As one of the first photographic methods, the photogram was empirically valued for its ability to trace an object by direct contact. To view a photogram is to witness the recent absence of an object. The desire for contact outweighed the shortcoming of its description. Television programs are broadcast and lost. Pressing the photographic paper against the tube, heat and light emanating from the tube are self-inscribed, fulfilling the desire to span distances, making illusions more present.