Sunlounger

A family affair

For this sitting the subject is my grandmother and the photographer my stepgrandfather, hence the title.

"This case is a test case and I submit that the conditions under which the photograph was taken and the extra obtained are sufficiently convincing to prove the fact of Hope's powers and psychic photography. Hope volunteered to allow me to test him in any way I desired. Seizing the opportunity I left him in the company of Mrs Healey. I purposely chose the most elaborate camera from the half dozen or so I possessed, a Contessa Nettel with a Zeiss 4.5 lens and Compur shutter. I took this to the dark room, loaded it with two plates from my own stock. Returning to Hope and Mrs Healey I set up the camera and focussed it on the sitter's chair. A short magnetisation ceremony was held when the dark slides were held between Mrs Healey's hands. Hope did not touch them. Then I took charge of them and Mrs Healey took her seat in front of the camera while I placed the dark slide in camera and set the shutter. Hope stood alone behind the camera where I carefully observed every movement. The only part of the camera he touched was the shutter release. I opened, closed and changed the dark slides. Two exposures were made. As soon as this occurred I took the plates to the darkroom alone and immediately developed them by the time and temperature method in complete darkness using Tabloid Rytol as developer."

"On completion I found one plate to be marked with a clear mask extra which was recognised by Mrs Healey and her relations as being a likeness of her aunt 'Tilly' Roberts. Hope was not allowed to even touch the plate until after prints had been taken."

"Here we have a recognised extra obtained on my own plates, exposed in my own camera, in my own home, under my own conditions, developed and printed entirely by myself. Hope took absolutely no part in the proceedings except to conduct the ceremony when he didn't touch the plates and to expose the plates by means of the shutter release."

I've cropped the extra from the above image and adjusted the brightness and contrast only, no other digital manipulation.