The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1897-06-22
PHOTOGRAPHIC MYSTERIES.
The Surprising Images That Sometimes
Show After a Plate Is Developed.

The Surprising Images That Sometimes
Show After Plate Is Developed.
1t is no uncommon experience to find
upon new plates certain images for
which there seems no possible explana-
ton, their startling and unaccountable
appearance being 'wropt in mistry,''
causing establishment not unmixed with
uncanny feeling A gentleman made
an exposure upon the interior Of
friends house. He was doubtful of the
time and proceeded to develop for I'M
der exposure. To his great surprise the
plate developed quickly, and to his
greater surprise the image was an in
terror quite different from that upon
which he had exposed. The plate was
from fresh box and could not possibly
have had a previous exposure.
Another instance Of the kind, having
quite a sensational and tragic ending,
is on record. An exposure was made
upon a view having a river in the fore
ground. The photographer, while de-
veloping this peculiar plate, was per-
fectly astounded by an appearance
which he had not seen while taking the
photograph, and for which he could in
no way account. On completing the
development there was plainly reveal
ed in the foreground of the picture the
figure of woman, apparently floating
upright in the water. Not many weeks
after, to complete the mystery, the body
of a woman was found in the river at
the exact spot where the photograph
had been taken
Again, not long since, the daily pa
pers were agitated over the account of
travelling photographer who, upon
making an exposure upon the exterior
of reputed haunted house, discovered
at one of the windows portrait of the
murdered man through whom the
house had gained its evil name. In an
other case three distinct images, having
no connection one with the other, were
impressed upon single film. The plate
was exposed upon a garden in the even
ing-nothing remarkable being seem
but when placed in the developer
mans hat Of old fashioned shape,
child's dress and a dog were distrib-
uted over the image of the garden.
Such mysterious images were more
common in the days of wet plates than
now. A few years back Professor Bur
ton investigated the matter. Upon trac-
ing back the history of the glass he
found that it had been used for other
films, and that the images which APP
peared undoubtedly arose from the re-
mains of previous images. The old
glass was thus proved to be the source
of the ghosts; it only deepened the sci
entific mystery, while it cleared away
the supernatural. The glass traced by
Burton had been washed for some
weeks, immersed in strong nitric acid,
and every means taken to insure chem
ical cleanliness, yet in spite of all this
enough energy remained latent to form
a developable image upon the new film,
whether by chemical or physical force
remains to be discovered. A complete
solution of the difficulty would prob
ably throw considerable light upon the
nature of the Photographic images in
general. AT least, it seems to indicate
that light is not absolutely essential in
the formation of latent images in a
sensitive film.-American journal of
Photography.