On this subject I should recommend the reader to consultCoates' "Photographing the Invisible," which states, in athoughtful and moderate way, the evidence for this mostremarkable phase, and illustrates it with many examples. It ispointed out that here, as always, fraud must be carefully guardedagainst, having been admitted in the case of the French spiritphotographer, Buguet.There are, however, a large number of cases where thephotograph, under rigid test conditions in which fraud has beenabsolutely barred, has reproduced the features of the dead. Herethere are limitations and restrictions which call for carefulstudy and observation. These faces of the dead are in some casesas contoured and as recognisable as they were in life, andcorrespond with no pre-existing picture or photograph. One such case absolutely critic-proof is enough, one would think,to establish survival, and these valid cases are to be countednot in ones, but in hundreds. On the other hand, many of thelikenesses, obtained under the same test conditions, areobviously simulacra or pictures built up by some psychic force,not necessarily by the individual spirits themselves, torepresent the dead. In some undoubtedly genuine cases it is anexact, or almost exact, reproduction of an existing picture, asif the conscious intelligent force, whatever it might be, hadconsulted it as to the former appearance of the deceased, and hadthen built it up in exact accordance with the original. In suchcases the spirit face may show as a flat surface instead of acontour. Rigid examination has shown that the existing model wasusually outside the ken of the photographer.Two of the bravest champions whom Spiritualism has everproduced, the late W. T. Stead and the late Archdeacon Colley--names which will bulk large in days to come--attached greatimportance to spirit photography as a final andincontestable proof of survival. In his recent work, "Proofs ofthe Truth of Spiritualism" (Kegan Paul), the eminent botanist,Professor Henslow, has given one case which would really appearto be above criticism. He narrates how the inquirer subjected asealed packet of plates to the Crewe circle without exposure,endeavoring to get a psychograph. Upon being asked on whichplate he desired it, he said "the fifth." Upon this plate beingdeveloped, there was found on it a copy of a passage from theCodex Alexandrinus of the New Testament in the British Museum. Reproductions, both of the original and of the copy, will befound in Professor Henslow's book.I have myself been to Crewe and have had results which wouldbe amazing were it not that familiarity blunts the mind tomiracles. Three marked plates brought by myself, and handled,developed and fixed by no hand but mine, gave psychic extras. Ineach case I saw the extra in the negative when it was still wetin the dark room. I reproduce in Plate I a specimen of theresults, which is enough in itself to prove the whole case ofsurvival to any reasonable mind. The three sitters are Mr.Oaten, Mr. Walker, and myself, I being obscured by the psychiccloud. In this cloud appears a message of welcome to me from thelate Archdeacon Colley. A specimen of the Archdeacon's ownhandwriting is reproduced in Plate II for the purpose ofcomparison. Behind, there is an attempt at materialisationobscured by the cloud. The mark on the side of the plate is myidentification mark. I trust that I make it clear that no handbut mine ever touched this plate, nor did I ever lose sight of itfor a second save when it was in the carrier, which was conveyedstraight back to the dark room and there opened. What has anycritic to say to that?By the kindness of those fearless pioneers of the movement,Mr. and Mrs. Hewat Mackenzie, I am allowed to publish anotherexample of spirit photography. The circumstances were veryremarkable. The visit of the parents to Crewe was unproductiveand their plate a blank save for their own presentment. Returning disappointed, to London they managed, through themediumship of Mrs. Leonard, to get into touch with theirboy, and asked him why they had failed. He replied that theconditions had been bad, but that he had actually succeeded somedays later in getting on to the plate of Lady Glenconnor, who hadbeen to Crewe upon a similar errand. The parents communicatedwith this lady, who replied saying that she had found the imageof a stranger upon her plate. On receiving a print they at oncerecognised their son, and could even see that, as a proof ofidentity, he had reproduced the bullet wound on his left temple. No. 3 is their gallant son as he appeared in the flesh, No. 4 ishis reappearance after death. The opinion of a miniature painterwho had done a picture of the young soldier is worth recording asevidence of identity. The artist says: "After painting theminiature of your son Will, I feel I know every turn of his face,and am quite convinced of the likeness of the psychic photograph. All the modelling of the brow, nose and eyes is marked byillness--especially is the mouth slightly contracted--but thisdoes not interfere with the real form. The way the hairgrows on the brow and temple is noticeably like the photographtaken before he was wounded."