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mysteries |
Antoine's Oil Painting |
Other Information |
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| Mrs Dorothy Jenkins of Clarendon Drive, Putney, South London purchased an oil painting in a Fulham junk shop to which she had been attracted. It was a picture of a young woman in a red velvet gown, and it was about four feet square and showed some signs of scorching. The painting was signed 'Antoine'. The picture brought with it a great many problems although Mrs Jenkins had been advised not to get rid of it as that might increase the intensity of the unpleasantness towards her. Both Mrs Jenkins and her son, in turn, suffered nervous breakdowns in the period following the purchase of the picture, which hung in both of their bedrooms at different times. Investigator Philip Paul arranged for a medium, Ena Twigg, to assist in the investigation. Re did not give her full information about the matter being investigated but merely asked if she would 'psychometrise' objects somewhere in London; she accepted. (Psychometry is the method used by some mediums to gain impressions of people and events by touching objects they have owned.) At the time of the investigation Mrs Jenkins had her friend, Mrs Violet Smith, with her and Paul arrived with Ena Twigg, Leslie Howard, the assistant editor of Psychic News and Ena's husband, three newspaper reporters and a photographer, all of whom had expressed interest in the case Attempting to double-bluff the medium, Paul led her straight to the picture on the grounds that she would probably expect to be taken to a 'neutral' object first. Apparently Ena Twigg felt immediate horror and distress. She spoke almost incoherently of various feelings and events including hearing music, seeing blood and what seemed to be descriptions of confinements; use of truth drugs, preventing shaving and discussing what may have been electric shock therapy Many of these comments related to the difficulties being experienced by Mrs Jenkins' son who was not present that evening. Indeed of several other objects psychometrised by Ena Twigg only a photograph of Mrs Jenkins' son produced anything by way of results. During the test the paintings had been arranged in the room in a particular order and before Ena Twigg, now without her blindfold, was brought back into the room after the test had ended the paintings were put back in their proper places. On entering the room Ena Twigg claims to have seen a bright flash of light moving from one point to another. The point at which it started was the painting by Antoine and the place where the light apparently went to was the spot where it had been during the experiment. Philip Paul does not recall any derogatory comments on the part of the reporters but in Ena Twigg's biography, Ena Twigg, Medium, she wrote, 'The reporters were not at all impressed with the accuracy of my performance . . . For the most part they believed and said that "somebody must have tipped her off in advance". With some people it wouldn't matter if you brought the sun, moon and stars down and put them in their proper rotation. They would still be doubters.' |
Place: Putney, South London. Date: 1960 Source: Phillip Paul |