The Bangs Sisters

In the seventh chapter of Glimpses of the Next State (1911), Vice-Admiral W. Usborne Moore described witnessing in Chicago the "precipitation" of letters and paintings in the presence of the Bangs Sisters.  He had received a testimonial letter about their astonishing mediumship from "a gentleman of considerable position and influence in Canada"; however, others made assumptions about them due to disbelief.  Moore wrote:

On the way up from New York I had heard a great deal of evil about the Bangs Sisters; and I had also seen five of the pictures done, as their owners told me, in their presence, within three feet of them, by invisible agency, and through the mediumship of these women, whose only participation in the production was that they held the canvases.  I wished to make a thorough test of both letters and pictures.

This is an example of a portrait 'precipitated' in the presence of the Spiritualist mediums known as the Bangs Sisters. 

The Bangs Sisters: May (born 1853) and Elizabeth ('Lizzie' 1859-1922)

 

 

During his first sitting on January 17, 1909, May Bangs used two slates, between which Moore placed a sealed letter he had brought.   The letter was written to his guide Iola and enclosed with it were four blank sheets of paper from his hotel for a reply.  Other items used during the session were rubber bands, a small pot of ink and a piece of 'bristol-board.'  At May's instruction, he wrote the name to whom the letter was addressed on a piece of paper and put it on top of the slates without May being able to see what he wrote.  May then began to see clairvoyantly and described the form of a young lady whom he recognized as his guide Iola accompanied by four other people whom Moore surmised to be family members. 

May then recited the exact questions from the letter and said "Is this the name?" while handing him, from the pad she held, a slip of paper that had written on it "the Christian and surname of Iola when in earth life."  After forty-five minutes, three taps heard from the slates indicated that the reply was finished.  "I took off the bristol-board and found my piece of paper gone.  When I opened the slates I found the paper inside by the letter.  The latter was slit open from the top, and four pages of reply were found inside . . . The letter of reply contained private messages which I am unable to make public.  It was signed correctly, and answered nearly all my questions."

On the following day, he asked for a picture (painting) to be precipitated of his guide "as she is now in spirit life."  He observed and described the preparations for the session that occurred between 11am and 12:30pm.  "Two thin canvases stretched on wooden frames and covered with thin paper were placed face to face and held up in the window.  The blind was drawn to the top of the canvases, and curtains were hung up in my presence on either side."  He noted that the light coming through the two semi-transparent canvases was sufficient for taking notes and seeing everything that occurred. 

May Bangs sat on my right side, facing me, and pinching together with her right hand one side of the canvases; Lizzie Bangs on my left side facing me, and pinching together the other side of the canvases with her left hand.  I faced the middle of the canvas, my nose being between two feet and two feet six inches from them.  We had to wait some time.  After a few minutes the canvas assumed various hues, rosy, blue and brown; it would become dark and light independently of the sun being clouded or not.

Dim outlines of faces occasionally appeared in different parts of the canvas.

For around five minutes, Moore took May’s place when she went to get something for her sister’s cold.  His report continued —

We had been sitting forty minutes when the right and left edges of the canvas began to darken, and the face and bust suddenly appeared.  It was finished in thirty-five minutes—i.e., one hour and fifteen minutes from the time we first sat down.  On separating the two canvases, it was found that the picture was on the further side of the one nearest to me, and the material was quite damp; the other canvas, which had been pressing against it all the time, was unsoiled.  The stuff comes off on the finger, a smutty, oily substance.

Iola

He made an appointment for another painting of Iola to be precipitated.

We now wanted to find out which one of the other photographs in my possession it was the wish of my guide I should bring on the 20th, the day appointed for my next picture.  Without the psychics seeing them, I laid out five under the cover of a card, face downwards.  May Bangs said: "Not the little one" (there was one taken at a very early age).  "The one nearest to me is a profile picture."  (Correct.)  "She rather objects to the old-fashioned style of the hair, but selects that as she sees you like it best."  (Correct.)

 

Moore reported unexpected occurrences during the precipitation of the second portrait.

 

. . . I was looking through the back of the picture, and it was forming on the further side of that one of the two canvases nearer to me; consequently had it gone on as it was and been finished, it would now (when framed) be profile left.  When the portrait was nearly finished the two canvases were lowered towards me on the table (the mediums being impressed, apparently, to do this).  A telegraphic message came by taps to May Bangs, who said: "She wants this picture for your wife specially, as well as for you.  She thinks that your wife would prefer to see her in the pose to which she is accustomed."  Up went the canvases again to the window, and I found that the whole picture was changed round . . .

 

In a few minutes the portrait was completed, May Bangs remarking: "She says she cannot put in the hand."

 

As a matter of fact, in this photo there is a hand (the left) supporting the cheek on its left side.  This was omitted in the coloured picture.

 

. . . the picture is by no means a slavish copy of the photograph.  It's pose is more upright, the face spirituelle, and the dress not exactly the same.  There is a firmness, a decision, and an appearance of calm and contented happiness in the face which is absent in the carte-de-visite.  It is a work of art.  I can only say this of one other picture in my collection.  They are all interesting, and each has its peculiar test value; but some of the dresses are stiff, and there are many anatomical deficiencies.  This one, however, is without a flaw, and there is just sufficient difference between it and the photograph to show distinctly to the most casual observer that one is not a professional copy of the other.

Moore was prepared to accept seeing with his own eyes the precipitation of the portraits because of his previous research of Spiritualism that included diverse seance room interactions with relatives and acquaintances who'd made the transition to another phase of life as well as with North American Indians and occasionally famous historical figures: buccaneer Sir Henry Morgan, scientists Sir Isaac Newton and Galileo, and Egyptian queen Cleopatra.  During his investigation of the Bang Sisters' mediumship in 1909 and 1911, Moore at times implemented precautionary measures to ensure results would be unquestionably genuine spirit manifestations.  These precautions included using his own chemical ink, slates and marked paper.

On January 19, 1909, Moore prepared some further questions for his guide and sat with May Bangs.  He mentioned the medium writing on her pad what he presumed she was seeing in 'the astral light' — "May Bangs read out to me the questions in my letter . . . They were all correct in sense, thought not in actual phrasing; and the curious thing was that she read them out in precisely the proper consecutive order . . ."  He again received a phenomenal reply with the envelope upon retrieving it from the slates.

My dear -----,

I am with you once again and, as ever, delighted to manifest my presence in ever so slight a manner.  Now . . . . . . you are trying me again—trying my memory of earthly things, places, and persons and how I do wish I could tear asunder the little barrier preventing me from giving free and full expression, but do you know . . . . . . in all these matters my memory is perfectly clear when I stand free and unhampered in the spiritual atmosphere but somehow when I return into earth's atmosphere, so many things become hazy and incomplete; in other words, it is not designed that mortals shall know it all.  If it were so research would be of the past, and spiritual matters of earth be at a standstill.  These little indifficencies (sic) lead the mind to further inquiry, and little by little the returns bringing reassurance is given.

I am not familiar with all the laws governing spirit return in outward demonstration.  I am constantly learning and in time know I shall bring the beautiful truth into your own home.  I am trying and shall continue to try for the desirable conditions, for I feel coming to you, and . . . . . . alone I would find that condition of thought that heretofore has been missing, and thereby give free and full evidence of identity you so much desire.  The law of evolution is carrying us onward and upward in spiritual truth just as fast as mortal mind is capable of accepting and understanding in its true light; and if at times we fail to give you all that your mind requires do not doubt, but know, that time will reward you.  It surely will, and right here I want to say that our beautiful "Cleopatra," who was such a wonderful intelligence here on earth, and in her many years of life and study in the higher advanced spheres in spirit life, is more capable of guiding you in these scientific problems than those who have been in spirit life in times of the past century, and to help you to solve and furnish the missing link for the world of science.  This has never been given, because science in the material world has not yet reached an understanding of the elements and laws even of their own atmosphere.  They acknowledge the existence of Electricity, its results and effect under certain conditions reached through long study and experimenting, but they cannot produce it independent in substance.  It is the propelling power of all life, all action, and the time will come when your people of science will understand it better, and so there are other elements in the very atmosphere about you that spirits must understand and utilise to bring about the results.  It is because of your ignorance of these elements and lack of knowledge of the average spirits, myself included, coming in contact with these laws that form the barrier of expression.

As before stated, in my own domain, all that you seek to know of me this morning is as clear as the noonday sun, but my great anxiety to have powers to give it, as also your anxiety to receive, for the time bars me in expression.

There are many subjects of your letter I would like to take in full explanation fully, but I fear I cannot in this one meeting, so I shall only refer to them briefly, for all come under the same law.

That I am with you in every move you make, travelling from your own location to that of your home in England, you need not doubt.  I do not take record of the intervening space of action but rush on straight, glide through space, as it were, in the twinkling of an eye.  I do not know all that transpires in your daily life as to material things, but make recognition of them on the whole, and particularly of your success and happiness for this is ever uppermost in mind.

. . . . . . I will go to . . . . . . and prepare her mind, so that she will overcome that timidity of spiritual matters, for I am desirous coming to her as I have to you, and believe, yes know, with her willingness and your combined efforts some wonderful demonstration may be received in the home proving this great truth.

I have been impressing the psychic how to answer some of your inquiries, for I cannot refer to all in writing.  I now feel the forces waning, and must soon close.

The little impressions forming on one of the photographs is my effort, and I hope to conclude my efforts with some manifestation conclusive and interesting to you. . . . . . . Adieu.  (Signed by the earth name of Iola.)

The handwriting is the same as that in the previous letter, and has no resemblance to that of Iola when she was in earth life.  All the hand writing of replies to letters through the mediumship of the Bangs Sisters has the same characteristics, as if written or precipitated by one amanuensis.  It seems probably that the spirit dictates to a "writing guide," whose idiosyncrasies creep in.  There are Americanisms in the above letter which certainly did not emanate from my guide.  I consider that the general tone of the letter is much in advance of the mind of the psychic in the room.  The pages were numbered by the writer, and the sequence of the writing was as follows: Page 5 was found at the back of Page 4, page 6 at the back of page 3, page 7 at the back of page 2.

Another precipitated letter was received from Sir 'A. G.' with whom Moore had conversed during a Direct Voice seance with Mrs. Wriedt in Detroit earlier in the month.  Moore wrote that Sir A. G. during his lifetime had held the position of English Consul-General in Cuba during the Spanish-American war.  On January 21, Moore sat with May Bangs for a reply to a letter he had written that afternoon to Cleopatra.

My letter contained a request that Cleopatra would cause her portrait to be precipitated at 10:30 on the following morning, and began in this way: "Will you precipitate your portrait on the canvas to-morrow at 10:30, and will you add such words or signs as will be recognized by an experienced student of Egyptian history?"

The following are extracts from the reply:—

My good friend of earth.  You have been told that I have come into your life for particular purposes, and it is true.  A long, long time I have been on the spirit side of life.  Ages it is as you calculate time, and during that period I have passed into realms far remote from earth.  All that was near and dear to me of your sphere have long, long since joined me, and also advanced through numberless spheres.  Truth is ever uppermost in the soul's ambition, and the time has come when mortals shall come further into the light.  There are many mysteries that only spirits of long time, experience, and study can impart to those of your sphere with any degree of understanding and practical application.  So it is that I have come into your life to aid in this very desirable work and I have chosen you as my subject through whom to work.  I know of your earnest desire to fathom for yourself and the world this great momentous question.  And I am bringing to you these different phenomena in evidence of my presence in introduction of my identity.  I am very desirous . . . . . . . . . . . . you my portrait through this influence and the good artist that is also high and proficient in his art knowledge that you may know me better.  And so from that chain or harmony and receptivity that will ensure the highest spiritual good.  In brief, I desire to come to you through your own psychic power and receptivity that is gradually unfolding as you continue in your research.

I promise to come to you in likeness, dress, and all the characteristic emblems true to my native land of earth here that I am sure will be recognized by experienced students in Egyptian history . . . . . . As you open the way, for the present all these wonderful experiences are for you alone.  They will bring the truth and light in such a way that shall demonstrate to others, and make . . . . . . thought.

Yes, people of different spheres live together in spirit life.  This truth I will explain to you again when better conditions and space affords opportunity.  It is always most wise to anyone (?) in the morning hour for spirit phenomena when the life current is at high tide, as it were.

. . . . . . As you gain spiritual knowledge here so do you prepare yourself spiritually for a higher understanding in the life to come.  Your chances for advancement are good in the life to come.

My good friend, I have not come to you at best this evening.  I shall therefore ask another opportunity at your pleasure and convenience.  In guidance, Cleopatra

Of course I am not in a position to assert that the Cleopatra of history wrote this letter.  I cannot possibly tell whether it was a personation or not; I have no means of doing so.  The immediate interest in the letter does not, in this case, lie in the identity of the writer, but in the nature of the ink with which it was written.  The writing is not dissimilar to that in the reply from Sir A. G.  It seems highly probable that all the letters are written, or precipitated, by the same spirit, a "writing guide" of the psychic, whom the individuals on the other side use as we do a typist. 

Moore witnessed the precipitation of the portrait of Cleopatra and wrote that the picture while in progress could be seen clearly through the back of the canvas.

Afterwards, but not while I was looking at it, the colours deepened a little, flowers were added to the embroidery of the dress, a ring was put on the finger of the left hand, and the picture acquired a general appearance of greater richness and finish.

 

. . . it is undoubtedly a representation of an Egyptian Queen, and, considering the way in which it was done, a fine example of spirit power.

Cleopatra

On January 22, the pages of the letter were blank when retrieved from the slates; however, while waiting "a bouquet of pink carnations and sweet-smelling narcissi fell from above with considerable force on to the card [a white card covered both slates and ink].  This was in full gas-light."

The messages from Iola through different mediums resulted with an occasion when Moore noticed a change of perspective.  Sitting with May Bangs on March 2, he asked for Iola to reply for her "asking me to sit for a picture of Hypatia after [previously] doing all she could at Rochester to prevent me from getting it."  Moore presented extracts from the response —

Regarding the messages at Rochester in regard to Hypatia's portrait, I will simply say I was influenced in my communications by Prof. H-----.  You understand . . . . . . and when I was free and independent I communicated direct.  I am delighted that you followed my wish.  I should indeed have been disappointed had you returned to England without it.  It was simply a case of one spirit trying to dominate over another.  These experiences you must not give to the world now; the time will come when all those undeveloped communications will occur . . . . . . Thos. J. Hudson is entirely responsible for the message given—but let it pass . . . . . .

Two days later, Moore sought more information from Hudson about the turn of events and the response included the statement:

In my recent communications advising you not to have Hypatia's portrait I was somewhat persuaded by other intelligences as the spirit Iola was persuaded by my advice; but since I have had the pleasure of coming to you here and witnessing the wonderful power and work, and have learned all the good that has been planned, I am delighted that changes have been made, and you have the portrait.

Moore reported:

Across the second half of the last page there is a postscript, in blue pencil mirror-writing, in a different hand to the body of the letter, and also to the script through Mrs. Georgia, which runs as follows:—

These questions [Hudson's queries in mirror-writing given through Mrs. Georgia at Rochester] will be answered through the psychic power of the medium through whose hand the questions were written; both the mediums and guides now understand.

On the outside of the letter was written:— "My good friend,—Kindly retain the writing for yourself, for reasons I have within explained.—Thos. Jay. Hudson."  The handwriting of this afterthought appears to be the same as that in the body of the letter.

Moore described receiving a precipitated letter from F. W. H. Myers on March 2.  A psychical researcher during his earth life, Myers had previously communicated with Moore through Mrs. Georgia's automatic mirror writing.  Moore reported in Glimpses of the Next State about the transcendental contact of Myers to him via letter.  Here is the beginning and concluding portions of the letter and Moore's comments.

On March 2, I wrote a letter in my hotel to Mr. F. W. H. Myers, reminding him of his promise made at Rochester to endeavour to reply to a letter from me at the Bangs Sisters', at Chicago, and asking him to identify himself as far as he could for the benefit of his friends in England.  The following was the reply found in the closed letter between the slates:—

My Good Friend and Co-worker.

I greet you this evening and am very pleased to come to you.  It is very kind of you to give opportunity of all this grand phenomena proving continued life after so-called death.  It is indeed unfortunate that spirit is somewhat limited in power of expression especially so when called upon to relate or recall some special event or circumstances occurring when in the earth form; this my good friend is due to the fact that the spirit is over-anxious to manifest in a way the mind suggests, the knowledge of which is perfectly clear to the spirit when in its free atmosphere—but when returning to manifest to mortals the atmosphere and all the conditions pertaining or surrounding to this life is so dense and clouded, that for the time being memory of these matters are renewed only as you make reference to them; thus again the Science of Spirit communicating with mortals is so intricate that it is quite difficult to master this alone, without entering into other branches; or is it designed by the Great overwhelming power, that Intelligence men call God, that mortals should be able to penetrate all pertaining to this or higher life?

 

. . . and little things like these manifestations do and will confound the mighty.  Give my very best wishes to our great brother and co-worker, Sir ------, also Sir ------ ------.  I am with them heart and hand in this great cause and though they have been able to reach the point where they can determine this question for the world greater achievements are being made right away, until in a very short time sufficient evidence will be given that may be able to give to the world a clear solution that shall occasion mortals to accept it in great majority as a truth, absolutely fixed truths.

I urge you to continue in your research my friends, I find since entering this great world of worlds that I knew but little, nay nothing, in comparison with that which is to be known.  I am still deeply interested in research and shall give you matters of interest from time to time, for our sensitives are growing more sensitive each day and this is the element required to give freedom of expression that brings evidence of identity.

Yours ever in the cause of all truth and light,

F. W. H. Myers

The letter offered philosophical commentary rather than any simple factual and "evidential" confirmatory evidence about the identity of Myers.  At times differentiating transcendental communication as evidential or philosophical, Moore occasionally worried about the potentiality of 'personating spirits' yet his perspective was influenced by misunderstood incidents involving Florence Cook and Frederick Foster Craddock.

The portion of the F. W. H. Myers letter omitted above is presented with the following excerpt.  Negative and pessimistic thoughts are expressed in this passage.  This portion of the letter shows that individual attitudes and perceptions can continue in the next state of life, showing variations in philosophy among transcendental communicators.  The reflection had just been given considering mortals being "able to penetrate all pertaining to this or higher life?"

Were it so, the people of Earth would become very dissatisfied with life, and more often tap (?) the time of their stay short, or, in other words, undo the set laws of nature.  Conviction is individual.  Science in the material world can never reach a point of understanding to explain these things; it is utterly useless, but each member can receive and become satisfied to his or her own understanding: this is all.  However the law of evolution is carrying you onward and upward until you all feel a close correspondence in your own soul to the Great One's Soul . . .

 
The Bangs Sisters were controversial figures among people not personally acquainted with them and their work.  Moore commented:
 

The manifestations which appear through their mediumship are of such a startling nature as to render it in the highest degree improbable that anyone, however experienced he may be as an investigator, can credit the accounts of what takes place, unless he has actually seen the various phenomena that occur.

Author Hereward Carrington accused the Bangs Sisters of fraud.  He claimed to have consulted them in an article of a 1910 issue of Annals of Psychical Science.  In Appendix C of Glimpses of the Next State "Mr. Hereward Carrington and Fraud," Moore responded to the article.  He reported that Dr. Isaac K. Funk had hired Hereward Carrington to visit Chicago, "requesting him to see the Bangs Sisters and to report to him the phenomena that he received in their presence."  Moore commented that Carrington's diagram of the room used for the sitting was incorrect, suggesting that "he has never been inside the house at all."  Moore included in this chapter Carrington's May 13, 1911 letter published in Light about the Bangs Sisters.  In one of two letters by Moore responding to Carrington's letter, Moore offered what he had learned about Carrington's claims from the sisters themselves: "The Bangs Sisters deny that he did [enter their house].  Lizzie assured me most positively that she would have recognized him, and that they had never sat for him at any time."  Moore responded to Carrington's claim that he had purchased a blank canvas from the sisters: "I understand that the Bangs Sisters did not sell him any canvas.  Let him produce their receipt for the money he paid for it!"

Carrington gave his version of a visit to the Bangs Sisters in his autobiography Personal Experiences In Spiritualism (1913).  He wrote: "I gave my name as Herald Thompson, and my mother the name of Jane Thompson.  I knew that, had I given my own name, I should have obtained nothing, and would probably have been refused a sitting."  He published a transcript of "the message which I received" -- a letter addressed to "Dearly Beloved Son Harold" and signed by "Jane Thompson."

A 1905 article from the Lily Dale newspaper The Sunflower shows the Bangs Sisters' perspective of their interaction with Dr. Funk.  The article is one of the period accounts presented in Ron Nagy's book Precipitated Spirit Paintings (2006).

"Dr. Funk himself is satisfied," said Miss Minnie Bangs.  "Here is the beautiful dictionary he sent us for Christmas, and here are the letters he wrote us before we sent the framed pictures to him.  These do not look as if he discredited us, do they?"

Here are transcripts of the letters from Dr. Funk.

New York, December 22, 1904

I sent you a check covering the balance of the two pictures, including frames, which were completed.  As soon as the package comes with the third picture in it I will send you the check for that.  I trust that your artists friends were able to get that picture also correct.  The one of the old lady whom I called mother Jeannette Thompson seemed to be a perfect one.  I hope it will please my wife when it arrives.  After their arrival I will have several of my friends see them, including Professor Hyslop, and I hope that we may be able to see you both in New York City, and have experiments made that will bring to the knowledge of the public, in a scientific way, the marvels which you seem so able to perform.

—I. K. Funk

New York, Dec. 28, 1904

The consignment of pictures came duly on hand on Monday, Christmas Day, just in time to serve my purpose.  They are certainly good reproductions, as far as my memory enables me to judge.

—I. K. Funk

 

In Precipitated Spirit Paintings, Lily Dale museum curator identifies similarities between the phenomenal paintings associated with Spiritualist mediums the Bangs Sisters and the Campbell Brothers.  Nagy reported: "In all cases the portraits appeared without eyelashes.  The eyes have a depth and vitality that I have never before seen or experienced, in a painting."  In the Foreword to Nagy's book, Raymond Buckland commented about the precipitated portraits: "To see the photographic-like quality of these works, done before the advent of color photography (the first commercial color film was not available until 1907), is unbelievable.  Yet a relatively large number were produced.  Most are still extant, in such Spiritualist communities as Lily Dale, New York, and Camp Chesterfield, Indiana."

Samples of the precipitated paintings associated with the mediumship of the Bangs Sisters can now be viewed on the Internet via a key word search of their name.  Here are links to three Camp Chesterfield pages of precipitated paintings created in the presence of Lizzie and May Bangs: Page One, Page Two, Page Three.  Two of these paintings are shown below.

A previous blog article about phenomenal artwork is Three Accounts of 'Precipitated' Portraits (from Old Diary Leaves). 

A Camp Chesterfield art gallery/museum holds the precipitated painting that has been entitled "The Spirit World" showing people in a canoe crossing a river toward a castle in a sphere of the ascended realm of human existence. 

Queen Victoria