The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1885-07-03
BLENDED FACES.
PORTRAITS BY The METHODS or
COMPOSITE PHOTOGRAPHY.
Something Novel and Pascinating-Like'
ness OF a Sian Who Exists Whom
No Sian Ever Saw The
Average Of Faces"
fChi ago Tribune.l

ICht ago lTlDune.I
The scientific rhoto graphers have accom-
plished Il " nIerfuI thing. They have sue
ceeded Ia producing ali actual portrait OF
tile mau who exists and whom no man ever
sA~.
The assertion is not as fancitul a. 1t seems
In the last issue Of Science appear fuLr por-
traits illustrating what has been accom-
pli,hed The methods of composite
photography, devised originally by Francis
Gs,tOn. is simply this: Given a num-
her of msn or women, shadowy
pdo.ogra phs OF each are taken. and from all
these shadows blended, is produced u face. IL
!. ia e II no one Of thoss who sat, but It Is
ths lac: ii "a human being whose counten-
ahcs al pre sses all their traits. This Is the
fheory Of tho ph otographer The face pro-
ducsi bears out the idea Ii IL u clearly-de
fined ,uultanance with an expression OF It's
uwa II il some thing striking and fascinat-
Ing.
Ia Que Of the photographs printed twelve
mathsmaticians have their faces blended In
a new countenance. 1t Is the typical math.
ematician Sixteen naturalists' faces form
one. those OF thirty -one painters another.
There is wonderful resemblance between
the two faces thus produced. Naturalists
and paiutars alike are student, Of form and
color and outline 1t 1, II dew face produced
by this queer process No one Of tho orig.
inal faces IL reproduced. The remarkable
device eliminates that source-so far AZ 1t
appears in tho face-of 50 much OF our hap
pines and unhappiness "the personal equa-
ton" Like the body after death, IL disap-
pears, but still exists, though, unlike the
body after death, IL Is not dissipated through
all nature but Is condensed into one entity,
q visible thing
The striking thing about these composite
faces is that tho blendin seems to bring out
In bold relief OF expression the dominant
trait of the class. The one prevailing idea
OF tho group shows in the combined face
strongly 1t suggests vast Possibilities
from the discovery Of the photographers
The face shows the nature OF class, Its
strength and weakness, It's degree Of kindli-
ness, and dignity, its faults and follies 1t
Is the reflection OF the soul OF the group.
What studies might be made on this idea.
what social and political reforms suggested
by its pursuit, and how curious and inter
esting would be the result Of some combtna-
tionsi
II is the fact that the central idea so pro-
trudes itself in the developed countenance
which makes the experiment attractive. 1t
WOUtu No IUuTtstluR W COihbluo bho AhSos VI
a score of prizs.fgh ters to secure the re-
sultant conscious brute, TO mingle the faces
Of city's ward politicians and get the face
OF creature % crafty, and covstous, and
INSCRIPTIONS as to methods that II would be
alarming. Would the faces Of do zen
clergymen reveal one with kindly eye for
the sisters and look betokening that a
scall" would be felt for that place offering
the largest salaryf And what sort Of q face
would the combination OF those OF q dozsn
leading editors producei
There Is q charm about the idea. What a
face could be constructed from a group
Of the money makers, the men who
steal franchises and live on indirect
taxation of the publici How the .
mark would come out In that countenance,
how foxy would become the nose Of which
In the individual we scarcely note the dishy.
side-long indebtation. And so might be
made experiments with hundred types
Perhaps by q thousand tests, blending the
faces OF those with at least clean records, a
picture could be produced which would tell
o better story, which would be recognized
without debate as belonging to the ideal
man; strong, with fierce but restrained pas
sions, but kind and wise. Unfor tunately
that man In the flesh could never be repro
duced. 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
Gaston's discovery there Is probably the
germ Of what will result In thousand prac-
teal benefits. The average Of forms In q
frequent requisite OF the artist and the
naturalist A use for the average Of faces
will soon come. .......