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March 20, 1885.] Waki's Montldij a,Adieises the portrait photographer in search of ideas, and tells him to go to the theatre, and there study the best female actress. From M. L. Wulff, the director of the Progres Pholo- graphique, we receive an excellent specimen of Woodbury’s Photofiligrane, the work of M. Braun of Augoulme. Portraits of the three founders of photography—Niepce, Daguerre, and Talbot—are embodied in the design. Civilisation is not quite so injurious to the eye-sight as Mr. Brudenell Carter contends, if we arc to accept the argument of Lord Rayleigh. This latter physicist regards the superiority of the svage as a matter of atten tion and practice as to the interpretation of minute indica tions. Smething quits analogous to the well-known acuteness of the blind in drawing conclusions from slender acoustical premises. Practical emulsion making will be treated of in a series of articles which Mr. W. E. Debenham has been good enough to prepare for us ; the first will appear next week. There is a story of photographic ingenuity about; but this, we admit, has an American origin, and must be received with several grains, if not indeed a whole cellar full, of salt. The tale iu question is of a professional photographer, who, being anxious to obtain portraits of the leading English politicians, and finding he could not get them in the normal way, bethought himself of becom ing for the time a Hanson cabman, and taking up his stand in Palace Yard, having prepared for his new duties by fix ing up on the roof of his Hanson a camera which he could bringtobearthroughthetrapdoor. Well, according to the story, in less than a week he had driven Gladstone, Bright, Forster, and about a dozen other notable M.P.’s, and had, moreover, obtained most characteristic negatives of them as they sat in his Hanson. But clearly this is impracti cable unless it is cartes of the crowns of their hats, or their middle partings, he has obtained. The public will, we venture to say, have to wait a longtime for this new series of the portraits of “ cabbing’-it” ministers. Yet another story of Yankee origin! To diners at restaurants the state of the various hot joints at the time they wish for a cut off one is of importance, and we know how anxious are the enquiries addressed to the waiter as to the condition of this one or that. Well, a down town restaurateur in New York has his joints photo graphed at fixed intervals, and their exact condition of " on ” or “ off-ness ” may be seen by the diners by a glance at the “ bill of fare.” This particular restaurant-keeper, perhaps, has heard of the careful paterfamilias who, when in seaside lodgings, used to photograph the joints before they left his table. There is a feature iu the action brought by Mr. Gibson, an artist, against Mr. A. Bassano, the well-known photo grapher, which is worth noting, as illustrating the relation between fashion and art. Mr. Gibson was to paint for Mr. Bassano a large picture representing a meet of the Coach ing Club in 1882, but after making the sketch and getting the consent of the members and their friends (who, we presume, were to be photographed), Mr. Bassano would not allow the painting to be carried to completion. On the merits of the case we do not wish to enter, and would only refer to one point in the defence, namely, that the ladies’ dresses as sketched were not in the fashion of the period. It is not stated whether the fashion was to be that of 1882, or that of 1884. or 1885—in other words, of the period when the picture would be finished and ready for exhibition. Much depends upon this as r egards the criticism of the ladies themselves. The tide of fashion soon turns, and what is thought charming and becoming in 1882, is voted hideously vulgar in 1883. Hence pictures of this kind, unless executed at lightning speed, are somewhat risky. Frith’s pictures of Ramsgate Sands, and the Derby Day, represented society as it appeared a quarter of a century ago ; but how singular the dresses appear now. And as for John Leech’s sketches, one can hardly believe that ladies could so have disfigured themselves as in the days of the crinoline mania. The itinerant vendors of photographs are not slow to note what people buy. Cabinet photographs of Lord Wolseley, General Stewart, and Colonel Burnaby are now being offered in the street at fourpence each, evidently copies of those which are sold in the shops at live or six times the price. It would be interesting to know whether the owners of the original negatives have given permission for the copies to be made. If not, the vendors do not con cern themselves about the penalties of an infringement of copyright, for not only are the photographs openly exposed for sale, but attention is drawn to them by means of a placard. The usual complaints of the scarcity of sitters at this time of the year have been heard on all sides. Save in military districts, where the exodus of troops has given a slight spurt, photographers have, during the last three months, been doing badly. But we do not know that the times are worse now than they have usually been in the dull season, and no doubt the average of twelve months will bring about a balance ; still it is difficult to believe in averages when you are doing no business at all; and no wonder photographers take a gloomy view of the situation. patent ntelligence. Applications for Letters Patent. 3134. Henry Harris Lake, 45, Southampton Buildings, Lon don, for “An improved heliotypic or photo-lithographic process and apparatus to be used therein.”—(C. Angerer and QoscM, Austria.)— [Complete Specif cation.']—10th March, 1885. 8150. Jambs Cheney. 17, Oakley Street, Waterloo Road, Lon don, Surrey, for “ Improvements in tripod stands and tops for the same for photographic cameras, telescopes, heliographs, lanterns, and other like purposes.”—10th March, 1885.