The San Francisco call., 1896-11-22
Thought Photography
Is Society's Latest Fad
Fair Woman Finds the New Phenomenon
Far More Interesting Than PALMS
try or Star-Gazing

a new fad has seized upon society,
Thought photograph clubs have been
formed with surprising and sometimes
startling results. By fixing the gaze upon
an undeveloped Photographic plate or
even holding these plates in the hands,
figures of persons and forms of a very ex-
traordinary character have been produced
when these plates were developed. The
facts In the matter are we'll substantiated
This is far and away more interesting
than palmistry and crystal-gazing, as
these might by a prejudiced mind be at
trlouteo TO imagination, but actual pic
lures on an actual plate cannot be so ac-
counted tor. The only alternative in this
. case Is the assertion of fraud. This is
Gone away with when the undeveloped
sensitive plates are purchased at random
from any photographer, or those on hand
Tor use in ones own private camera are
taken. brilliant society woman who is
up to date in everything, including the
. latest scientific discoveries, reflected that
if DR.. Baroduc The Partisan electro.
therapeutist, could obtain these pictures
and astonish the French Academy of
Medicine with them, she ought to be able
to do the same, since the method was
considering, nothing more being necessary
<tban box of plates and from two 10 a
dozen people who were capable of concen-
rating their thoughts on a given person
or subject Tor few minutes.
Inviting few trusted friends. a circle
= was formed and box containing four un-
opened plates placed in the center The
results. were astonishing when the plates
were developed. She was an amateur
photographer herself and did the develop
ing. Luminous pictures made their ap-
: pearance. On the top plate no distinct
. form was visible, but in the shadewy out
lines various figures and faces could be
discerned by lively imagination. On the
next plate, however, there was a we'll
defined fnger-shape. across which lay a
light figure that might be held to resem Bile
female. But the really startling result
was the pictures which developed them
selves on the two middle plates. On these
were distinct faces, recognized by men,
bers OF the circle as perfect pictures of liv-
:. ing friends they had held in their
thoughts. In one case the photograph
was that OF a brother who had been lost at
sea. A second experimental circle was
held. The room was darkened and new
box of plates, unopened, was put into The
hands OF one person, and the hand of the
Hostess laid over 1t for about one minute.
Then, without ever allowing the box to
pass from her possession, they were de-
veloped, and this strange result was dis
= covered. All the plates had pictures. but
some were positives and Others were mega
tives. Two had to be transformed to a
: lantern-slide before they could be printed
from.
The thing was a success, and now
society has fad that it will not tire of for
some time to come. Even the chappies
are often fortunate enough to find the
face OF the heiress they are following up
imprinted upon the plate they have held.
NO woman, heiress or otherwise, could
fall to be touched by so convincing a proof
as this furnishes that her image dwells in
an admirers breast.
. Society women are still women, and
when they are able to obtain photograph
of some one they admire. yet don't care to
ask for his picture. they exoerience a
: sense of power which borders on the
supernatural. Sometimes the pictures OBJ
taired are of unknown men and women,
and then the theory is that these are their
affinlties, not yet encountered; but wait
ing somewhere in the future.
How is this photography accomplished ?
DR.. Baroducs explanation is that every
human being has the power of expressing