The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1888-05-19

PICTURES.


Afih ~AI SFeNh Sf
an ancient trick. which has been re-
sorted to by mediums. astrologists ant
fortune .~tellers in this city for many
years. Any one who is familiar Al
all with art materials is aware tina
canvases for paintings are usually solo
stretched over little wooden frames.
which can aflerward be inserted into
gilded frames If desired. The can
vases are made in certain sizes, SC
that it is easy to secure duplicates
whenever desired, and any spirit.
painter can promptly furnish ar
exact counterpart of any sized canvas
that may be given to them to operate
upon.
Like every thing else in Spiritual.
ism. that which is done must be exc
cuted in the dark. A dim and uncer'
tain light is necessary, and things arc
so arranged MS to smack of the super
natural rs much rs possible.
You have brought your own can.
vas, l see." remarked a medium, as
the visitor unwound a small modern
frame over which canvas was stretched.
oh, yes; l thought l would DO able
to say that l had convinced myself
that there could be no possibility OF
tricks"
Very good" replies the medium.
THE spirits and myself are well
pleased to have the matter placed be-
You'd the question of scoffers."
The medium is neve dis comfited.
She has a canvas already painted just
the size of The one brought, and q lit.
tie clever work in the way of sleight.
of-lland is all that is necessary. She
takes your canvas, looks at it a
moment and then asks that it be
marked. This is done. She care.
fully notes the position of the little
mark placed on the canvas, and leav.
ing the room. she marks y painted
canvas In a similar and places
it under her skirt, through the side Of
which is a wide cut large enough to
allow the painted canvas 10 slip out
easily. Returning to the room, the
medium again takes your canvas AID
requests you TO face a small mirror,
which is SO small that any thing that
happens below the level of her
shoulders can not be seen. While
this placing is being done the medium
apparently holds the canvas careless
ly in her right hand, but in reality
she bitches it to a hook ~cleverly con-
cealed at her waist and draws out the
painted canvas, which she raises in
such q way that the painted portion is
not reflected in the mirror because of
a slight backward slant which is not
noticeable to the visitor.
Meanwhile, you stand with the can
vas poised above your head before a
glass, and fondly imagine, if you arc
at all inclined to believe, that the can
vas is the original one, and that trick.
cry is out of the q ucstion.
Now" says the medium, Il st
hold the frame very steady for a mo-
ment. so as not to disturb the spirit
artist, who is one of the old school,
and who will reproduce a most valua-
bic ancient painting for you"
You hold the frame firmly, and look
steadily into the dimly-lighted mirror.
Now" continues tho medium,
swectly, "tip it forward just the least
bit.' The tipping disc!oscs the paint
ing in such a way that it looks like a
long, dark streak on the canvas
''Now, tip it slowly forward. for it's
developing. Not too fast" You tip
the painting very slowly forward,
guided by the hand of the medium,
lest it be moved too fast, and dispel
the illusion. The effect of this, in the |
dim reflection of the mirror. is to make
the painting appear to develop from
The black streak first seen. To the sub
the Illusion appears perfect, and
cheap print chrome thus developed
seems to the awed Imagination a gem
uine work of art.
To make the trick even more i'm.
pressive the medium sometimes places
touch of phosphorus in the center Of
canvas. which naturally attracts
The attention and is watched with
bated breath during the process of de-
.velopment.
Another system mediums have of
producing these art treasures is Il
chemical process known to few. A
is painted and is then sized
over with this peculiar chemical Mkt
Ire. II IN artist were to examine
he canvas he would say that it had
been primed. When it is
desired to produce the spirit painting
he canvas is rubbed with a sponge
lampened in a liquid which eats off
he white printing and exposes the
n fresh as when painted.
This can be done on n wall as well as
IN canvas. and it is in this way that
pirit-paintings on walls are produced.
Nine. Diss Debar paints" most Of her
'pirit-pictures in this manner The
ecret Of the chemical preparation
'sed is carefully guarded by those
-