Fernando Sanford and the "Kirlian effect"

Abstract

In 1894 Fernando Sanford discussed in a paper published by the Physical Review an electric photography technique, which he developed starting from 1891. The images that he published in the paper are clearly showing some fringes about the objects he photographed. Several years after, the fringes appearing in the electric photography have been recognized as the "Kirlian effect". Unlike Kirlian, Sanford did his best to reduce these fringes, improving the device but losing the "Sanford effect".