replied

explicitly.

replying to

one member, Mr.

letter,
Taylor stated that he had received a

asking him

bring a reasonable

witness

he had the

option

taking any one

he chose.

another

himself

member Mr. Taylor

placed

sitters

camera,

arranged

lighting of the room.

Several

members spoke

highly

Taylor's

qualifications

conduct such experiments

but as they could
not accept the spiritualistic hypothesis, and as
the photographs had to them the appearance
of being copied from cut-out prints, or
" stump-v/ork," they concluded that therefore
they could not be genuine, ignoring entirely Mr.
emphatic statements, which

he had

already given in his paper,

conditions

entirely

acquiesced

should use

camera and

purchased

unopened

packages

plates^

dealers
of repute^ and that I should be

plate to go out of

excused

from allowing a

"/

own hand

after development^^
should dictate all the conditions of operation.^'

a matter of

everything connected

entire

subject

control

and approval.
"SPIRIT PHOTOGRAPHY,"

WITH REMARKS ON

FLUORESCENCE.*

Traill Taylor.

presence of smoke

be considered

as implying the existence of flame.
photography, so called, has of late been asserting

existence in such a

manner and

to such

an extent as to warrant competent men making

investigation,

conducted

stringent

conditions,

the circumstances

fraud,

produced,

exposing the

should

instead

of pooh-poohing

as insensate

because

not understand

can be

otherwise

itself

position that scarcely

commends

intelligent

philosophical.

"^

Reprinted from

British Journal

of Photo-

graphy^ March 17th, 1893.

what follows

photography

instead of psychic

photography,
deference to a nomenclature that extensively

prevails,

and not as offering a surmise from

any knowledge of

and what

spirit,

matter

distinction

between

and matter,

approach the subject merely as a

photographer.

Before
proceed, a few words on the origin

of spirit photography

not be out of place.

the principal

In March, 1861,

W. H. Mumler,

engraver in

employ of Bigelow

jewellers

Kennard,

Boston,

whiling

amateur photographer, had a form other than

that of

any one

plate.

present

developed

collodion

surmised

from an image having been previously on the

plate,

having been imperfectly cleaned
Subjected to a more thorough cleaning,
the form again appeared more strongly marked
than before, and he could

no other exIt

planation than the one given.

got noised

abroad through

strove

photographed,

although

Mumler

suppress

misrepresentation,

he regarded

to popular

yet he

eventually succumbed
demand, and took two hours a day
from his regular work, devoting them to photography.
This he had to extend to the whole
each day, entirely discarding

regular

profession.

Many men

of eminence sat to him,

most of

he did not know at the time.

seems to have encouraged

the adoption of such

deemed

satisfactory.

figures that usually

appeared on the plate with the

rightly infer, those

sitters'

minds had been

photographer, Mr.

That eminent

Black,

portrait

of Boston,
over the world as the inventor

bath, undertook

of the acid nitrate

tigate

inves-

bond fides

Mumler's

methods.

Through

friend

who had

figure,

previously

and obtained a

Black offered

dollars

Mumler would operate

picture.

presence

and obtain a

Invited

come, the

acute Black critically examined

dipper, and bath,

camera, plate,

and had

eye on the plate

from the moment

preparation

slide,

sensitised

and locked

the dark

removing

himself from the camera, and carry-
into the dark room, where,

on develop-

ment, a figure of a

man was

seen leaning on

shoulder.

Black was wonder-stricken, and

negative,

charge whatever

having

now claimed

photographer,

publicly to

spirit -portrait

and as such he eventually opened a studio

York, having previously

satisfied

Silver,

Gurney, and

photographers

genuineness of his claims, never hesitating to
operate in their galleries

required,

and with

apparatus and chemicals.

Mumler was

arrested in

New York

whether on the ground

INVES TIG A TIONS.

witchcraft

endeavouring

obtain

money under

false pretences,

at present

uncertain, but his trial

was the sensation of the

day, and

numerous witnesses were examined.

honourably acquitted.

He was

In this country, several

amateur

photographers have

investigated

success.

include

others.

F.R.S.'s,

scientists,

question

whether any have so

persistently

done so as the and

friend.
Mr. John Beattie, of Clifton,

Thompson.

Mr. Beattie

was- a the

skilled

professional

photographer

highest eminence

who, some time
had adopted the views of the

school.

spiritualistic

figures

he obtained

plates

were much blurred

outline,

some being misty

the extreme.

possess

some two

dozen of these, taken by

the presence

Mr. Beattie, whose

telligence, honesty,

and powers of observation
no one would venture to doubt.
photographs are claimed to have been produced

by Hudson, a

trace,

and that hydrochloric

even a small

property.
other substances that are fluorescent,

light,

change

refrangibility

uranite, certain

mineral

glass,

of uranium,

canary
alcoholic solution of chlorophyll,

aesculine,

tincture

stramonium

seeds,

of turmeric.

still better,

There are others known

in this direction

yet too

incomplete to warrant

indicating them.

moment

enter the realm of

really

speculation,

spirits
and assume that there are

eye but visible to the

certain persons called seers or

clairvoyants only.

Might we not suggest that

fluorescent

compound

in the eyes

of such persons not present in those whose eyes

normal, and that

they owe

seeing

powers

you may

probably be aware that Dr. Bence Jones and

philosophers

of such

actually

established

substances being

throw any

upon the recognised

being able to see

animals

the subject of fluorescence

thoroughly investigated

Sir D. Brewster,

discovery of

who was

Stokes,

followed by Herschel

Professor

as yet

but of

yesterday),

we may hope

a vast accession

knowledge

understood.

subjects

-slightly

Bradford

meeting

British

Association for the Advancement of Science,
Gladstone, F.R.S., demonstrated

before the Mathematical

and Physical Section

have said respecting invisible drawings

clear photographs

when no eye could

see the

drawings themselves, and

brought away back

these photographs, and, for aught

still.

may have them
prevent this disquisition from being

will here

introduce a fanciful sketch
wTOte apropos of Dr. Gladstone's demonstration!

at the time

mentioned

mischievous

proclivities

who attended

addicted ta

Association, and

joking,

practical

listened

attentively

Gladstone's

observations

properties,

carefully^

quinine referred

followed,

noted the discussion

within herself thus

reasoned'
If solution of quinine cane

to>

invisible

marks upon paper, which

out black in a photograph,
do the same when applied to the
she procured some of this solution, and upon her

brow she painted with

a death's

head and cross-bones.

invisible to

These, of course, were

Thus prepared, she

went to a photographer

have her portrait

LADV S

Jtaken.
All went right until the operator went
develop the plate, when she soon heard

altercation

between the photographer and

the attendant boy,

evident
that the latter was being charged with having
-coated an old or dirty plate.

tresult,

second

negative

taken,

operator,

bestowing

puzzled, affrighted

downstairs

iment.

the of

lady, rushed

the establish-

Both returned

negative was

dark room, and

became
evident that intense excitement was being pro-

the dark room.

After an excuse to
the lady about there being electricity in the
atmosphere, which had affected the chemicals,

was requested

once more.
Scarcely had the plate been developed,

assistant

rushed out

from the dark

room, pale and excited, and

explained that on the

brow of the

sitter in

negative was emblazoned

insignia of the

King of Terrors.
negatives were produced,,

leaving no doubt of the

What was

to be-

sitter
hinted something about not being-

disposed to be

and, for a reason

used a monocular camera.
took the plate out of a packet just pre-
viously ripped up under the surveillance of

detectives.

placed the slide in

pocket

and exposed

held in

by magnesium ribbon which
hand, keeping one eye, as
were, on the sitter and the other on the camera.

There was no background.

myself took the
plate from the dark slide, and, under the eyes
of the two detectives, placed

developing

Between the camera and the
female figure was developed, rather
pronounced form than that of the

sitter.

portrait one of short focus

the figure

being somewhat

in front of the sitter,

was prothis
portionately larger in dimensions.

picture (see opposite).

submit

see, a lady.

do not recognise her

any of the other

figures I
obtained as being like any one

know, and from

point of view, that of a mere investigator

experimentalist,

caring whether the
psychic subject were embodied or disembodied.

experiments of

like nature followed
on some plates were abnormal appearances, on

others none.

All this time Mr. D., the medium,

plates,

during the exposure of the

was quite

Photograph of a Psychic Lady.

inactive.

After one

trial,

which had proved

successful,

asked him

how he

he had been thinking of during the exposure.
replied that his thoughts

had been mainly

concentrated

chances of securing a

corner seat in a smoking carriage that night

from Euston

to Glasgow.

If the precautions

took during
several experiments, such as those recorded, are

by any

of you thought to have been imperfect

or incomplete,

pray of you to point them out.

In some of them

relaxed

conditions to

the extent of getting one of those present to
out from the dark slide the exposed plate

transfer

to the developing dish held

myself, or to

a plate from the manufacturer's

package into the dark

hand, this being done under

was upon

demonstration

although both were correctly placed vertically
in relation to the particular sitter

behind

the figure appeared, and

this figure

not so horizontally,
had not only not been impressed on

^^^ VEIL LIFTED.

the plate simultaneously with the two gentle-

men forming

the group,

formed by the lens

that, therefore*
the psychic image might be produced without

a camera.

think this

deduction.

the question

obtrudes,

How came

either myself

these figures there

plates were not

again assert that the

tampered with by

or any one present.

Are they

crystallisations

of thought.'^

light really

nothing

to do with their formation

The whole

was mysterious enough on the hypothesis of

invisible spirit,

whether a thought projection

really there

actual spirit, being
vicinity of the sitter, but

a thousand

times more
There are plenty of Tycho
Brahes capable of supplying details of observations, but

to be the

Kepler that
from such observations evolve a law by which
they can be satisfactorily explained

In the foregoing

have confined myself as
closely as possible to narrating
Abnormal Portrait of Lady

REMARKS.

a photographic experiment open to every one
make, avoiding stating any hypothesis or

belief of

on the subject generally, and

to exhibit the results,

now remains

fraudulent

looking as

on the

screen.

REMARKS BY MEMBERS AND

VISITORS.

Having

finished the reading

of his paper,

Mr. Taylor exhibited by the

islides

aid of the lantern,

from some of the

negatives

series of " Spirit

Photographs," the

were created

subjects.
years ago a gentleman went

a photographer of his

have a portrait taken,

and, instead

portrait appearing, as he

expected, that of a

man who had

been abroad

and of

he knew nothing,

after-

appeared on the

Some weeks
wards a telegram came announcing that the

man, whose

photograph

Again, during the

Austrian war, an

officer

who had never

been photographed

regimentals appeared
to a brother officer as a photographed
one occasion the figure of a small child

centre

was recognised

after that

lapse of time.
suggested that a photograph could be taken

to prove that fluid rays

pass from a sensitive,

photographic rays

which was

material

emanating

parts of the body,

was collected

to form the

of those

who wished

prove the

immortality of the soul.

(the chairman)
although the pictures shown that night

as spirit

by Mr. Maltby might be recognised
photographs, they had only to do with Mr. Traill
Taylor's experiments,* and

he was bound to

taking the chair, Mr.

said he did not

they had chosen him to preside that evening, unless
was because he knew nothing whatever of the

examples shown bore

say that some of the

of being

patchwork on

and not similar

Mr. Maltby.

mysterious

to those that

were shown by were very

results
and, although Mr. Taylor himself
was very watchful, there was nothing
any conclusion on the matter, so that

remain

mystery.

suggested

that Mr. Glendinning should provide an occasion,

he could,

London and Proto

Association

small committee to take part in similar experi-
ments, and he was sure that they would only

send fair-minded

to represent them.*

in reply, said

Mr. Glendinning, be willing to

he would

influence

experiments carried on

the presence of the

same medium

later in the year.

(Hear, hear.)

set aside
^ This sensible proposal has been entirely

against those

by subsequent insinuations of the Association, directed
witnesses to the experiments,
and by the passing a resolution of such a character

be a come-on ter^

break away from trammels

-despotic traditions.

fear of the Evil

the bad odour associated with the

craft," the

witch-

unwise and weak

bits in

Old Testa-

history, stop

him not

in his investigations.

SPIR I T UA LISM.

shall "

thou shalt not

of tradition

he asks the authority

taking nothing on
authority but truths which can be demonstrated.

applauds

joined

together

and water and

and made

ready to do men's bidding,

reverences those

audacious

lightning

from heaven and
tidings between the ends of the earth, so will
one day surely reverence and honour the

toiled bravely

evident that there

no death.

walks with humble men," says

" often

teacher,
stumbles over masses of unin
sunned gold where men, proud

looked only for

emptiness,

common

dust."

should intelligent

men mock

modern

at small

beginnings like the

movement ?
great institutions which have

done the best work

face the

mankind have had

ridicule.

same kind of sneer and

repeats

the time.

As Lecky

eloquently points out,

religion,
which was surely a potent force

good or

was unseen

by the leading minds who

made up

empire.

the intellectual force of the

single

of weight
a conquering power, but glanced at

weak and

ignoble.

Carlyle regrets that

the wise and

see in

penetrating

Tacitus

superstition, while

he (Carlyle)

held somewhat similar views about Spiritualism

(which, according to

Theodore Parker, has more

historic

evidence for

wonders than any other

form of

religion),

word he could

was that

the religion of

Dead Sea

apes."

That the idea of

communion

grow and

a place in

the people's hearts

as certain as that the sun shines each

welcomed

could not tolerate

revelation

first.

indeed a choice

of higher

import

Eliza-
physical science has yet given.

SPrR ITUA LISM.

Barrett

Browningfor

wondered

world, weeping

not accord

warm welcome.

She found

the richest consolation.

This age has almost
witnessed the abolition of slavery, and to-day
not more antagonism to Spiritualism
than sixty years since there was towards the

anti-slavery party.

Lloyd Garrison, afterwards
a pronounced Spiritualist, was indeed bold for
conscience sake, for truth and justice,

started the Liberator.

did not seem as
the idea which possessed him could take root.

office

enemies made inquiry as to Garrison's

movements

1831, they

reported

in ani
obscure hole, his only visible

auxiliary

negro-boy,

supporters

colours
few insignificant persons of
yet in spite of this early report his idea shook the world.

The man and

the negro-boy were a great truth
prevty vigorous, and there was
promulgated from that obscure hole.

Spiritualism,

through the

brave advocacy

of heroic

credible

claims.

men and women,

at last

becoming

for its

trivial

now shown
Phenomena once considered

receive attention.

are awakening^

better able

new thought, and becoming

mystery of

to read the

their past lives

teaches.

of a noted

easily they
can be made to order by any phototo

grapher,

and are therefore disposed

think they

can be of no use as evidence.

sideration will

that the

means by which sham

ghosts can be
manufactured being so well known

to all photographers,

becomes easy

to apply tests

or arrange conditions so as to prevent imposition. "

following are

some of

more obvious

person with

knowledge of photography

examines the camera

used and

the accessories, and watches the whole
process of taking a picture, then,

any definite form

appears
on the negative besides the
proof that some object was present capable of

ing or emitting

reflect-
the actinic rays, although invisible

an unmistakable likeness

totally
appears of a deceased person

FALL ACES TESTIMONY.

figures 'appear
negative having a definite relation to the figure of

who chooses

position, attitude,

and accompaniments,

there.

draped

white,

partly

behind the dark body
of the sitter without in the least showing through,
a proof that the white figure was there at the
because the dark parts of the negative

are transparent,

and any white picture
superposed would show through.

Even should

none of these

be applied, yet

describes a figure during the sitting,

and an exactly

corresponding figure appears on the plate,
proof that such a figure was there.
" Every one of these tests have

fiilly

success-

applied in our

country."

Dr. Wallace gives

minute

details

which which

been of interest had we possessed more knowledge of the subject, but

we aimed

too high and

were not

with slow progress.

In fact

wanted a
and good likeness of one of our

were broken and put

relatives, so several plates

Hght thrown on the

in the dust-bin which, in the

prized.

we should have
plate of that period was kept be-
had a shadowy image of the medium,
although he was not within the

of view

plate \vas

exposed.

Unfortunately,
the photograph was not intensified

was washing

at the tap, the

water got between

the plate and the collodion, and

away went the

to spread

but, although torn, I

managed

part of

on the glass again.

statement was

made by one
friends with respect to that picture. tions

Our ques-

were put through the medium, and the
answers were given by automatic writing.

Question

diversity of

it is ?

upon which there

opinion that

exists so

we want

know what

Answer

yourself,

distinctly enough,

but as we see your next question we w411 proceed to explain

came about

that such im-
pression was produced on the plate.

FIRST EXPERIMENTS.

The Medium Stop a moment do mean that it is my body or my spirit ?

Answer We mean

spirit-aura.
body could not be taken without your being
either directly in front of the

camera or

reflected

focus.

be better to exattending this

of interest.

phase, as

involves

You were
standing in front of the camera for
about a quarter of an hour before the picture
was taken or the plate prepared.

to a suggestion,

In obedience
you were awaiting the approach

of the spirit

law and truth

thoughts expressed by "Imperator" to
Mr. Stainton Moses, relating to

prince of

imaginary
are so excellent that no apology
required for appending a few of them:
be perplexed by thoughts of an imagined

Devil.

For the honest, pure, and

truthful soul

no Devil nor Prince of Evil such as

theology has feigned.

the adversaries

comes not nigh him,

his presence,

powers of

evil are

powerless before him.

guarded around by angel guards, ministered to

by bright

who watch

over him and direct

his footsteps.
For him there waits a career of

progressive increase

that elevates

knowledge, and

and ennobles the

intelligence.

need fear no Devil, unless he creates one for

affinity for

good draws around

influences for good.

fenced around

LIFTEiJ.

by guardians; nor can

surrender,

M,- save

by voluntary

a victim to

tFie foe."*

narrating his
confined himself to a statement of facts; he
did not set forth the spiritualistic hypothesis,
nor did he say that any other would account

the results.

Some members

of the As-.

sociation:
were angry because Spiritualists claimed the

results as

an argument

support of Spiritual?

But why be angry

explanation

the expla-
must cover the whole ground.
nation offered by Spiritualists

the only one

which covers the whole ground.

facts are only

one department of the wonders

Spiritualism.

the good

of the latter

asked by those

come within

the range of

beneficent teachings.

The good

has freed the mind from

Spirit Teachings^ page 98.

From a Pkocograpk