Preface vii 



personality from cliildhowl to old age, but I venture to think we can find 

 portraits which emphasise even the individual moods and characteristic 

 pliiusf's of ills many-sided mentality. This lM)ok may help to preserve that 

 play of expression which forms the charm of our memory of a friend, and 

 which is renewed and kept alive by many photographs, until they perish 

 also. 



This perishing of photographic portraits, whether negatives or prints, 

 has been sadly impressed upon me not only in the case of photographs of 

 G.'ilton himself — which T have endeavoured to put into a more permanent 

 form — but further in the case of nearly all Galton's own pbotogi-aphic work. 

 Box after box of his negatives as well as the prints from them nave perished 

 or arc rapidly perishing. I felt strongly the need for preserving at least his 

 hitherto unpublished results in composite portraiture. But to add this 

 number of plates to my volume seemed only possible by curtailing its text. 

 Tiiis (liHiculty wa.s finally overcome by the generosity of Mr Edward Wheler- 

 Galton and by the aid of one who owed much to Sir Francis. In this way it 

 became feasil)le to give comprehensive illustifition of what Galton achieved 

 in composite photography. Plie exhibit will, T hope, lead to the renewal of 

 this branch of investigation, for I am convinced that its possibilities are by 

 no means exhausted. 



1 have to acknowledge the great aid I have received from my son 

 Mr p]gon S. Pearson in dealing with Galton's photographic material and 

 researches. I have further to thank Major Leonard Darwin and my colleague 

 Miss F^thel M. Elderton for aid in a variety of ways. Lastly I have to 

 place on record a confession. The Galtoniana contsiin a large number of 

 manuscripts and notebooks in Galton's hand ; many of these are in pencil, 

 nuich rubi)ed, occasionally obliterated. In the earlier chapters of this volume 

 I have con.stantly used this material. Ljitely I have been unable, owing to 

 failure of sight, to do so. I may well have missed material which ought to 

 have found its place in these pages. My only apology must be that of what 

 lay in my power to give I have freely given. 



KARL PEARSON. 



Galton L.\i(okatouv, 



Univkh.sity C01.1.F.GK, London. 

 July 8, 1924. 



