and the naturalist. A use FOL
the average Of faces will soon come.