The photographic news

• Bandzählung: 29.1885
• Erscheinungsdatum: 1885
• Sprache: Englisch
• Signatur: F 135
• Vorlage: Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst Leipzig
• Digitalisat: Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst Leipzig
• Digitalisat: SLUB Dresden
• Rechtehinweis: Public Domain Mark 1.0
• URN: urn:nbn:de:bsz:14-db-id1780948042-188500006
• PURL: http://digital.slub-dresden.de/id1780948042-18850000
• OAI: oai:de:slub-dresden:db:id-1780948042-18850000
• Sammlungen: LDP: Historische Bestände der Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst Leipzig
• Sammlungen: Fotografie
• Bemerkung: Seite I-II fehlen in der Vorlage. Paginierfehler: Seite 160 als Seite 144 gezählt.
• Strukturtyp: Band

• Digitalisat: SLUB Dresden
• Strukturtyp: Ausgabe

222 THE PHOTOGRAPHIC NEWS. [APRIL 3, 1885. ing placed at such a height and width asjast to keep it out of the field of the lens. B is the tissue paper screen in front of the lamp C, which was raised on a tripod from the floor about five feet; D is an opaque curtain which served to hide the operations of the assistant who attended to the light. A small fire in the grate heated a thin rod of iron, with which the composition was ignited. E is the chang ing room ; F the camera ; G is the tin tube fixed to lamp to carry off the fumes through the window into the open air, of course passing over the top of the tissue screen and the sheeting or cot; H is the background ; the two lines marked I, represent the edges of the sheet hanging down at each side of the sitter, which to the left of the sitter reach as far as the tissue screen as drawn, and this sheeting, as explained before, is extended over the sitter’s head about background height; K is the gas star light. The rest of the accessories can be disposed to suit the operator’s fancy and convenience. It will be seen that the light shone through the tissue paper portion of the " cot ” on the left front of the sitter; this gave the direct light, while the white " cot ” reflected and reflected, and also admitted in some measure light all over from the outside ; the effect was thus most charming. The time slipped on, the dancers assembled, a brilliant company. Soft, dreamy waltzes stole through the air, and “ a thousand lights shone on fair women and brave men ; " but time still kept on slipping, and as yet no light from my lamp had shone on anyone, fair, brave, or other wise, in spite of cards hung about the ball room, setting forth the fact that Nature was again conquered (or shall I say imitated ?), and photographs would be taken without daylight. At last I singled out the M. C., who gave me a sitting. I will describe the modus ojyerandi, as it was atype of all. An assistant in the lobby issued tickets and got the pay beforehand, endorsing each ticket with the name and address of the purchaser, A second assistant barred entrance into the studio at all unless possessed of a ticket, and then only one at a time ; this is a very necessary arrangement, and contributes wonderfully to the suecesss, for I pity both operator and sitter when there is a crowd in the room, or even a third person, unless he is one of your trained employees. On delivery of the ticket at the door, it was numbered, and thus made to correspond with con secutive order of the exposed plates, so avoiding after con fusion as to the identity of each picture. A third assistant attended to the lamp in the curtained-off portion of the room. A fourth changed the plates. I posed and focussed the sitter by the aid of the light from the gas star, which just enabled me to see the figure on the focussing screen sufficiently well. The lens was then capped, slide inserted, shutter drawn, a word of caution to the sitter not to close the eyes or to be disconcerted at the strong light about to be created (this is very requisite, for the transition from the miserable yellow gas light to the pure white actinic illumination is very severe), a final glance to see all is right, &c. " Now I” is the signal given. The assistant applies the' hot iron to the composition, and the sitter is bathed with a beautiful soft white light—literally bathed, not shone on, but flooded back, sides, andfront, with just sufficient direct light from the left front to prevent flatness. Of course the lens cap is removed simultaneously with the application of the hot iron, and in from ten to twelve seconds, according to the quantity of the powder put in the lamp saucer, the light fades, and we are again in gloomy depths of gas illumination. “Thanks, that will do.” The slide is re moved, the plate boxed, the slide is fitted with a fresh plate, and again all is ready for the fray, which outside the door is getting very severe. Cannot sell the tickets fast enough; once more proving the sheep-like qualities of mankind, “get one, and the rest will follow.” The door keeper needs to be of Herculean proportions to restrain the entrance of the would-be sitters en masse, but he succeeds, and each enters singly and orderly. The waiting for turn is another advantage, for to take a negative of a sitter fresh from an active stirring galop, with every fibre and muscle quivering with exertion and excite ment, as all veterans of the photographic art will know, is out of the question. The residuum of the last charge is removed from the lamp, a fresh scoop of powder inserted, the iron rod is placed in the fire to heat. All this is done during the time the next sitter is being posed. “ Now ! ” is again given ; up comes the light, and another sitter’s form and feature are secured for posterity, and thus all “ goes merry as a marriage bell” until the small hours of the morning, by which time I had manipulated about sixty sitters, and the cashier was in possession of about £10. I developed my nocturnally-exposed plates, along with my usual day’s work, with pyro. My sitters are delighted with the results obtained with out the inconvenience and loss of time in donning their costumes in the daytime. The medical charities duly acknowledged receiving their quota of the proceeds, and I—well, I had my expenses paid, turned the tables on my chiaroscura friend who said I could not do it, and provided the material for this article. Since the above was penned, I have used the light and system at a grand fancy dress ball at Scarborough with corresponding success, in conjunction with Mr. W. D. Brigh tmnn, of the Esplanade Studio, Scarborough. RAPID CONTACT PRINTING PAPER. BY W. A. WATTS.* Gaslight is not a good means of exposure ; the prints are very likely to be under-exposed, and gas is by no means uniform. Daylight, when convenient, is all right; but it varies much, and I think the manufacturers understate the time of exposure. For the amateur, however, magnesium is certainly the simplest, and not so expensive as might be imagined; three inches will expose four negatives at a cost of 4d. or less. The developer is made of two solutions in equal proportions. A contains 8 oz. oxalate of potash (care being taken that it is neutral), and J-oz. of bromide ammonium to 50 oz. water. B, 10 drs. sulphate iron to 10 oz. water. B must be added to A. As each print is developed, I pass it into the washing-water— under a running tap, if practicable—and after washing some five minutes, transfer the first to the alum bath ; this contains alum in proportion of 1 to 20, and removes all traces of the iron, which would otherwise interfere with toning. They should not be left in this bath more than five minutes, or it would bleach them somewhat. They are then washed again to get rid of the alum. By the time the last print is developed the first will probably be ready for toning. The makers state that any toning bath will answer ; but I tried the borax bath, which I generally use, and found they toned very slowly ; they tone much quicker in a bath containing a trace of chloride of lime, and the makers recommend the following, which answers well:— Acetate of soda 4 drachms Chloride of lime IB grains Water 8 ounces Keep this as]stock, and, when required for use, take 1 ounce of * Abstract of a communication to the Liverpool Amateur Photographic Association.