Waterbury evening Democrat., 1891-02-12
DOUBLE PHOTOGRAPHS.
Tho Latest Fad in the Way Of
 Sun-Painted Portrait.
It Originated with the Police, But It was Too Artistic to Be Limited to Rogues' Gallery-Precaution
 About Fading Letters.

[ hosueS' GalIery-Precautton ! About Fading Letters.
 ''Very few people know the origin of the latest wrinkle in photography" re- marked a leading photographer the other night to 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 1t, but it seema to be popular fad just now"
 "What is the double photograph? Is it a photograph of two persons, or com posite affair?''
 ''It is neither. It is a single photo graph showing two views of the same persona profile and front view, both taken by the same negative. Difficult? Oh, no; not at all. It is a very simple matter. The person to be photographed l is placed beside q 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 secure a profile picture, the image in the glass shows front view, and vice versa. It is a pretty scheme, and seems likely to become as popular as it is pretty.
 But, as remarked, few people, be- lieve, know where the double photo graph originated. It is 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 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 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 a 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 rogues' gallery, and it Sb throughout Europe, and has made it's appearance here. With a good mirror the reflection makes q fine, clear-cut photograph, and it's advantages are ob- vious. With a front view how can beauty show her coiffure? Or her arched eyebrows and daintily-curled bangs in 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, great many things which you newspaper men say occur in photograph studios I have never seen at all. For instance, was surprised a few months ago to learn from the papers that high society young ladies were focking into the studios and galleries to be photographed in
 tights, and to have their feet and ankles, their hands, their arms, necks
 and shoulders photographed for the benefit of their own particularly ex- elusive circle of relatives or acquaint- ances. Perhaps that story was true. don't say it was a canard; but I do say that 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 1 think such
 a course entirely pardonable; but , have never heard of such a 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 thing of similar nature which has
 happened to me in all my business eX , pericnce. A young lady who moves ir the best society brought me three letters, and I photographed them fol ! her and at her request destroyed the T negatives. The letters were the most . tender and ardent love missives imagin. = able. They were addressed to the lady Q 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 O. 9 my judgment, and I finally said: : "'Youn pardon me, but this job is z z little unusual, isn't it?'
 T ''Is it?' she said, smilingly. N "It strikes me so,' I replied. q o don't see why you want photographs O. ! those letters since you have the letter. " themselves
 a "'Don't you9 Well, do. Suppose the o letters were lost or burned, or destroyed !, in some other way?'
 "'Wouldn't the photographs be de
 stroyed as easily as the letters?' q Perhaps not; especially if the, IF were not kept in the same place witt T. the letters. But I'm not afraid of losin, # them by fire or in any such way a
 that. The fact is, the ink is fadinl . out, and in short time it is likely t ' be illegible.'
 o ''There is girl for you who doesn' 1 propose to take any chances in tn Q brcach-o f-promise business"