The St. Johns herald., 1891-06-04
DOUBLE PHOTOGRAPHS.
The Latest Fad in the Way of Q
 Sun-Painted Portrait.
It Originated with the Police, But It Was Foo Artistic u Be Limited to ROgues' GalIcry-Precauticn
 About Fading Letters.

I4ic lpSSs3 NTlhlAlC III plIOOOSA oPhJ; AO marked leading photographer the other night to a Chicago Mail man. What is the latest wrinkle? Why, the double photograph, Of course. There is nothing really new about it, for there are many years back of it, but it seems to be a popular fad just now."
 What is the double photograph?' Isit 2 photograph of two persons, or com posite affair.""
 ''It is neither. It is 6 single photo rraph showing two views Of the same ,erson-a profile and front view, both ,alIen by the same negative. Difficult: Oh, 10: not at all. It is a very simple natter. The person to be photographed $ placed beside mirror, and the camera records the image in the glass as well as the counterfeit presentment of the sit ter. In this way two views are ob- tained. If the sitter is so placed as to eocure a profile picture, the image in the glass shows Q front view, and vice versa. It is pretty scheme. and seems likely to become as popular as it is pretty.
 ''But, as I remarked, few people, be- lieve, know where the double photo graph originated. It is a French idea, and comes to US from the rogues' gallery of the Department of Police of Paris. It is not always an easy matter to identify a person from a single photograph. In the first place all pictures are more or less unnatural, the sitter often IS made up for the occasion, and his pho tograph does not show him as he ap- pears in real life. Then, too, profile picture gives only a very misty notion of the actual front-view appearance in real life, and vice versa. This point-of- view difference is greater than would be imagined by those who have not in vestigated the subject. I have ire quently shown two photographs of the same sitter, giving profile and front view, and those who have looked at them casually have not discovered that they were not pictures of two individ- uals.
 ''The Paris police were first to simpli- fy the matter of Identification through the introduction of the double photo graph But, from an artistic sta1d- point. their method is too valuable to be limited to the rogues' gallery, and 1t has already obtained a firm foothold throughout Europe, and has made its appearance here. With a good mirror the reflection makes fine, clcar-cut photograph, and it's advantages are ob- vious. With front view how can beauty show her coiffure? Or her lrched eyebrows and daintily-curled bangs in a profile view?
 Any other new things? Well, yes; there is always something new crop ping out in our line of business, but it is rarely any thing in which the public is interested. The fact is, a great many things which you newspaper men say occur in photograph studios l have never seen at all. For instance, 1 was surprised few months ago to learn from the papers that high society young ladies were focling into the studios md galleries to be photographed in ights, and to have their feet and .nkles, their hands, their arms, necl1s md shoulders photographed for the benefit of their own particularly OK .lusive circle of relatives or acquaint- lnces. Perhaps that story was true. l don't say it was canard; but 1 do say that I don't believe a word of it.
 "Of course it is a common thing for a woman with whom nature has dealt kindly to modestly display her personal charms to the camera, and think such ! course entirely pardonablc; but have never heard of such wholesale anatomical exhibition of society odds and ends as the newspapers described.
 II had an experience the other day which has interested me more than any thiug of a similar nature which has happened to me in all my business ex- 5erlence. A young lady who moves in he best society brought me three etters, and I photographed them for les' and at her request destroyed the negatives. The letters were the most 1onder and ardent love missives imagin- able. They were addressed to the lady herself, and were signed by a name which I am sure you would recognize instantly were to mention it. will confess that curiosity got the better of ny judgment, and finally said:
 "'Youll !" pardon me, but this jot ::s :, little unusual, isn't it?'
 "'Is it?' she said, smilingly.
 "'It strikes me so,' I replied. T }on't see why you want photographs O. hose letters since you have the letters thcmselves.'
 "'Don't you? Well, I do. Suppose the letters were lost or burned, or destroyed in some other way?'
 Wouldn't the photographs be de stroycd as easily as the letters?'
 Perhaps not; especially if they wore not kept in the same place witk
 ne letters. But I'm not afraid of losing hcm by fire or in any such way as
 bat. The fact is, the ink is fadins at, and in . short time t is likely ts 3e illegi5le'
 There is a girl for you who doesl't nropose to take any chances in tht 3rc&ch-oi-promise business"
 Srrplas Professionals.