Great job with the ghost orchid, Tony! When the plant gets into full bloom I would like to get some photos again. Keep us posted on the progress David

The spirit image is placed onto the photo in the darkroom using a process of 'dodging'. First, mask is made with a cut out roughly matching the outline of the little picture to be dubbed in. The photo paper is exposed with the little picture while the mask is moved about slightly to blur the sharp edge. Next the mask is removed and a handheld 'dodge' with a shape slightly larger than the little photo is held above the first image and the main exposure is done. The little dodging mask is dithered, moved about a bit, so that its edges are not sharp and to blur the shadow of the wire holder. I've seen cotton balls used for dodges. This is where the expert part of the photo-finisher come into play. After the final exposure, the photo paper is developed in the normal way and there should be the small image floating on the larger one. Often, the photofinisher has to make several tries to get it right. If this picture was made for a commercial card, the original would be used as a master and duplicated with photo techniques. To print many copies, a printing plate would be made. I have several greeting and birthday cards that were sold in Illinois ca 1900 through 1920 and a German card company is imprinted on these. Your picture appears to be an original print and possible by an amatuer, maybe someone in the family. From 1880 through 1930, there were many self taught photographers in the central US. My uncle was one of these. They made a few extra dollars by applying their hobby to grammer school pictures and family gatherings. For example, my uncle moved to Noxon, MT in 1918 and was the only photographer in the area, so it was he who did several school group shots in that period. Your photo is most definitely posed. The table, chair and floor are real, but the backdrop is a scene on paper or cloth. The floor pattern seems real enough, but a nice floor could also be simulated by laying down a piece of linonleum over an otherwise rough floor. The table may have been a necessary prop, literaly a prop to help steady the subject. Exposure time may have been realtive slow, about 1/25 sec. Require exposure time in early photography, (daguaerrotpye [tin type]) was slow until better lenses were developed. Sometimes, unseen was a support rod in back of the person to hold their upper torso still. The subject pressed themselves against this rod and held a facial expression that they thought they could hold for a couple of seconds. This may explain the dour expressions seen in many early photos plus the fact that many people did not like to be photographed. One item that helps to date a photo is shoe styles. If her shoes have button and hook fasteners, this is an indicator. I can't bring to mind when shoe laces became the norm, but shoe laces did replace button and hook fasterners in a relatively short time. Her hair style says 1920s to me. In tin types, the image is reversed from left to right. Thus a right handed person will appear as left handed. For many years, it was assummed that Billy the Kid was left handed based on the side he wore and held his gun until it was realized that the image was reversed left to right. Therefore, expect to see wedding bands on seeming the right hand. When a print is made from a negative, the right and left sides are righted again (this is, if the photofinisher did not make a mistake on which side was up on the negative). One thing to remember: There was no photography before 1840. The patent for the daguerrotype was filed that year. Also, about that time, an English astronomer developed a camera lense with better light gathering power and photography advanced beyond the "pin hole" era. The wet glass plate was developed ca 1950 followed shortly by the dry glass plate. Kodak developed emulsion on paper in the 1880s and the first of these were primitive indeed. Kodak soon improved this technique with a transparent film on an opaque paper backing and photography was off and running. However, large format studio cameras used frames loaded with film with a dark slide in front of it. The frame was inserted into the back of the camera and the dark slide pulled out before an exposure was made. After the exposure, the dark slide was put back into place so that the frame could be removed and transported to the dark room for developing. Many techniques were found and employed after 1890 to produce picture post cards and novelty photos. So if someone hands you a photo and says it was made in 1830, be very skeptical.

Thanks Kathi,Dh will be checking it out Saturday. OK,the story about the Buddy doll.When DGS was about 2 I gave him one of the "My Buddy" dolls that were real popular then.He will be 18 this month.He didn't like it from the beginning,wouldn't play with it,wouldn't touch it wouldn't go in the same room it was in and if you put it near him he would scream and cry.Said it was "looking at him".That in itself should have told me something but,I just figured he would warm up to it after a while.I thought it was cute.He was about 24 inches tall and looked like a little boy,blonde hair,blue eyes and freckles wearing overalls and a red and white plaid shirt.Sort of reminded me of DGS.Anyway,after about a month of DGS not wanting to have anything to do with it we stuck him up in the top of a closet and forgot about him for about 6 months.Then DS,DIL and kids moved out of our house into a home of their own.The doll went too, packed in a box and was put in the top of a closed in DGS's room.We kept thinking that someday he might decide he wanted to play with it.After they had lived in the house for several months they had been gone one day when they came home the box that had the doll in it was on the bottom of the closet floor with the doll laying on the floor beside it.How did it get off the shelf,we don't know.Thought it may have just fallen and thought nothing of it.DIL sat it in DGS's little rocking chair.He still didn't want to play with it but didn't seem as frightened as before so DIL just left it there.Second night it was in the room DGS got up during the night and got in bed with DS and DIL,not really that unusual but next night did the same after having a bad dream.This continued for about a week,every few nights.One day he told DIL he didn't want that doll in his room because it was looking at him so she put it back in the top of the closet.Next morning it was in the floor,maybe it just fell??? A few days later,same thing,so back in the closet.This happened several times over about a months time and DGS continued to have several nightmares a week but still we didn't think much of it.You know,kids have nightmares and are afraid of things all the time.One day DIL and kids were gone for the afternoon and when they came back the doll was sitting in the middle of the bed!There were no pets in the house and nobody had been there.Sooooo needless to say the doll was taken out of the house.When DS came home they put him in the burn barrel with the trash and burned it.Next morning when DS went out to go to work,guess what...........there laid Buddy beside the barrel,charred but not dead!LOL So he put him back in the barrel and that evening set fire to it again.Next morning Buddy was back on the front porch! By this time we were all creeped out so DS put him back in the barrel and poured gasoline on the stuff and set fire to it again.I guess that did the trick because Buddy never showed up again! I know there are "logical" reasons for it being out of the closet and out of the barrel,but I think Buddy was possessed! He did sort of favor "Chucky". While I have been writing this I have been hearing this rustling noise from the back of my desk.I'm beginning to get a little creeped out wondering if Buddy might be back!LOL Moved some stuff where the noise was coming from and it was a MOUSE!!!! LOL LOL Where's the cat when I need her??? I have known for a couple of weeks that I had a mouse but keep forgetting to buy traps.Well crap,its sitting on the top of my stove right now!LOL Gotta go see if I can swat it with something.LOL

I too have seen something small and gray scoot around the corner or for a second be at my feet. My little Paisley crossed the Rainbow Bridge a year ago September. And I've been thinking about her and trying to decide if I want to get another furry family member since it's been a year now. I have had cats all my life and I've experienced many sightings as well as feeling them on the bed with me. And of course the brushing against the legs when I'm standing by the door or looking out the window. It doesn't happen all that often but when it does it always makes me feel good. It's like a little visitor just stopping by, checking things out on one of their journeys. ~Susan