images jump out at once, long before the normal images, and this shows the great energy at work. The negatives require no intensifying, a wash with iron solution being all that is required. The invisible friends never know whether they have been successful or not until we tell them. They often express great disappointment at there being no result, saying they tried their

best.

"These experiments, if they have been rightly conducted, in my opinion tend to prove that the luminous substances, said to have been seen by sensitives arising from magnets, crystals, shells, &c., have a positive existence in an objective sense. These substances when condensed exert powerful chemical force; and the energy thrown off from them strikes the plate with an impact equal to that of strong solar light. These substances are taken up by invisible intelligent beings, and moulded into shapes, like clay in the hand of the artist, which shapes, when exposed through a lens, can be photographed, whether they be likenesses of human beings or otherwise. By people whose retina can be impressed by these forms, they can be described exactly, before they are made visible to the common eye by development.

661 may be wrong, but I again repeat that these things have a value not easily described. To the purely physical philosopher they reveal a mode of action confirming his notion of the subtle nature of force. And if the doctrine of the unity of force is true, then this is but another mode of the manifestation of force. To the Christian and spiritual philosopher the experiments confirm their leading idea of the persistence of life, and the existence of unseen intelligent beings, whe, though freed from material bodies, are yet working with and for those they care for on this plane of earth.

"Westbourne-place, Clifton, Bristol."

"JOHN BEATTIE.

In a private letter to us, Mr. Beattie remarks :—

"The photographs ought to be seen in the series to be fully understood; it is the process of growth that is so strange.

"There is no doubt whatever, taking all into consideration, these pictures or more correctly speaking, manifestations, for they are not pictures are the strangest that have occurred. They may be imitated but never would be conceived of."

Mr. Beattie is an ex-photographer, and for twenty years one of the most skilful and successful in the profession; and his articles on "Spirit-Photography in Bristol," in recent numbers of the British Journal of Photography and the Photographic News,

have led to an extensive and lively correspondence on the subject. He thus concludes a letter in the Photographic News of August 2nd:

"All that has been proved in my case is simply the following, as well stated by your correspondent :-That there is a fluid or ether in nature which, under conditions, becomes condensed, and in that state becomes visible to sensitives; and when its radiations strike a sensitized plate, the swing of its vibrations is such as to set up powerful chemical action, such as would be due to the most strong solar influence. My experiments go on to prove a little more, namely, that there are individuals whose nervous texture is such as to act as a cause (I use the word cause here in the secondary or physical sense) in the production of the phenomenon, and that in their presence forms are produced in such a manner as to prove the existence of unseen intelligence.

"It must be seen that this question in your pages is strictly a physical one, whatever the control may be. While photographing a group of persons there was impressed upon the plate nebulous forms of definite shape and character. They indicate length and breadth and thickness; they are self-luminous, and cast no natural shadow; the forms indicate purpose; they are such as could be imitated easy enough, but such as no one would conceive of as initial.

"Such are the facts, and I would suggest further experiment by those who have time and the opportunity; but let experimenters be careful. In fact, an individual who has not been a careful student of natural science, and well accustomed to weeding out liability to mistake, will not, I fear, have the qualities of mind necessary to conduct such experiments to a successful result.

"I hope, on my return home in autumn, to continue these experiments, and to hand you the result."

SPIRITUAL PHOTOGRAPHY AT KINGSTON-ON-THAMES.

Mr. Russell and Mr. Champernowne, of Kingston-on-Thames, have also been successfully experimenting in spiritual photography. Mr. Champernowne writes:

"Last Sunday (August the 4th), Mr. and Mrs. Williams, Mr. Herne, and Mr. Clifford Smith visited some friends here.

"My friend Mr. Russell has for some time past been making experiments with the view of obtaining photographs of spirits; and he has succeeded, as upon a photograph of one of his relatives a spirit-figure appears in a crouching position. On

Sunday, however, extraordinary results were obtained, and in such a way that there can be no possibility of deception. The visitors had not previously entered or even seen 66 the studio," and Mr. Russell did not after their entrance leave them, except for the short time that he was in the developing room after each sitting. The plates used were purchased by Mr. Russell at a shop in the town, and he kept them in a place known only to himself, so that by no means could they have been tampered with. The experiments were conducted by the spirit "John King," speaking in the audible voice; and on one occasion the cap was taken off the camera without human intervention.

"In experiment No. 1, Mr. and Mrs. Williams sat, and Mr. W. appears on that plate nearly hidden by the mist or soulsubstance spoken of with reference to the Bristol soul-photographs. No. 2 is a photograph of Messrs. Herne and Williams and Mr. Clifford Smith, with a bright hazy cloud like a halo surrounding Mr. Smith's head. No. 3, a photograph of Mr. Herne, still with a hazy cloud, but which has taken the shape of a spirit-form close behind Mr. H., the skirt of a dress being clearly seen. In experiment No. 4, in which Mr. H. again sat, the spirit-power seems to have attained its maximum, and a fulllength spirit-form, draped in a white robe, and with the head turbaned, is standing to the left of the sitter; unfortunately, however, the plate is disfigured by a streak across it, caused by a double film of collodion. In this photograph I may mention a very curious phenomenon which seems to bear upon the question of double exposure, and serves to show how careful persons ought to be before they bring charges of imposture against others. The plate appears as if double exposure had taken place, as the pattern of the carpet in the studio is seen through Mr. Herne's legs; but it was only exposed once, and that when Mr. Herne's photograph was taken, and the spiritfigure described appeared. In No. 5, the last photograph, Mr. Williams is again surrounded by spirit-force, so powerful as to be brighter than any part of the picture. Before leaving the subject of these photographs, I would again dwell upon the fact that the plates had not since Mr. Russell purchased them been touched by anyone but himself; and during the experiments he did not leave the studio but to enter the developing room, and then for so short a time that it would be almost impossible for any photographer, however expert, to tamper with anything; and that Mr. R. would not be likely to use any deception himself, because he is conducting the experiments for his own satisfaction, and he conducted these under test conditions."

OTHER EXPERIMENTS.

Among others who have experimented successfully in spiritual photography, have been Mr. Slater, optician, Euston Road, and Messrs. Reeves and Parkes, York Road, King's Cross; the latter entirely under spirit directions, they knowing nothing of photography. We have examined a book in possession of Mr. Reeves, containing fifty-one spirit photographs; they are very striking and curious, altogether different in character and effects from any others we have seen.-The series includes several known and recognised portraits, but the description of them here would occupy too much space.

Mr. John Jones, of Enmore Park, is getting spirit-photographs in his own house at South Norwood, with no stranger present. One of the pictures contains "doubles" of some of the sitters, impossible to be accounted for by accidental shifting of the camera, the attitudes and positions being altogether different, and he states that the glass plate employed had never been used before. It may be remembered that in his letter in our June number, Mr. Jones laid it down that the only proof we could have of the genuineness of spiritual photographs was that they must be "clear, undoubted portraits of deceased relatives; such only ought to be produced." It is to be hoped that critics will not be so uncharitable as to test the photographs produced by Mr. Jones by his own severe canon of criticism.

Mr. Taylor, editor of the British Journal of Photography, in company with Mr. Guppy, have also been conducting an elaborate series of experiments, not yet completed. It has however leaked out in print that though unsuccessful when experimenting elsewhere, they have succeeded at Mr. Hudson's studio. The experiments there were conducted with extreme care. Mr. Taylor brought his own plates, chemicals, etc., and prepared the plates and carried out the whole operations. Draped figures and distinct spirit-forms appeared on the plates when Mr. Hudson took his place among the sitters; he however not entering the dark room, where Mr. Taylor alone was the operator. But in the absence of Mr. Hudson no such figures appeared. We await with much interest the publication of Mr. Taylor's report.

On the Continent, too, spirit-photographs are being taken. As stated in our June number, Chevalier Kirkup has been very successful in obtaining them at Florence; and we have just seen a series of six taken at Vienna, in which in the midst of luminous cloudy appearances-like those on the photographs taken at Bristol-are seen well-defined human faces. These photographs seem to be in a more advanced stage of development than those taken by Mr. Beattie.

THE CHARGE OF IMPOSTURE NOT SUSTAINED.

The insufficiency of the evidence relied on to prove the charge of imposture against Mr. Hudson and Mr. Herne is forcibly pointed out in the following letter which appears in the Medium.

Sir, I have perused Mr. Harrison's letter in the Medium with much surprise. Although he denounces Mr. Herne and Mr. Hudson, he does not give the slightest evidence in support of his conclusions. His letter is full of such phrases as these: "It was pretty certain that many of the Holloway pictures were shams"-"it is now clear that Mr. Herne helped Mr. Hudson in taking sham pictures" "there were good reasons for supposing most of the pictures to be spurious' -"much has oozed out in various ways," &c. If Mr. Harrison cannot adduce better evidence than such vague statements as these, I think he is not justified in traducing any man's character in the way he has done. The only facts he names, and for which he does not vouch in any way by adducing names and addresses, are that "several of the persons who have been helping him (Mr. Hudson) in the manufacture of sham ghost-pictures are known." and that "several photographers condemn them as spurious." If the so-called ghosts have been recognized, what authority has Mr. Harrison for the assertion? By whom have they been recognized, and, if known, why are their names and addresses not given? I think it is anything but creditable for your correspondent to rush into print with a letter containing the most serious charges, unsupported by anything but vague statements.

As to the photographers' opinions, it simply comes to this that, according to their experience, certain appearances are inconsistent with their knowledge of single exposure, and they do not see how they could occur excepting the plate had been doubly exposed. Well, according to the experience of most photographers all spirit-photographs are impossible; but Mr. Harrison admits that a few real spirit-pictures have been produced, and therefore it seems that he is "straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel.'

Most Spiritualists believe in doubles. If Mr. Herne were entranced, what would be more likely than that his spiritual body might be temporarily disconnected and appear as a separate photograph. There is nothing wonderful in this. Indeed, Miss Houghton, in the Christian Spiritualist, describes the same thing as having occurred with her.

It will be quite time enough to denounce Mr. Herne and Mr. Hudson as impostors when Mr. Harrison identifies the persons he says are known to have stood for the "vast multitude" of sham photographs. I had one taken in which the face (not recognised) is so distinct as to be easily capable of identification; and seeing that the ghosts are almost all different, it is certainly surprising where the "vast multitude" can remain concealed, and how Mr. Hudson, out of the paltry sum charged by him, could have procured his models without fear of discovery. I shall be happy to send my ghost-photograph for identification, and if Mr. Harrison can discover who she is, the value of his testimony will be much better appreciated by-Yours truly,

Manchester.

F. A. B.

In connection with this subject see also the statement of Mr. Andrews, page 386, and foot-note, page 387, in our present number. We have much pleasure in presenting the following paper by one who for twenty years has been a diligent and close observer of the spiritual manifestations in their entire range, and careful in drawing conclusions from them.