The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1897-04-22
DUST PORTRAITS.
Pictures Composed Of Small Par.
ticles Of Dust
Deposited by the Electricity IN
the Atmosphere Upon Glass
"A Natural Phe.
nomenon.


world is owned by a New Yorker. It
is photograph of man, and is COM
posed of fine PARTICLES of dust deposited
on pane of glass. 1t is not the handi-
work of man; it is a natural phenome-
non. 1t formed itself out of flying dust
of the atmosphere, which adhered to
the glass in varying thickness until a
perfect likeness of q living human be-
ing was produced. It required eight
years for completion, yet so delicate it is
that all this wonderful production of
nature may be wiped away and totally
obliterated by the simple rubbing of
the finger tip. Many theories have
been advanced explaining the cause of
the formation. Several leading scient-
lists have concluded that it was caused
by atmospheric electricity generated
by the action of the suns rays shining
against an old portrait.
1t is probable that many persons have
possessed dust portraits for years with
out being aware of the fact. 1t is also
possible for any person to make
dust pictures-rlot as elaborate as the
one mentioned here, perhaps. but fair
ly good representations. nevertheless.
The science of dustography, as it might
aptly be called, owes it's discovery to
an accident. w. j. Hammer. the cleo
trical expert. happened one day to OBJ
serve photographer remove an old
photograph from it's pane. When
the pane of glass which had rest
ed in front of the picture was held
up to the light, it was found that pho
tograph, or tracing, the same in every
respect as the original picture, was
printed in dust on the glass. The phe-
romenon was not due to the pressure of
the old photograph on the glass, for the
two had been separated by mat to the
extent of one-siXteenth of an inch Be-
sides, the dust picture could be rubbed
off the glass by pressing the fingers
against it, and it yet bears the finger
marks of persons who have thus test
ed its vulnerability. How did it hap
pen to come there? Scientists puzzled
over it for long while, but could not
solve the problem. Then it was agreed
that it must be due to the action of the
electricity in the air generated by sun
light.
Certain objects under the action of
direct sunlight are constantly giving
off electric currents. Different parts of
the same object give off currents of
various strength. For instance, the
dark parts of picture emit a greater
electric flow than the light portions.
In the above dust picture hardly any
dust remains on the glass opposite the
dark surface of the old photograph.
The darker the surface, the less dust
there was opposite it; the lighter the
surface the more dust there was oppo-
site it. This was because the heavy
currents emitted from the lighter por-
tions of the picture permitted dust to
settle on the glass according to their
strength, and therefore made perfect
copy on the glass of the original pic
ture behind it. This went on for eight
years before the perfect portrait was
formed. Such pictures are liable to be
formed in any household, therefore per-
sons possessing old glass-covered pho
tographs which may have hung in di-
rect sunlight should remove the glass
and examine it carefully to see if any
electric dust pictures have been formed.
The pictures will be found naturally
on the inner side of the glass. They
resemble daguerrotypei in appearance,
and when discovered should immediate
ly be placed between two glass plates
to prevent the picture being rubbed
away by the fingers of careless OBJ
servers.-Atlanta Constitution.