WCP2595

[1]¹

34, London Wall

London. E.C.

Hastings

Aug[ust] 16, 1893

Dear Sir

The two Stereo pictures were taken on Ilford dry plates which I bought from Mr Doublet in Mor(t)lake St. London. The operator was Dr Bowie of Edinburgh, who has been an earnest spiritualist for about 30 years, but I mention his name in confidence so please not to attach it to the pictures. I have given the Dr my promise that I will not risk his name coming before the public in connection with any experiments we have together. When he began to study Homeopathy some prejudice was raised [2] against him and he lost nearly all his patients, he has again a good practice, but his family are anxious that his name shall not be made public in connection with Spm.

One of his daughters is also a medium

The Dr met me in Glasgow by appointment and we had the experiments in a small sitting room in Mr David Duguid’s² house on 1^st July. The Dr was attending Mrs David Duguid at the time—coming frequently at his own expense from Edin^b to Glasgow for that kind purpose.

Mr Duguid was present and his mediumship may have helped, but the Dr has obtained good spirit photos when David has failed.

In one picture, I am the sitter, in the other Miss B was the sitter. [3] I do not recognise the form — it looks to me like a statue, some contend against this view that such a life like eye could not be put in a statue. Miss B sometimes sees the spirit form— she did not see this one.

They were taken by daylight about 4.30 to 5. p.m. not a bright day. At 5.30 rain was falling in a torrent.

Mr Traill Taylor³ thinks the form has been taken by the lenses — but possibly by a different light from any we know of. The strong shadow of the bird’s bill against the dress of the form seems to indicate this. There were no flowers in the room, nor a stuffed [4] bird. I have not at hand, where I am writing, a glass to examine the eyes with. The hair does not seem to me to be real — but rather as if made of some plastic material like the face. No one present was in a trance or abnormal condition. Whatever the form is made of the pictures are genuine spirit photos.

There was nothing in the room like the material composing the head dresses of the form.

A very curious thing happened while I was trying to get information from mediums about the form. A young man who is not a spiritualist, but who has studied occultism, held on his brow one of the photos for which I sat- he described me as I was when under 20 years of age, & mentioned an incident in my life [5] arising out of correspondence I had with a quaker lady on the anti war and anti slavery movements of that period. I was not present ^{when the young man held the photo} so it was not a case of thought reading, but when the memo of his remarks was sent to me, it brought back clearly before me the incident —given by the young man in outline, but known only to myself.

What connection can there be between the spirit photos and a private incident in my experience 46 years ago? I cannot tell.

The young man claimed that the form represents my anti slavery correspondent when she was young. The incident was not one of my ordinary character that could be guessed out. But why should this picture bring it up before the mind of a man who was not born then?

[6] I have a small book in type, chiefly a re-print of Mr Taylor’s article read before the L & G[?] photographic society, and I am putting in a few pictures. If you have one or two of a very marked character, especially with forms which have been distinctly recognised, I would be glad to have loan of them for blocks. In my jottings I am quoting a para. from "Miracles".

I am|Yours very truly | A. Glendinning [signature]⁴

Dr Alfred R Wallace F.R.C.