Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1890-02-14
DOUBLE FACES.
A PHOTOGRAPHER'S NOTES ON
THE HUMAN COUNTENANCE.
Very Few People Look the Same OH
Both Sides of the Face-Un-
fortunate Results of
Thumb-Sucking.


Doubtless nine persons out of ten would
not notice the difference, but it is there,
and if you make careful study of the
profles of your friends faces you will
find it in more or less marked degree in
every instance.
This popularity of nature was called to
my attention when I entered the prac
tice of photography. Previous to this
time l had been an artist and litho-
grapher, and naturally had been led to
study the human figure with more or less
care. had discovered this incongruity
of nature, if it may be so called, but it
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 a cause for everything, the hu
man face included.
My first discovery was that the differ
ence in outline lay almost invariably on
the two opposite sides of the nose. The
right side, for instance, might be pure
aquiline, and the left show decided in
ward curving line. This difference l
found in many instances had been caused
bv accidents, such as had been received
in wrestling, falling, being struck by
ball or other misfortunes which youth is
heir 10. There is an indentation on one
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 the cradle. Mothers find their infants
will remain quieter when they are suck
ing their thumbs, and for peace in the
household they very often lay the foun-
dation for what becomes deformity in
after life.
Let me explain Baby lies in her cradle
as still as a mouse. Her chubby little
thumb is held between her rosy lips, and
the forefnger is pressing the cartilages
of the nose on one side. 1t is that little
forefnger that is doing all the mischief,
for it is slowly, but surely, pressing the
cartilage out of shape. If drops of water
wear away stone, surely constant pres
sure will indent human face.
Let me cite you an instance: Not long
ago well-known society lady of this
city brought her two daughters, aged
fifteen and sixteen years respectively, to
have their portraits taken. One of them
had almost fauitless features, while the
other, although her eyes were as beauti-
full as her sisters, had nose that was
depressed on one side and lips that pro-
truded so much that they showed the
teeth. / guessed the cause, but deter
mined to satisfy myself. 1t was some
what delicate taskt to question the young
lady's mother, but l did, and she con-
fessed to me chat her daughter had been
in the habiHof sucking her thumbs until
she was pore than three years old.
A few years ago somebody wrote a
book entitled 'Shut Your Mouth" in
which were explained the evils that fol-
lowed the practice of sleep with the
mouth open. l wish somebody else would
write book urging upon mothers the
necessity of breaking their infants of the
habit of thumb-sucking. 1t may seem
to be small thing, but there would be
many more symmetrical features if it
were attended to-.
In posing for photographs another
fact that has been impressed upon my
observation is that which is known as
the part side of the head-the side on
which the hair is parted-is almost in
variably hard to take. During my career
i have found that the three-quarter view
is generally the most effective always,
of course, being certain to secure the
good side of the face. For, if you Sc
cure the wrong side, then no camera ever
invented could turn out portrait that
would satisfy the sitter, who, while he
could not define the reason, would know
that the likeness is not good, that is to
say, did not show him at his best, where
everybody wants to be shown who goes
to a photographer.
One of the most remarkable instances
of the difference in the sides of the face
was General Hancock I have seen
photographs of him taken from opposite
sides and they were SO totally dissimilar
that it seemed almost impossible to be-
lieve they were portraits of one and the
same person.