The Washington times. (Washington [D.C.]) 1901-1902, 1901-08-18
SPIRITUALISM In PICTURES
How Alleged Ghosts Are Photo
graphed With Human Beings.
Processes Resortcd to in Order to
Produce the Illusion on Cardboard
An Expert Discusses the Subject
Gives Away "ProfessionaI'' Secrets

One of the most transparent spiritualis-
tic frauds, one that still imposes on many
people, nevertheless, is spirit photography
This process, like other discoveries, is the
result of an accident.
1T happened some years ago." said
Photographic expert, while discussing the
subject a day or two ago, way back In
the old wet-collodion times, that we'll
known photographer was one day sur
prised at the visitation of spirit This
'spook' did not make its appearance dur
ing nocturnal hours. as We are informed
is the custom of such gentry, but, like
Pompey's ghost, in broad daylight. The
manner of the spirits visitation was, at
that time, a novelty. for it appeared upon
a photograph which was in course Of de-
velopment. Had the worker been of the
soft-brained kind. so easily gulled by the
professional spiritualist, it is possible he
would have been much wrought up and
excited over such a wonderful phenone-
non, evidently of the other world.
las it was. however, he coolly set about
examining into the matter, and the re-
suits of his investigations were as follows:
He found gentleman who had posed
and for whom a photograph had been taken
.n the usual manner upon a collodion plate
Upon taking positive print from the
negative. he (the photography was sur
prised to find a dim white figure of a
lady lowering, apparently, over the uncon-
scious sitter. Upon examination of the
negative, the image Of the figure was also
visible, but not so plainly as in the posi-
tive The explanation o. the matter was
soon apparent In those days glass was
not so cheap as at present, and all new
or spoiled negatives were cleaned off and
freshly prepared with collodion for fur
ther use. In this case the glass had pre-
yiously supported the negative image of
a lady dressed in white. Some chemical
action had evidently taken place between
the image and the glass itself, turning
the latter slightly yellow in some parts.
This faint yellow image, although hardly
visible in the negative, had, being of
non-actinic color, given quite a distinct
image in the positive. The case was not
an isolated one, as these spirit photo
graphs. as they were called, often made
their appearance when old negatives were
cleaned and the glass used again.
.'The precise action producing the image
has never, so far as 1 know, been salts
factorIIy accounted for. 1t could often
be made more distinct by breathing on
the glass. There is q work published
called Chronicles OF the Photographs of
Spiritual Beings and Phenomena Invisible
TO the Material Eye by Miss Houghton.
In this valuable book number of re-
production OF photographs Of spirits are
given with a detailed description of how
they were obtained and the difficulties
attending their production. spirits. 1t
appearing, being of very independent, not
20 say whimsical. natures. only showing
up when they feel so inclined. 1t is quite
possible that person entirely ignorant
OF Photographic methods might be led
into the belief that they were actually
Photographic images of the dead. but 1
feel confident that any photographer
would easily see through the sham.
1T Is not difficult to explain how
these pictures were produced. There are.
indeed, quite a number of methods. With
a credulous person, over whom the
operator had complete control. it would
only be necessary for the spirit quit
ably attired for the occasion. to appear
Tor few seconds behind the sitter during