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328 PHOTOGRAPHIC HEWS. LMAY 22, 1885. Zlotes. The Amateur Society of Manchester has made a good beginning, and the President, in his inaugural address, pointed out the value of photography in making records. Rapidly and almost inperceptibly, our old cities change until they become new. Photographic records, to be use ful, should be dated, and none but permanent prints deserve the name of records. Yet another Photographic Club is in the course of for mation in London (see page 335). It is to be called the Amateur Photographers’ Club. Perhaps it would have been better to have selected a name less likely to lead to confusion with existing organizations of a similar kind, such as The Photographic Club, The Amateur Photo graphic Association, or The Amateur Field Club. The Lords of the Admiralty ignore photography altogether ; but, as for many years past, the Home Secre tary’s department will again most extensively pratronize the camera. This is, of course, because it is a standing rule to photograph all convicted prisoners. During the current year no less than £600 will be spent in what may be called criminal photography. In Ireland only £90 were required for the above pur pose in 1884-5; but this year, seemingly, it is expected that the number of “ sitters” will be reduced. As a con sequence only £72 are to be asked from the House of Commons, and it is to be hoped that the anticipated falling oS in the numbers of prison “ cartes ” will be realized. There is to be considerable activity at the South Kensington Museum in a photographic direction. The photographing of art objects in the various collections is to be assiduously continued, and no less than £1,000 will be placed in the hands of the S. K. authorities for the above purpose, coupled with the preparation and circula tion of chromos and etchings. The Industrial Exhibition, which is to open at Paris in July next, includes photographs and photographic appa ratus (Class V.). Those who wish to exhibit should write to the Administration, Exposition du travail, 31, boulevard Bonne Novelle, Paris. A vertical, or dipping, bath is strongly recommended by M. Lugardon, of Geneva, for the development of dry plates with ferrous-oxalate ; as the tendency of the solu tion to oxidize is much less than when an ordinary dish is used. In order to preserve the developer between-whiles, an air-tight cover is used. Photographers may welcome this suggestion as a means of utilizing the almost discarded baths which were employed in the wet collodion process. The hydrocarbon anthracene has been suggested by Mr. F. A. Gooch as a filtering medium in analytical work. The fine, fluffy crystals are felted together at the bottom of a perforated platinum crucible fitted to a vacuum flask, and the precipitate is collected on the felt thus obtaired. Heat or a suitable solvent is employed for getting rid of the anthracene. “Amateurs here continue- to lose plates through defective packing,” writes Mr. F. C. Beach, President of the New York Amateur Association; 11 and the subject will be discussed at our next meeting.” Bad packing of plates has done much mischief in this country, and any discussion is likely to do good. One of the photographic curiosities of the day is the por trait of Mrs. Langtry at the age of sixteen. These portraits, which are being offered for sale, show the lady as a slight girlish figure, with a decidedly plain face. But photo graphy was always a little unkind to Mrs. Langtry’s type of beauty. The camera is powerless where fascination of manner and charms of conversation are concerned. The reported arrest by the Russian authorities of the British Consol at Batoum, while sketching at a port on the Caspian, suggests the advisability of using some kind of concealed camera when pictures of fortifications arc re quired. The bat camera, recently described in these columns, ought to be invaluable ; or should the act of un covering the head be deemed suspicious, a combination of a camera with an umbrella could be easily effected. We have heard it suggested that if a lady were employed on such an errand, the “ dress improver ” would make an efficacious and unsuspected receptacle for the camera, but we scarcely approve of the notion. Freckles annoy the portrait photographer, and even when scarcely visible to the eye they sometimes are very distinct on the negative. The Archive suggests that it is an excellent plan to dust the face of the sitter over with violet powder tinted yellow with some harmless colouring matter. Turmeric would probably answer the purpose. At the last meeting of the Iiussian Photographic Society, the question of taking life-sized heads was discussed, and Lieutenant Pavoffski advocated the use of a landscape lens with the diaphragm placed behind it. Lieutenant Pav- loffski supplemented his remarks by showing some excel lent results. The Referee, writing on the Drawing Room held by the Queen last week, says that “ in Regent Street there was quite a block of ladies going to be photographed in their Court dresses, and the Johnnies and their bouquets wait ing outside the photographer’s came in for more chaff.” It is a pity the Court regulations are so rigid. What a boon it would be if a studio were fitted up at Buckingham Palace for the photographing of debutantes ! A collection of portraits of ladies after their having been sitting in a carriage for a couple of hours or so exposed to the east wind, would not be particularly pleasing ; but it might induce the Queen to effect a much-desired reform—the