"A Supernatural Hoax."

Hastings Standard, Issue 55, 30 June 1896, Page 4

"A Supernatural Hoax."

Under the above heading Mr It. Conplaml Harding writes to the Evening Post respecting the photograph of the V, aipawa phantom horses as follows: Sn:.—A few weeks ago, in you correspondence column, in referring to a writer who confounded the curious and valuable process now known as skiagraphy, I said that most—l would not presume to say all—of the latter were deceptions, produced by arts well known to any practical photographer. I have met with an instance in point. There is now exhibited in this city as a genuine spirit photograph a picture representing two phantom horses and jockeys leaping into the midst of a party of ladies and gentlemen. An idle ghost story

has been circulated in connection with the same. Hearing that " a large sum had been offered for the picture," I went and examined it. I found it to be the clumsiest " fake " of the kind I have ever set n. It is produced by the familar trick of doable printing. The phantom horses and jockeys are not even from life, but from a drawing or print, most likely the lattar, and are in the stock conventional positions which instantaneous photography has proved to be unnatural. No trouble has been taken to secure correct proportion or perspective, consequently the jockeysare 15 or 20ft in height measured by the scale of the other objects in the picture. The phantoms are plunging upon the heads of the party, who are evidently wholly unconscious of their presence. An unwarrantable liberty must have been taken with the portraits of the company, who surely were not parties to so contemptible a deception. If a picture which would be dear at half-a-crown should be sold to any ignorant or credulous buyer for a '• large sum," what is now only a senseless hoax would assum" a different complexion, and somebody might get into trouble.