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

298 THE PHOTOGRAPHIC NEWS. [May 8, 1885. This same report, by the way, alludes to the corrugated zinc excrescence, which for three months disfigured the East wing of the National Gallery, as “ a temporary atelier.” But what’s in a name ? The corrugated zinc excrescence, though dubbed “ a temporary atelier,” was just as ugly. During the time this structure stood it seems that “ 300 pictures, belonging respectively to the Foreign and British schools of painting, were photographed on a large scale with complete success.” So ends, for the time, an incident probably unique, in which a department of a government devoted to free trade exercises protection, not in favour of its own subjects, but on behalf of those of a foreign power! Surely the force of inconsistency can no farther go ! Was it thoughtlessness, or was it by design, that some of the Common Councilmen who figure in a large engraving just published of the Old Council Chamber, Guildhall, sent to the artist old photographs to work from, thus re presenting them several yearsyounger than they really are ? Of course it was not parsimony. We cannot imagine a C.C. begrudging the cost of being photographed afresh. Anyway, the results in many instances are not very satisfactory so far as the likenesses are concerned. Some people have a queer notion of the requirements of illustrated papers. The portrait of a well-known musician was wanted the other day for publication, and application was made for a photograph, which it was promised should be sent. The photograph, however, never arrived, and the artist, after waiting till the last moment, drew a por trait from memory. When a copy of the paper containing the portrait was sent to the original, he remarked that the likeness was not very good, and then posted the photo graph to the editor, hoping it would be in time. Possibly he imagined the corrected portrait would be reprinted in the next week’s number. “ I prefer good paintings even to the very best photo graphs, because there is far more truth in the paintings.” This somewhat startling remark was made by a well-known literary man at the private view of the Academy, and we asked him to explain his views. “ The photograph is analagous to a newspaper report,” he said ; “ it is a bare record of actual facts; but the painting executed by a master hand is like the word picture written by Shakespeare or by Goldsmith. Such a selection from the crowd of realities which appeal at once to the heart or the mind. Only a genius can make this selection of fragments, and build it up into a pleasing whole.” Who could read the “ Vicar of Wakefield ” if it were an absolute and photographic record, or report not a spoken word, a passing thought, or an act omitted in the case of any one of the characters ? The word artist, how ever, does not report all; he selects the little that is needed for his purpose ; makes, in fact, a concentration of certain truths, all that is not needed being omitted. The painter or the sculptor does the same : into one canvas or into on* block of mable he throws the graces of hundreds. Who yet has produced a photograph from the nude which is anything but coarse and sensual ? Patent ntelligence. Applications for Letters Patent. 5363. William James Lancaster, 6, Livery Street, Birmin zham, for “ Improvements in instantaneous photographic camera shutters.”—1st May, 1885. 5364. William James Lancaster, 6, Livery Street, Birmingham, for “ Improvements in photographic cameras.”— 1st May, 1885. 5367. Albert Billet, George Arthur Cubley, and Job Preston, 4, High Street, Sheffield, for " Improvements in portable stands for photographic, surveying, optical, and similar purposes.”—1st May, 1885. Patents Sealed. 6893. Henry Joseph Redding, 48, Myddelton Square, London, E.C., Optician and Photographer, for “ An improved pocket ruby lantern for photographic purposes.”—Dated 28th April, 1884. Patents Granted in America. 315,994. William H. Ball, Springfield, assignor of one-half to Edward Sachs and David Pruden, Dayton, Ohio. “ Framefor exhibiting transparencies.”—Filed March 27, 1884. (No model.) A kind of half-open box with a handle. 316,101. Otis C. White, Worcester, Mass. “Photographic posing-support.”—Filed July, 19, 1884. (No model.) A head-rest, but including no points new to Europeans. PHOTO-MICROGRAPHS. BY S. BOTTOXE. Last August I wrote to express the satisfaction which I, in common with all the other readers of the Photographic News, felt at the excellent articles on this subject with which our friend Mr. J. IL Jennings was regaling us. At the same time I mentioned that a good -inch French triplet, costing nine shillings, would be found, for general work, as serviceable as a lens costing ten times that price, and for certain special cases, even preferable. I based this assertion on my own long experience, extending over a period of more than twenty years, and gave as reasons for this aptitude—1st, the long working distance possessed by these triplets ; 2nd, their penetration. Some exception seems to have been taken to this state ment, and Dr. Maddox,G. E. Davis, Woodward, Steinberg, and Koch have been adduced as proofs that nothing good could be done except with “the very best English work.” I have yet to learn whether Drs. Woodward, Steinberg, and Koch did use English lenses for their photo-micro graphs, and whether they did or not, will not prevent any unbiassed mind from acknowledging good work, whether done by a French, German, or English objective. Mention is also made of Mr. Davis’ aperture shutter, as a means whereby penetration can be conferred on a wide-angle objective. But a wide-angle objective costs much more than one of low-angle, and if the owner of such is still obliged to spend fifteen shillings or twenty shillings for an “aperture shutter,” before he gets the penetration and definition which can be got from a French triplet costing a tithe of the price, it would seem that he had better purchase the latter at once. Words, however, may fail to convince; I therefore give a sheet of photo-micrographs, which is reproduced on the following page, to show what can be done with a French triplet. If anyone can produce better work with any English objective, costing even only double, I am sure we should all be glad to see it, and learn where such objectives may be obtained. The central disc is a section of pith of Helianthus tubcrosus, magnified 250 diameters. This was taken in I sunlight on wet collodion. The sides and bottoms of the I cells are well shown. The top right-hand disc is a photo-