Part 6

Now, all this time, I imagine you are wondering how the stereoscopic camera was behaving itself as such. It is due to the psychic entities to say that whatever was produced on one half of the stereoscopic plates was reproduced on the other, alike good or bad in definition. But on a careful examination of one which was rather better than the other, and which is now about to be projected on the lantern screen for your examination (see page 35), I deduce this fact, that the impressing of the spirit form was not consentaneous with that of the sitter. This I consider an important discovery. I carefully examined one in the stereoscope, and found that, while the two sitters were stereoscopic per se, the psychic figure was absolutely flat. I also found that the psychic figure was at least a millimetre higher up in one than the other. Now, as both had been simultaneously exposed, it follows to demonstration that, although both were correctly placed vertically in relation to the particular sitter behind whom the figure appeared, and not so horizontally, this figure had not only not been impressed on the plate simultaneously with the two gentlemen forming the group, but had not been formed by the lens at all, and that, therefore the psychic image might be produced without a camera. I think this is a fair deduction. But still the question obtrudes, How came these figures there? I again assert that the plates were not tampered with by either myself or any one present. Are they crystallisations of thought? Have lens and light really nothing to do with their formation? The whole subject was mysterious enough on the hypothesis of an invisible spirit, whether a thought projection or an actual spirit, being really there in the vicinity of the sitter, but it is now a thousand times more so. There are plenty of Tycho Brahes capable of supplying details of observations, but who is to be the Kepler that will from such observations evolve a law by which they can be satisfactorily explained?

In the foregoing I have confined myself as closely as possible to narrating how I conducted a photographic experiment open to every one to make, avoiding stating any hypothesis or belief of my own on the subject generally, and it only now remains to exhibit the results, bad and fraudulent-looking as they are, on the screen.

REMARKS BY MEMBERS AND VISITORS.

Having finished the reading of his paper, Mr. TAYLOR exhibited by the aid of the lantern, slides from some of the negatives he had obtained. A series of “Spirit Photographs,” the work of Mr. Hudson, formerly of Holloway Road, and some French photographers, were also shown by Mr. Maltby, a visitor, who was introduced by Mr. Taylor.

Messrs. Downey, P. Everitt, W. E. Debenham, F. A. Bridge, A. Cowan, A. Haddon, J. S. Teape, A. Mackie, and others took part in the meeting, but their remarks, for the most part, were characteristic of unacquaintance with the subject.

Mr. A. GLENDINNING explained that it had originally been intended to have had the photographs taken in the studio of a West-end photographer, but that gentleman had withdrawn his consent owing to his religious views, expressing the opinion that such experiments were dangerous, if not wicked. The experiments were therefore made in the drawing-room of a house in Dalston.

Mr. W. E. DEBENHAM asked if it would be possible to repeat the experiments in the presence of the same medium and two members of the London and Provincial Photographic Association.

Mr. GLENDINNING said he had been interested in the subject of psychic photography for twenty-eight years, and he asked permission from the Chairman to make a few remarks. This being readily and courteously granted, he said, “Do the members of this Society, who are now present, believe that Mr. Taylor is competent for the investigation which he recently undertook? I do not mean, are you prepared to endorse his statements regarding the results of his recent experiments? I do not mean merely, do you consider Mr. Taylor an honest investigator? There are many honest men who would not be considered qualified to watch with sufficient care and accuracy experiments in photographic manipulations. There are others who are honest and upright, and who are skilful in the ordinary routine of photographic work, who may possess very little knowledge of chemistry or of optics, in their relation to practical photography. Others, again, may be honest men, skilful manipulators, and adepts in chemistry and in optics, but too opinionative to conduct such experiments as those under consideration. Well, then, gentlemen, looking at the matter all round, I put it to you this way. My own belief, my strong conviction, is this, that Mr. Taylor is well qualified in every respect for the very important and, I would add, the very solemn task which he undertook. A man with an open mind, prepared to—

‘Accept the truth where’er ’tis found, On Christian or on heathen ground?’

possessed of shrewdness, tact, an eye like a hawk’s, watchful and ready to detect the slightest attempt at trickery or fraud, with an integrity of purpose and an independent outspokenness which would lead him fearlessly to expose and denounce those who would so far forget themselves as to trifle with the most sacred feelings of our nature, by attempting to palm off as abnormal and strange that which is but a miserable counterfeit of a grand reality. Gentlemen, do you uphold me in my view that Mr. Taylor was the right man for the experiments to which reference has been made? (Applause and expressions of approval.) I thank you for this expression of your opinion. I do not wish to corner you; I do not wish to trap you into a seeming acquiescence with views which you have not considered. My desire is to be perfectly frank; but there are reasons, into which I need not enter now, why I have put before you the statements and the question to which you have responded. Well, supposing for the moment that Mr. Taylor’s report of his experiments is an accurate statement, that portraits have appeared on his plates, and have been printed from his plates, which cannot be accounted for by any known agency, it seems to me to be a fair conclusion to arrive at, that there were other persons present at those experiments besides the ladies and gentlemen who could be seen with the normal vision; that these unseen visitors were exhibiting an active and intelligent interest in the matter, and that they were aiding by their co-operation to produce the abnormal images which appeared on the plates. Call these unseen visitors by the name which may commend itself to you as most fairly descriptive; call them spooks, or ghosts, or astrals, or elementals, or even, if you prefer to do so, call them devils. I call them spirit friends—ex-carnated human beings—that is what they profess to be, and that is what, in an experience of such matters extending over a good many years, I have always had good reason to believe them to be. Therefore I transfer the name from the principal operators to the pictures themselves, and I call the latter spirit photographs. Likewise, because the abnormal portraits, so far as they have been recognised, are portraits of persons who have cast off the earthly tabernacle, I claim that the name spirit photographs, or photographs of spirits, is as near as we can get to accuracy in the present state of our knowledge.”

Mr. F. A. BRIDGE said they were bound to believe Mr. Taylor’s statement; but, as practical photographers, though the pictures shown might be spirit photographs, he thought they gave them the idea of cut-out prints, but as to who cut them out he did not know and did not care. He, however, did not for one moment wish to impute any complicity or dishonesty to Mr. Glendinning in connexion with the experiments, for that gentleman appeared (as he had said) merely to have been desirous of arriving at the truth.

Mr. DEBENHAM quite agreed with Mr. Bridge as to Mr. Glendinning’s bonâ fides in the matter. He would propose, if possible, a committee be formed to be present at some similar séance.

A MEMBER stated that Mr. Taylor’s experiments had been vitiated to some extent by his not having the whole of the conditions under his own control (a remark to which Mr. Taylor does not seem to have thought it necessary to reply, as he had already distinctly stated that the whole of the conditions were subject to his entire control).

Professor A. HADDON observed that if spirits gave out ultra-violet rays, it would be advisable to use lenses made of quartz, as they would have a far better way of rendering such subjects on the plate than with ordinary lenses, which cut off ultra-violet. Again, had different eyes different powers as regards the taking in and cutting out of different rays? Mr. Friese Greene had shown how it was possible to allow an impression to be made on the retina, and then to be transferred to a plate. Most probably only certain people possessed this power, for it was curious no one had repeated the experiment with success.

Mr. T. SHORTER said he had had some experience of the subject, and in many instances such portraits had been distinctly recognised as those of relatives and friends, and it was not by any means a peculiar experience. The late Mr. Beattie, of Clifton, obtained portraits of this kind through Mr. Hudson, to whom he went in a very sceptical spirit. Hudson allowed him to go through all the manipulations himself; Mr. Beattie took his own plates, and inverted them before they were exposed. On one picture, after it was taken he recognised the portrait of his own brother. He (Mr. Shorter) knew of a good many instances of a similar kind. For instance, he said, Dr. Alfred Russel Wallace had had no hesitation in recognising portraits so obtained. Of course there were many taken in this way that could not be identified; but, on the other hand, there were many that could. He could quote forty instances where people could identify them.

A MEMBER explained how a collection of portraits of deceased persons can be made by professional photographers. He stated his firm sometimes receive such portraits to copy, and at times when they deliver the copies they pretend that the original pictures are lost or injured; so the customers have nothing to compare the copies with. This brought forth the rebuke from Mr. Maltby (a visitor) that the conduct of the firm might be “smart,” but could not be considered honest.

Mr. ARTHUR MALTBY said the spirit forms which are photographed were created from the aura that escapes from sensitive subjects. Some years ago a gentleman went to a photographer to have a portrait taken, and, instead of his portrait appearing, as he expected, that of a man who had been abroad for many years, and of whom he knew nothing, appeared on the plate. Some weeks afterwards a telegram came announcing that the man, whose spirit photograph had appeared on the plate, was shot. Again, during the last Austrian war, an officer who had never been photographed in his regimentals appeared to a brother officer as a photographed spirit. On one occasion the figure of a small child appeared in the centre of a picture. The child had been dead nearly fifty years, but was recognised after that lapse of time. He suggested that a photograph could be taken to prove that fluid rays pass from a sensitive, like photographic rays of light. This aura, which was the material emanating from all parts of the body, was collected to form the portraits of those who wished to prove the immortality of the soul.

Mr. J. WEIR BROWN (the chairman) said that although the pictures shown that night by Mr. Maltby might be recognised as spirit photographs, they had only to do with Mr. Traill Taylor’s experiments, and he was bound to say that some of the examples shown bore evidence of being patchwork on the plates, and not similar to those that were shown by Mr. Maltby. Mr. Taylor’s results were very mysterious; and, although Mr. Taylor himself was very watchful, there was nothing to lead them to any conclusion on the matter, so that it must remain a mystery. He suggested that Mr. Glendinning should provide an occasion, if he could, for the London and Provincial Photographic Association to send a small committee to take part in similar experiments, and he was sure that they would only send fair-minded men to represent them.

Mr. GLENDINNING, in reply, said he would be willing to use his influence to get such experiments carried on in the presence of the same medium later in the year. (Hear, hear.) He said that his friend, the medium, had so much confidence in Mr. Traill Taylor, that probably he would carefully consider Mr. Taylor’s suggestions in the matter.

Mr. TAYLOR asked why they should expect Mr. Glendinning, who is not a member of the society, to be at the trouble for them. He suggested that the society appoint a committee to investigate the subject, and advertise for the services of a suitable medium with whom to try experiments.

PORTRAIT OBTAINED WITHOUT EXPOSURE IN THE CAMERA.

Towards the close of the proceedings, Mr. Glendinning handed to the chairman, and to some of the members sitting near him, a print of a psychic portrait from a negative obtained without the plate being exposed in the camera, or to light of any kind excepting that given by a nightlight in a dark lantern to develop by. The experiment was made in consequence of a conversation with Mr. Taylor (after his experiments were concluded), and about an hour before the medium left for his return journey.

An Ilford dry plate had been taken by Mr. Glendinning from a new packet, put in clean paper, and held by the medium, in the dark room, between the palms of his hands; Mr. Glendinning placed his hands above and below those of the medium; he then took the plate and placed it in his developing tray, when a full-length figure appeared, clear and distinct, although without artistic effect. The negative was in Mr. Taylor’s possession at the meeting.

The proceedings closed with a vote of thanks to Mr. Taylor for his paper.

NOTE.—With regard to one or more of the psychic portraits taken by Mr. Taylor on his own plates, in which he found that the psychic image had not been formed by the lens at all, and with regard to the important discovery made by Mr. Glendinning, in a later experiment with his friend, the medium, it would be a mistake to conclude that the psychic images on photographic plates are always produced in this way. There are many spirit photographs, regarding which all the evidence is in favour of the theory that they are produced by the agency of the camera at the same time as the sitters. With respect to one of the pictures taken by Mr. Taylor, and shown by him on the lantern screen, the sitter, after Mr. Taylor left the room to develop the plate, stated to those present that there ought to be on the plate a spirit form to his right and nearer the camera than himself, as he felt “drapery like a robe of silky crape pass him at the right side when the photograph was being taken.” When Mr. Taylor appeared with the developed picture, it showed a full-length female form, with a white robe, but no drapery about the head or shoulders. The sitter further stated that, during the exposure of the plate, his mind was occupied in calculating some sums in arithmetic, so that the psychic form could not be considered to be a photographic representation of his thoughts.

PRESS NOTICES.

From THE PRACTICAL PHOTOGRAPHER, April, 1893.

Psychic Photography.—At a recent London and Provincial meeting, Mr. J. Traill Taylor showed some negatives of what are commonly called “spirit photographs,” which he had taken under test conditions. He had bought ordinary commercial plates from a well-known commercial dealer, and exposed them at a recent séance held in the north of London. He took his own stereoscopic camera, opened the original packets of plates and filled the slides himself in the presence of two gentlemen. He exposed them by magnesium light upon two sitters, one of whom was alleged to be a “medium,” and immediately developed them himself. On development some of them showed other figures (in addition to those of the sitters) which had not been visibly present when the exposure was made. The exposures were made in the afternoon in an ordinary drawing-room, when it was far from dark, and the magnesium light was supplementary to the daylight. Prints from the resulting negatives, viewed in the stereoscope, showed the sitters in relief, but the “ghosts” with the appearance of flatness. We are almost surprised at Mr. Taylor’s temerity in bringing forward such a subject before such an audience, when he knows full well the unreasoning prejudice with which the subject is met. Like the brothers of Dives, “they would not be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.” We do not imagine that Mr. Taylor wished to convince his hearers of anything, but surely he was over-sanguine if he even expected fair investigation or criticism. Before he came forward in this matter, he would have been taken as a competent investigator—in fact, the meeting in question passed a resolution to the effect that he was a “reliable person, and a gentleman well qualified to conduct such an experiment as had been described.” Yet, when he states that fraud was impossible, he is at once condemned as either an incompetent or an impostor—preferably the former. A committee was appointed to investigate the matter. Will they be believed if they give a report similar to that of Mr. Taylor’s? Or will they only be believed if they give the report that is expected?