El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-05-17

! vases all of those available contained the
same picture in hidden outline. They
! were produced by any one of severaA
methods in either of which the image
was Invisible until developed, just as
Tln the case of the ordinary photo
graphic paper, except that IN this case
light would not destroy the hidden i'm
age In one of these methods sulphate
OF copper Is used to produce brown,
sulphate of iron to produce blue. and
nitrate of bismuth TO produce yellow
with these three chemicals the picture
may be made complete, but invisible.
When the medium wishes the image
TO appear he sprays the canvas with
prussiate of potash. and the invisible
picture becomes instantly a completed
portrait Sometimes the spraying is
done by a confederate, sometimes IL is
accomplished by a secret spraying out
lit in the window frame, and some
times by other methods In the case
Of the flower appearing after the por-
trait had been taken home, this was
accomplished by its having been paint
ed invisibly with another preparation
and. treated with a very slow developer,
which would not make it appear for
many hours. The sitter was led 10 sug-
gest it by an intelligent use Of the art
OF forcing, by which sitters are I'M
Willingly led TO do and say things.
Cameras Also Deceive.
Not only is the canvas led to bear
false witness through the manipuIa-
tions of the artfuI medium, but even
the Photographic camera may proclaim
the most astonishing falsehoOds. In
one instance picture was taken of DR.
Hodgson, the great investigator of
fraudulent practices in spiritualism.
1t was easy to understand how a face
might be made to appear on the cloth
ing Of a sitter, but 1t was claimed that
under no combination of circumstances
could a picture be taken by natural
means which would make face appear
on the vest and under the watch chain.
Yet, Dr. HodgsOn's experiments show
concluSively that even this remarkable
feat may be accomplished by natural
means.
Discovery Accidental.
The art of spirit photography is said
to have had its beginning with lazy
apprentice Of a firm of Indiana pho
tographers. There were a number OF
old plates which he was ordered to |
wash. and TO recOaf for future use as
negatives He did so, but he failed to
get some of the old plates thoroughly |
clean A bearded gentleman in a broad |
brimmed hat came to have his picture |
taken, and the resulting negative /
showed him true to life, but in addi- |
ton TO his portrait there was ghost
~ outline of a woman in white with |
flowing veil and orange blossoms
The stranger was shown the negative |
and was tremendously impressed with /
it He thought he had been honored /
by some spirit from the beyond sitting
with him for his picture. At last the |
photographers decided TO embark in the |
field OF spirit photography, which they
did with wonderful success until the /
secret of their art was discovered.
There are many methods of surrepti- |
tlously treating Photographic plates I
before exposure But even after they |
are exposed they may be changed by
TN skillful use Of the retouching pro-
cess, by fnterposing a magic lantern
slide between the plate and the light
before development, and by many other
Double Exposures Used.
But still other means may be used for
inducing the Photographic plate to de-
clare that which is not true. For in
stance tiny picture may be taken on
I transparent film. much like the image
On moving picture film. This small
image In outline may be pasted on
The lens with transparent paste and
nus reflected upon the Photographic
1late when the exposure for the prin-
spal figure is made. BY systems OF
iouble exposure one may be made TO
stand face TO face with himself. cut
III his own head. or do any of innu-
nerable tricks that are possible only
u realms of the fourth dimension
Modern Inventions An Assistance
The spiritualistic portrait painters I
md photographers manifest genius
orthy OF better cause. They use the
ecrets Of chemistry, apply the princi-
lies of acoustics, electricity. psvchoI-
'gy. and of every other art thar will
erve TO mystify the people Even now
hey are looking toward wireless tel
graphy and telephony as an aid in the
ractice of their profession. Thev be-
ieye that if instruments suited m
heir needs can be produced the length
0 which they can go in the production 4
I unexplainable things will be almost
imitiess.
Tomorrow: Magieians and Mind Read
rs.