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May 22, 1885.J THE PHOTOGRAPHIC NEWS. holding of the Drawing Rooms later on io the season, when the weather is more genial. When the shutter of a dark slide is covered with a roughing composition, which enables one to write upon it with slate pencil, it is very easy to make full memoranda as to exposure or other matters, and we have to acknow ledge the receipt of such a slide from the Scovill Co., of New York. The shutter is of a light, flexible material, like the cover of a book. A rough varnish for making the “ artificial slate surface” may be made by dissolving about 40 grains of gum dammar in an ounce of benzole, and mixing in a little finely-ground marble dust and lamp-black. A correspondent who signs himself “ Ignoramus,” writes I should be glad if you could tell me where I could buy some of the plates used by the member of the Chicago Amateur Photographic Club, and referred to by Mr. Hunter in your last issue. These plates, after being exposed for one second, dropped out of the carrier on the floor of a well-lighted room, yet upon development yielded perfect pictures. I have had plates drop from the dark slide, and I have several times left the lid of my dry-plate box open, but in every instance fog utter and complete was the result. I think that plates which may be freely exposed to light without danger are the want of every beginner in photography.” We coincide in the opinion of our correspondent. Unhappily the want is one not at all likely to be gratified. A prominent clergyman, according to a contemporary, calls the face " the playground of the soul.” We don’t quite understand this, but if it be so, is the nose the scenter of the playground ? Anyway, the matter is one for portrait photographers to con over. Beware of bichromate poisoning. A well-known photo grapher recently injured one of his hands through immersing it in a hot solution containing bichromate of potash when developing some carbon prints in a hurry. The symptoms are very disagreeable, and the poison is diffi cult to irradicate thoroughly from the system. A TOURIST’S WASHING AND DRYING RACK. BY T. G. WHAITE. It is very desirable when travelling to have some means of perfectly washingand drying negatives that havebeen deve loped en route. The difficulty of finding space in the hotel bedroom for such necessary operations is very great. The little contrivance here sketched answers every purpose ad mirably ; placed in a stream or river, and left all night, en sures a thorough washing. Taken out in the early morning and left in a good current of air I find them generally dry by breakfast time (Continental), 11 o’clock. There is no trouble removing from rack after washing ; the rack being open at sides and bottom allows the air to circulate freely amongst the negatives. It is very light and portable, and the same rack can be made to take two or more sizes of plates; if required to hold one size only the bottom framework should be made rigid, not sliding, and will be firmer and less troublesome in making. The sides and crimped pieces should be of zinc, the framework of brass wire and brass tubing. Fig. 1 shows rack set for receiving negatives; Fig. 2 shows same folded. The top bars, AA, have two or more slots to allow the Fig. 1—SET UP FOR LARGEST SIZE NEGATIVES. rack to be extended for different sized negatives ; mine is made for 8} by 6} and 7} by 5 plates; the bottom tubes, CC, slide one into the other, the top bars, AA, hinged at D, and the notches, EE, retain the crimped sides erect and firm. In Fig 2 the top bars, AA, fold back as at O in packing up. The two rods, BB, are brass wire covered Fig. 2—WHEX FOLDED with feeding-bottle tubing for resting the negatives on. It will be observed that one side is hinged with a J-sort of hinge on the thick, or bottom tube, ana the other on the thinner one; the former will conveniently lie flat over the latter. Zinc tubing, if for a large sized plate (say 15 by 12), would be less expensive, and should then be made rigid, not sliding ; but for small plates I find the brass wire and tubing makes a much neater affair. ON THE DAGUERREOTYPE PROCESS. BY THOMAS GALLOWAY.* For softness and delicacy of detail no photographic process has ever equalled the Daguerreotype. In 1839 the process was published by Daguerre, and within a short time many establish- • Read before the Newcastle-on-Tyne and Northern Counties Photo graphic Association.