It was August, 1908, that a large audience filled to capacity the auditorium at the world famous Spiritualist community, Camp Chesterfield in the state of Indiana, USA. They had come to witness a demonstration of psychic power; one of the most unique and marvelous in the world.

On a table set in the middle of the stage, a select committee had placed a blank, standard size canvas, which was minutely examined and said to have no markings or painting of any kind, nor signs of chemical treatment. Behind the canvas was placed a coal-oil lamp. The canvas remained in position in full view of the audience until the developed portrait was completed. Upon entering the auditorium, each person was given a ticket, the numbered stub of which was placed into a vat and then, when the entire audience had finished this process, one stub was drawn randomly from the collection and the number read aloud. The ticket belonged to a Mr. and Mrs. Alford, a prominent family of Marion, Indiana, who were then invited to take a seat on the stage. The mediums then entered the stage and sat down, never touching the canvas or approaching it. After a few moments a thin, vapor-like cloud or shadow swept across the canvas and then disappeared. The audience sat rigidly, their eyes tense and fixed on the stage. Once again, another wave of mist seemed to float and pulsate across the canvas and it also vanished. The other world artist, it seemed, was making preliminary sketches and trying out different color schemes. Soon the outline bust form of a person began to appear in the center of the canvas, features becoming more distinct along with the hair and face and, slowly, the entire form of a young girl was clearly distinguishable for all to see. The eyes on the portrait were closed. Suddenly, in a flash, the eyes opened and the audience cheered. The entire process took about twenty minutes and, when completed, the picture was handed around the auditorium for inspection.

Mr. Alford, clearly shaken, stood and announced that he and his wife were visiting Chesterfield for the first time. They were not Spiritualists in belief but, most certainly, the form on the canvas, which he pointed to, was the exact likeness of their young daughter, Audrey. Mrs. Alfred had worn around her neck, hidden from sight, a locket containing a photograph of their daughter almost duplicate in likeness to the picture obtained. The Bangs had not seen the locket picture or any photo of the child. I have included three photos of Audrey Alford. One is from the Hett Art Gallery at Camp Chesterfield, which I have seen and examined up close; one is a close-up, and the other has come from a rare book by James Coates. It is the only verifiable proof, and photograph, I have ever seen of a precipitated portrait, which had actually changed in appearance, which was quite common with Bangs paintings. The one photo in black and white, shows the finished work from the public demonstration at Chesterfield with Audrey wearing a teardrop necklace and a spray of flowers, or corsage on her dress. The color photo shows the portrait, after having been donated to Camp Chesterfield years later by a member of the Alford family without the necklace and corsage. They apparently having been originally precipitated on to the original work just for the mother and then dematerialized when it was donated. How truly marvelous.

Heagerty, N. Riley. Portraits from Beyond: The Mediumship of the Bangs Sisters. Place of publication not identified: White Crow Books, 2016. pp. 8-9.