“Many present to-night, who are aware of the reality of life after death—a life ever progressive, and as real as life on earth—can feel with me that this noble worker is not dead, but lives, continuing his efforts for the good of humanity as when on earth; ever with us in our efforts to spread this glorious truth, which is like the sunshine, dispersing the fog and mist of orthodoxy and ignorance.
“All the sittings he attended were under strict test conditions, so there could be no possibility of fraud or deception. These conditions were, that he purchased his own plates, marked each with his initials, put them in and took them out of the dark slide, not allowing them out of his sight until they were fully developed.”
Mr. Maltby then showed on the lantern screen about forty spirit photographs, and other pictures connected with the subject, all of which he explained. Many of the photographs of spirits had been recognised by the sitters and other relatives. He then spoke of the spiritual advantages to be derived from spirit communion, and after an invocation he thus concluded:—
“Should this lecture induce any present to seek communion with their departed friends, let me beg of them to seek only for spiritual aid in an earnest and prayerful manner, in their own homes, amongst friends who desire to know the truth and will investigate with unbiassed minds. To such success must come, sooner or later; but those who try to use God’s spiritual gifts for worldly and selfish ends will bring disaster on themselves and discredit on the cause.”
At a séance held twenty-nine years ago, the following question was put as to spirit photographs: “We do not comprehend how these are produced. Can you give us any information as to the process gone through?” The answer given through the medium, Mr. Peter A. Chesser, marine engineer, may be of interest to some. It was this: “Spirits impress their image on the plate by depositing thereon repeated layers of magnetism. According to their respective powers of affording this, so is the impression more or less distinct. The magnetism must be of the same texture or affinity as that possessed by the operator; it is accomplished by a rapid vibration of the spirits’ magnetic emanation in depositing layer after layer, and the process is this: The operator by frequent manipulation saturates his materials with his aura—I do not mean the animal aura of mesmerism, but his spiritual aura; this, by repeated impression on his part from repeated manipulations (which require considerable time, since he is still in the body and has, therefore, more difficulty in, as it were, filtering this spirit-aura through the pores of his body than have the spirits, who are not trammelled in like manner), at last leaves a positive viscidity on his materials which serves to retain the first impressions thrown by the spirits upon it. When they from affinity cohere, the image is rapidly built up on this superstructure. Any person through the pores of whose body-material this spirit-aura can readily pass is in a condition to take photographs of the kind to which you refer. Much passiveness, however, is requisite.”
This reply refers, of course, to the photographs in class No. I., mentioned in the Preface, not to pictures which are produced by spirit precipitation.
In experiments made with Mr. Chesser at that time (1864), we used the wet-collodion process, on new glass plates which were cut for us by a glass merchant. The plates were carefully cleansed and finally washed and rubbed by myself with spirits of wine. We never used a plate twice in such experiments. What is worth doing at all is worth doing well and carefully. We obtained some pictures which would have been of interest had we possessed more knowledge of the subject, but we aimed too high and were not satisfied with slow progress. In fact we wanted a clear and good likeness of one of our relatives, so several plates were broken and put in the dust-bin which, in the light thrown on the subject by later experience, we should have prized. One plate of that period was kept because it had a shadowy image of the medium, although he was not within the field of view when the plate was exposed. Unfortunately, the photograph was not intensified; for when I was washing it at the tap, the water got between the plate and the collodion, and away went the film, but, although torn, I managed to spread part of it on the glass again. The following statement was made by one of our unseen friends with respect to that picture. Our questions were put through the medium, and the answers were given by automatic writing.
Question: We have here a photograph upon which there exists so much diversity of opinion that we want to know what it is?
Answer: It is yourself, distinctly enough, but as we see your next question we will proceed to explain how it came about that such impression was produced on the plate.