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THE PHOTOGRAPHIC NEWS. 249 Of the four-years’ system, which undoubtedly is a great boon, inventive photographers will possibly take advantage, although we must confess that up to the present time photographic patents, with very few exceptions, have either proved abortive, or have been failures commercially. It is so difficult, for instance, to patent a process when the sub stitution of one material for another may enable the patent to be successfully infringed. It is not generally known that Daguerre patented his process in this country, but we are not aware that royalties were even paid by the early Daguerreotypists. Sir Henry Bessemer probably has had as much experience of the patent laws as anybody living, but when he invented his bronze powder, which laid the foundation of his fortune, he preferred keeping the process of manufacture a secret, to patenting it. In nearly every branch of applied arts and sciences there are trade secrets, and notably among photo-lithographers. Most of the photo-lithographers engaged commercially have “ dodges ” which they will not disclose for love or money, and certainly would never think of patenting. A very interesting discussion followed the reading of Mr. H. T. Wood’s paper on Wednesday night, but nearly the whole of the feeling of the meeting tended rather towards favouring the inventor, the introducer, or even the re-introducer of a process, than towards a fair con sideration of public rights. A. (examining the water-mark of a bank-note produced by fligraine.') Very clever, certainly. B. It is ; but what do you think the Bank of England says—that I have rendered myself liable to twenty years’ penal servitude! Think of that! A. Ah! but you wouldn’t get the twenty years really, you know ; they knock off one year in every five, as a matter of course ; and if you behave yourself, that is taken in mitigation of the punishment as well. By the way, it is not generally known that the wave water-mark belongs by charter to the Bank of England. You may print crooked water-mark lines, or zigzags, or circles, but you must not produce wavy lines on a docu ment. A difficulty recently arose with the General Post Office, which wanted to print its orders with transparent wave lines ; and this was only got over by the Bank of England doing the work for the Postmaster-General. Photographers know how dangerous is fuming gun cotton, that is to say, gun-cotton containing free nitric acid, which comes off in the form of heavy brown vapour. Although the material will dissolve well enough in ether and alcohol, the heating and spontaneous explosion of it is always to be dreaded; and for a similar reason, the chemists who examined the acid nitro-glycerine recently seized by the police would not hold themselves responsi ble for its safety, as if it were a well-prepared nitro compound. Plenty of water, made alkaline with a little carbonate of soda, was added to counteract the acidity, and this, photographers should note, is the best treatment for any fuming gun-cotton they may have in the labora tory. It is a moot point whether the gelatine or collodion pro cess is the more costly to the professional photographer. To some extent the question depends upon the extent of the business done. Where there are a large number of sitters, gelatine must be cheaper to use than collodion, since the loss of time in preparation is obviated, while its superior sensitiveness enables portraits to be secured when it would be useless to employ collodion. In a small business, and where large-sized plates are much in use, collodion may sometimes have the advantage. But against this economy in cost must be set the convenience of gelatine, and the power which the photographer has of concentrating his whole attention in the posing and arrange ment of the sitter. A suggestive book on the “ Principles of Physiog nomical Hair-dressing,’’ by Mr. Joseph Lichtenfeld, has just been published. Though addressed to hair-dressers, and through them to the public, it is of considerable interest to photographers, since it deals scientifically with the methods by which a face can be set off by the hair. Mr. Lichtenfeld lays down the dictum that “the chief factor which should regulate every other line of the coiffure is the top of the nose. If this be “ tip-tilted,” then the hair should be so dressed that the lines come as nearly as possible parallel with the lines indicated by the nose ; if the nose be downward in its inclination, then the reverse should be the case. Mr. Lichtenfeld gives numerous illustrations, which well carry out his theory. Photographers who have to yield to the dictates of fashion, however outrageous they may be, would be grateful if ladies would only study the “ Principles of Physiog nomical Hair-dressing,” and carry them out. Many a pretty face has been spoilt by the unsuitable arrangement of the hair; and the defects are never so glaring as when photographed. Those who are curious on the subject of Mr. Lichtenfeld’s book may see the principal illustrations in the Queen of last week, where they have been repro duced. Now that the vocal organs can be photographed, a possibility in the way of a photographic novelty is opened up. Photographs of the features of Patti, Nillson, Albani, and other queens of song, are eagerly bought by the public; why should they not also rush after photographs of the wondrous mechanism by which the fair vocalists have enchanted multitudes ? There is, unfortunately, the drawback, which Dr. Behnke pointed out, of the difficulty of keeping the tongue still (which must present a tremendous obstacle in the case of ladies); but much might be done by perseverance. Old Daguerreotypists must be possessed of a stock of curious stories of the ignorance of the sitters of thirty years ago. A correspondent who entered the profession in 1851 tells how, on one occasion, a lady and gentleman wished to be photographed together. When the arrange ments were complete, and the exposure about to be made, the lady observed that she had lost a child about three