The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1891-04-24
DOUBLE PHOTOGRAPHS.
The Latest Fad in the Way Of a
Sun-Painted Portrait.
IN Originated with the Police. Isut IL Was
Too Artistic t. Bc Limited TO
Rogues' Galiery-Precaution
About Fading Letters.


About Fading Letters.
Very few people know the origin OF
the latest wrinkle in photography" re
marked a leading photographer the
other night to a Chicago Mail man.
What il the latest wrinkle2 Why. the
double photograph OF course. There Il
nothing really new about II. for there
are many years back Of it. but il seems
to be popular fad Just now.
What il the double photograph" i II
n photograph OF two persons, or a COM
posite afTair?'
1t Is neither II is a single photo
graph showing two views OF the same
person. profile and a front view. both
taken by the same negative. Difficult?
Oh. no: not at all. Il i a very simple
matter. The person To br photographed
il placed beside q mirror. and the camera
records the image in the glass as well as
the counterfeit prcsentmcnt Of the sit
ter. In this way two views are OBJ
tained. If the sitter Is 80 placed as To
secure a profile picture, the image IN
the glass shows a front view. and vice
versa. 1t i pretty scheme and seems
likely 10 become as popular a. II -
pretty.
But. as remarked, few people. ] be-
lievc. know where the double photo
graph originated. 1t l. a French idea.
and comes TO us from the rogucs' gallery
of the Department Of Police Of Paris. II
is not always an easy matter to identify
a person from single photograph
In the first place all pictures are more
or less unnatural. the sitter often i
made up for the occasion. and his pho
h.. M
pears in real life. Then. too. Il profile
picture gives only 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. / have fire.
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 stand
point their method is too valuable TO
be limited TO the rogucS' gallery. and II
has already obtained firm foothold
throughout Europe. and has made its
appearance here. With a good mirror
the reflection makes a fine, clear-cut
photograph. and its advantages are OBJ
vious With a front view how can
beauty show her coiffure? OR her
arched eyebrows and daiatily-curled
bangs in profile view?
ANY other now thinTs? Well yes:
there i always something new crop
ping out in our line of business. Dur it
IS rarely any thing in which the public
i Interested. The fact Il, 4 great many
things which you newspaper men say
occur in photograph studios / have
never seen at all. For instance, | was
surprised a few months ago to learn
from the papers that high society young
ladies were floeling into the studios
and galleries to be photographed in
tights. and to have their feet and
ankles. their hands, their arms. uccls
and shoulders photographed Tor the
benefit Of their own particularly eN-
elusive circle of relatives or acquaint-
ances. Perhaps that story was true.
] don't say it was d canard; but / do
say that don't believe a word of il.
''Of course il Is Il common thing for a
woman with whom nature has dealt
charms to the camera, and / think such
course entirely pardonable; but l
have never heard Of such wholesale
anatomical exhibition Of society odds
and ends as the newspapers described.
Il had an experience the other day
which has interested me more than any
thing of a similar nature which has
happened TO me in all my business eX-
perience. \ young lady who moves in
the best society brought me three
letters, and I photographed them for
her and at her request destroyed the
negatives. The letters were the most
tender and ardent love missivcs imagin-
able. They Were addressed to the lady
herself, and were signed by a name
which | am sure You would recognize
instantly were ] to mention it. ! will
confess that CURIOSITY got the better of
my Judgment, and finally said:
You'll pardon me. but this job Is q
little unusual. isn't it?'
els it?' she said, smilingly.
- 1t strikes me So l replied. i
don't see why you want photographs OF
those letters since you have the letter,
themselves
Don't you? Well, l do. Suppose tn,
letters Were lost or burned, or destroyed
in some other way?'
Wouldn't the photographs be de
stroyed as easily as the letters?'
- Perhaps not; especially if they
We're not kept in the same place witt
the letters. But I'm not afraid of losing
them by fire or in any such way a
that. The fact is, the ink is fadin,
out, and in a short time il Is likely I,
BE illegible.'
There is girl for you who docsn'
propose to take any chances in tn
breach-of-promise business