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been intended to have had the photographs taken in the studio of a West-end photographer, but that gentleman had withdrawn his consent owing to his religious views, expressing the opinion that such experiments were dangerous, if not wicked.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.
[This question was answered at a later period of the meeting, when the suggestion was made by the Chairman.]
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?’