Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1890-03-14
DOUBLE FACES.
A PHOTOGRAPHERS NOTES ON
THE HUMAN COUNTENANCE.
Very Few People LooA the Same on
Both Sides of the Facc-Uu-
fortunate Results OF
Misunderstanding.

Perhaps you are not aware of the fact,
but, unless you are entirely different
from the rest of humanity, one side OF
your face is unlike the other, saws Napo
leon Sarony, in the New York World.
Doubtless nine persons out of ten would
not notice the difference, but it is there,
and if you make Il careful study of the
proiiles of your friends faces You will
find it in Il more or less marked degree in
every instance.
This popularity Of nature was called tc
my attention when | entered the prac
tice of photography. Previous to this
time had been IN artist AMI litho
graphcr, and naturally Lad been led tc
study the human figure with more or less
care. had discovered this incongruity
of nature, if it may be so called, but il
was not until began posing models be
fore the camera and had every line on the
face emphasized, that this idiosyncrasy be.
came more apparent TO me and l set to
work to discover the cause; for, of course,
there is Il cause for everything, the hu.
man face included.
My first discovery was that the differ.
en3e in outline lay almost invariably on
the two opposite sides of the nose. The
right side, for instance, might he pure
aquilinc, aud the left show decided in.
ward curvirS line. This difference ]
found i'll many instances had been caused
by accidents, such rs had been received
in wrestling, falling, being struck by u
ball or other mislortunes which youth is
heir n 'Hhnr, &c ma pf1npfnt,,,,
side of my own nose, caused by blow
FROM ball, and it renders the expression
of one side of my face almost entirely
different from the other.
But accident is not the principal cause
Of these facial differences in humanity.
Not by great deal. 1t traces way back
to TIC cradle. Mothers lind their infants
will remain Qrictcr when they are suck.
ing their thumbs, and for peace in the
household they very often lay the fouu.
dntion for what becomes deformitv in
after life.
Let re explain; Baby lies in her cradle
rs still as II mouse. Her chubby littls
thumb is held between her rosy lips, anc
the forciinger is pressing the cartridges
o: Tie nose on one side. Ii is that little
forefnger that is doing all the mischief,
for it is slowly, but surely, pressing tho
cartilage out of shape. II drops of water
wear away II stone, surely constant pres.
sure will indcnt II human facc
Let me cite you an instance Not lon.
ago well-known society lady of thi.
city brought her two daughters, aged
fifteen and sixteen years respectively, Il
have their portraits taken. One of then
had almost faultlcss features, while tho
other, although her eyes were rs beauti
full rs her sisters, had Il nose that wa.
depressed ON one side and lips that pro.
truded so much that they showed tic
teeth. guessed the cause, but deter
mined to satisfy myself. 1t was Il some,
what delicate task TO question the youn.
lady's mother, but did, and she con.
fessed to me that her daughter had beer
i'll the habit Of sucking her thumbs until
she was more than three years old.
few years ago somebody wrote &
book entitled "Shnt Your Mouth" in
which were explained the evils that fol
lowed the practice of sleep with iii,
mouth open. l wish somebody else would
write Il book Urging upon mothers tht
necessity of breaking their infants of tho
habit OF Misunderstanding. 1t may seen
to be n small thing, hut there would be
many more symmetrical features if il
were attended 10.
In posing for photographs another
fact that has been impressed upon my
observation is that which is known n.
the part side of the head-the side Oh
which the hair is parted-is almost in.
variably hard 10 take. During my career
have found that the three quarter view
is generally the most observation-disclosures,
CT course, being certain to secure the
good side of the face. For, if you Sc.
cure the wrong side, thea no camera ever
invented could turn out portrait that
would satisfy the sitter, who, while ht
could not define the reason, would know
that the likeness is not good, that is tc
say, did not show him ut his best, where
everybody wants to be shown who gocs
to photographer.
One of the most remarkable instance.
o. the difference in the sides of the face
was General Hancock. | have seer
photographs of him taken from opposite
sides aud they were so totally dissimila,
tiiit IL sceihcu almost Impossible to he
lieve they were portraits of one and til,
same person.
The number of double faced people
people is something remarkable. MOI
double-faced people in the usual accep.
lance of the word, but people with real,
bona-fide double faces. which, to tho
photographer, represent not necessarily
the good and bad sides of humanity, but.
most assurcdiy, the good and bad side,
of likeness. And the pity Of it all i.
that much of this double sidedncss might
be obviated if infants thumbs were kept
ont of their mouths