Prologue to the book Slate Writing–Invisible Intelligence by Ron Nagy Galde Press 2008

Old houses have secrets, in closets, in the attic, under floorboards, especially the second step to the upper floors. Always feel for a loose brick in the chimney my grandfather told me. He contracted to tear old houses down, a “junk man”—so I thought. Actually, he was an explorer of antiquities. He first searched for the forgotten hidden treasures of the past inhabitants of those houses. Treasures those inhabitants held close to their hearts and trusted to reveal to no one until it was too late to remember. I always thought he was just saving the copper pipes, window glass, mantle trim, brick and stone to resell to contractors for the upscale mansions that were being built along the main line of Philadelphia. I was the “gopher”, go for this and go for that. I was always going for something I couldn’t find and when I returned my grandfather would have this ironical grin on his face. I learned some valuable lessons from my grandfather.

The old house I live in now is no different, there are hiding places…magical areas for a grown up kid as myself to venture into.  My house was built in 1882. By 1901 the house’s main parlor was being advertised for rent as having a séance room, seventeen feet square, with bay window, closet and upright piano. How many séance’s were held here over the years and who were the people who attended on a regular basis? What knowledge was obtained and was all the information revealed or was it suppressed, then written down and hidden away? Could I find something that no one else discovered?  Had anyone ever tried?

When identifying a precipitated spirit painting first look at the eyes.  There are no eyelashes and the eyes are penetrating and look alive.  You will definitely receive a different feeling from the precipitated painting, as if the entity was actually compressed into the canvas.  Check for brush strokes or sketch lines that are the human artists telltale pre-painting routine.

Brush strokes are not always what they appear to be.  When the hair materializes on canvas, how else would Spirit form the hair without a grouping of fine lines?  The hair would only appear as a blurred blending of colors.  There are precipitated spirit paintings on display in Lily Dale’s Museum, Maplewood Hotel, Marion Skidmore Library and NSAC Office on Cottage Row.  These paintings can also be seen at the Morris Pratt Institute in Wisconsin and the Hett Art Gallery at Camp Chesterfield in Indiana.

While preserving these portraits, I had the opportunity to examine first hand the variations and similarities of several portraits by the Bangs Sisters and Campbell Brothers.  I removed the backing from the wooden frames (what today would be referred to as dust covers).  This exposed the inside of the old glass that covered the paintings.  The old glass that was pressed against the portrait for the past hundred years had none or very little residue on it.  I have recently taken apart a naturally done old pastel work of art and the complete face of the subject was imprinted on the glass.

An artist by the name of Randall Bentley pointed out that it is a significant indication that deserves to be investigated further.  If by chance the Bangs Sisters or Campbell Brothers used deceit to complete their portraits then there would have been more particles on the glass coverings.

Using a Bausch and Lomb 10x Coddington magnifying glass, I was able to closely examine the precipitated portraits, checking for peculiarities in each painting.  Using a cotton swab or my finger, the Campbell Brother’s portrait of Napoleon still felt damp as though the precipitate had not dried enough to be framed…even after a hundred years!

The Bangs Sisters painting of Leolyn Pettingill did not leave any residue on the cotton swab or finger at all.  It could not be determined by a professional art framer whether the painting was a pastel or an oil painting.  The precipitated painting nicknamed Clara is believed to have been done by the Bangs Sisters.  It left no residue on the glass. However, a fine white dust believed to have been paint dust from her dress was covering the tin plate that had been used as the dust cover.

I found some mold marks on the portraits of Mr. Thomas Skidmore and Mrs. A.B. Caldwell, both of which are believed to have been done by the Bangs Sisters.  Previous poor storage could have easily caused this condition.  However, I found that besides some minor mold markings were scattered precipitate residue on the areas on the canvas surrounding the heads of the portraits.  I believe this to be part of the precipitation process caused by the magnetism from Spirit to the medium.

When putting the paintings back together I used a conservation glass and cotton matt to keep the glass from ever touching the portraits again.  The rear dust covers were also replaced.

Precipitated Spirit Paintings by Ron Nagy Galde Press 2006

Prominent American Spiritualist magazine founded in 1974 by the merger of Chimes and the Psychic Observer. The Psychic Observer Corporation was founded in 1937 in Jamestown, New York, by Ralph and Juliette Pressing. The first issue of the Psychic Observer appeared in August 1938. In 1957 the Pressings retired and Agnes F. Reuther became editor. Two years later Tom O’Neill acquired the periodical, then issued as a tabloid. In 1960 he was informed by Andrija Puharich, then a young researcher, that he had discovered several of the more prominent mediums at Camp Chesterfield engaged in a conspiracy to conduct fake materialization séances. Puharich presented the photographic proof, pictures taken with an infrared camera. O’Neill published the pictures and announced the findings as a dark day for Spiritualism.

As a result of the exposé, O’Neill almost went bankrupt, as advertisers loyal to the camp pulled their support from the periodical. He relocated his publishing enterprise to North Carolina and for a brief period published under another title.

O’Neill died in 1965 and the Psychic Observer ceased publication. In 1968 it was purchased by Alice Tindell and moved to Washington, D.C. It was issued as an open forum magazine, but in effect it was the periodical of the National Spiritual Science Center, the church headed by Tindell. It was published by the ESPress, the church’s publishing concern. Henry Nagoka edited the new publication.

Chimes began in 1942 under the editorship of Bert Welch and his wife. It was later purchased by June and Leighton Denton. Chimes, Inc., the publishing company, also had a book distribution service and facilitated the Dentons’ healing ministry. Chimes faithfully served the American Spiritualist community for a generation until it was discontinued as an independent publication in 1974.

Psychic Observer and Chimes was discontinued after the July/ October 1981 issue. www.answers.com

Lily Dale – A Truly Extraordinary Experience

August 27th, 2010 admin

By Dave Zuchowski

With a few minutes to go before my scheduled meeting with Lily Dale historian, Ron Nagy, I parked my car in a space between the gated-enclave’s museum and its Healing Temple, where daily services are held. Curious about the temple, I walked in on a packed session in which healers were gently placing their hands on volunteer’s shoulders to “channel their healing energies.”

Unable to linger for a longer look, I headed over to the museum, housed in what was once an 1890 schoolhouse where Nagy can usually be found from 11 in the morning to 4 in the afternoon.

“In 1879, a group of people interested in Spiritualism bought about 20 acres overlooking Cassadaga Lake in Southwestern New York,” said Nagy, sitting among the museum’s collection of photos and memorabilia from its earliest days. “They cleared the land and marked off property into lots and streets.”

One of many Mediums advertising services at Lily Dale. Photo by Bill Rockwell

One of the first buildings to go up was a hotel, a hung-suspension construction that, when additional floors were needed, was raised and new floors added underneath. The 1880 structure still stands to this day as the 43-room Maplewood Hotel.

“Eventually, the community bought additional land and, by 1900, 300 houses had been built,” said Nagy. “Lily Dale grew fast, mainly because of the train, which ran from Buffalo to Titusville, Pennsylvania. Currently, there’s around 165 dwellings, many of which are occupied by registered mediums.”

According to Nagy, Lily Dale was influenced by both the Women’s Suffragette Movement and the Women’s Christian Temperance Movement. To this day, no alcoholic beverages are allowed on the property.

Before exiting the museum, Nagy pointed out interesting items in the collection such as a “spirit painting” on one wall, a pair of aura glasses, used by a medium to see a person’s aura, and an unusual Spiritualist trumpet, a “condenser of energy for a spirit voice or apport,” a paranormal transference of an article from one place to another.

On a walking tour of Lily Dale, which originally took its name from the profusion of water lilies on the lake, we passed by pleasantly painted modest houses which line both sides of the streets and are fronted by colorful gardens.

A number of Spiritualist-related shops are scattered over the grounds and include the Bargain Shop, full of all sorts of New Age items, Crystal Cove, Herbs for Life and the Lily Dale Bookstore and Souvenir Shop.

Nagy and I skirted past the Pilgrim’s Path, a classical seven circuit labyrinth made of Canadian hemlock used for meditation, then up to the entrance to the Leolyn Woods, full of stately old trees and said to be the state’s second oldest natural growth forest.

Near the end of the forest trail, Inspiration Stump, an ancient tree stump about 3-feet in diameter and 2-1/2-feet tall, is said to hold some of Lily Dale’s most profound spiritual energy. Twice a day, registered and visiting mediums pass along what are believed to be messages from the spirit world to those assembled.

A look inside the Maplewood Hotel turned up a “precipitated painting” of Abraham Lincoln, said to appear on canvas without the help of human hands, in a room just off the lobby.

On the porch, I got a chance to speak with Robin Kepner of Bloomfileld, New York, who said she’s been coming to Lily Dale for 31 years for the peace, the classes and workshops and the people.

“I’m most interested in going to the Stump in the evening to take photos of orbs and do transfigurations, the practice of shining a red light on someone’s face to see different spirits,” she said.

Main entrance gate at Lily Dale. Photo by Bill Rockwell

At 2:30 in the afternoon, I entered Lily Dale’s massive 1,200-seat Auditorium, built in 1883 and remodeled in 1901, where a service was just about to begin. The daily sessions feature a speaker as well as a clairvoyant.
I ended my visit with a quick stroll along part of Fairy Trail, a path through the woods strewn with fairy and gnome houses and toy-like items meant to be enjoyed by children and those adults wanting to rekindle memories of the child within.

If You’re Going
Although Lily Dale is open year-round, the heart of the season is from late June through the last Sunday in August when visitors and residents alike can take workshops, seminars, mediumship demonstrations, healing services, evening entertainment, spirit walks and more. A gate pass is necessary to enter the grounds and can be purchased at the entrance. For more information, phone 716-595-8721 or www.lilydaleassembly.com.