The Problems of Psychical Research: Experiments and Theories in the Realm of the SupernormalCarrington, Hereward
Science
The Problems of Psychical Research: Experiments and Theories in the Realm of the Supernormal
Carrington, Hereward
Parapsychology
"Mr. Taylor then gives a history of the earlier manifestations of
spirit photography, and goes on to explain how striking phenomena
in photographing what is invisible to the eye may be produced by
the agency of florescence. He quotes the demonstration of Dr.
Gladstone, F.R.S., at the Bradford meeting of the British
Association in 1873, showing that invisible drawings on white cards
have produced bold and clear photographs when no eye could see the
drawings themselves. Hence, as Mr. Taylor says: 'The photographing
of an invisible image is not scientifically impossible.'
"Mr. Taylor then proceeds to describe some personal experiments. He
says: 'For several years I have experienced a strong desire to
ascertain by personal investigation the amount of truth in the
ever-recurring allegation that figures, other than those visually
present in the room, appeared on the sensitive plate.... Mr. D., of
Glasgow, in whose presence psychic photographs have long been
alleged to be obtained, was lately in London on a visit, and a
mutual friend got him to consent to extend his stay in order that I
might try to get a psychic photograph under test conditions. To
this he willingly agreed. My conditions were exceedingly simple,
were courteously expressed to the host, and entirely acquiesced in.
They were that I, for the nonce, would assume them all to be
tricksters, and, to guard against fraud, should use my own camera
and unopened packages of dry plates purchased from dealers of
repute, and that I should be excused from allowing a plate to go
out of my own hand till after development, unless I felt otherwise
disposed; but that as I was to treat them as under suspicion, so
must they treat me, and that every act I performed must be in the
presence of two witnesses; nay, that I would set a watch upon my
own camera in the guise of a duplicate one of the same focus--in
other words, I would use a binocular stereoscopic camera and
dictate all the conditions of operation....
"'Dr. G. was the first sitter, and, for a reason known to myself, I
used a monocular camera. I myself took the plate out of a packet
just previously ripped up, under the surveillance of my two
detectives. I placed the slide in my pocket and exposed it by
magnesium ribbon which I held in my own hand, keeping one eye, as
it were, on the sitter, and the other on the camera. There was no
background. I myself took the plate from the dark slide, and, under
the eyes of the two detectives, placed it in the developing dish.
Between the camera and the sitter a female figure was developed,
rather in a more pronounced form than that of the sitter.... I
submit this picture.... I do not recognize her, or any of the other
figures I obtained, as like any one I know....
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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