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THE PHOTOGRAPHIC NEWS. Vol. XXVII. No. 1289.—May 18, 1883. CONTENTS. PAGE .. 305 .. 305 306 .. 307 .. 308 .. 309 .. 310 .. 312 .. 31 1 .. 3H Peking Dry Plates A Now Shutter. By Mr. Cowan Wide-Angle Lenses al-a-Dozen Portraits french Correspondence. By Leon Vidal Sociability in Photographic Societies. By Lyddell Sawyer. Micro-Photography. By William h'organ.. Notes Patent Intelligence ..... Twelve Elemintary Lessons on Silver Printing PAGE Relative Action of Carbonates and Ammonias with Pyrogallol Developers. By Lyddell Sawyer 316 Sunshine and the Barometer. By Captain Abney, R.E.,F.R.S. 317 Recovering Silver from Waste Gelatine Emulsion Plates or . Paper. By J. Pike 317 Correspondence 318 Proceedings of Societies; 318 Talk in the Studio 319 To Correspondents 320 Photographs Rogistorei ■■■ 320 PACKING DRY PLATES. The packing of dry plates, especially for travelling, is a subject of the greatest importance. Most photographers ■wisely employ a wicker box or hamper for the outer en closure of plates and apparatus, and this strong and yield ing package may well be recommended to all who desire to reduce breakages to a minimum en voyage. Our friend Major Gordon, of Dinan, an able amateur, very aptly makes use of a roomy fishing basket, so that when off with his photographic materiel and folded stand, it looks very much as if, with rod and line, he is going to do battle with the lusty trout ; his photographic apparatus is never more bulky nor unwieldy than an outfit for a fishing excursion. Recently we described in these columns a packing box by Herr Schwarz, and we refer to it once more, because we have now the testimony of two thoroughly practical authorities on its value. A theoretical design is one thing, and an apparatus of proved worth is another, as everybody in general, and photographers in particular, know very well. Mr. Cowan was one of the first in this country to take up Herr Schwarz’s design—we may mention that our Berlin contemporary, the Mittheilungen, had already spoken highly of it—and now Mr. T. G. Whaite, a well- known medallist, writes to us likewise confirming the value of this particular mode of packing. We cannot do better than give an extract from Mr. Whaite’s letter to us ; he says: — “ I have just returned from a seven weeks’ trampin Normandy, Brittany, and the South of France. I took with me twenty-four dozen 7J plates, in addition to my colour-box, &c., and I want to draw your attention to the value of a form of packing-box for plates, recommended to me by Mr. Cowan. The twenty-four dozen were packed in eight boxes of three dozen each, then placed on end in a strong hamper with stout handles, iron rod with lock, and legibly labelled—‘ Fragile.’ “ I saw it several times tumbled out of the vans, for it was rather heavy, just about as much as one could lift. I have now got it home, and examined the plates, and have not had one plate in twenty-four dozen broken. You will understand each plate had only its own weight to bear, which is an important item. “ The box is made of light wood ; at each corner, of one eighth of an inch from the end, is a small post, and the glass is placed between these, a narrow strip of card board being between the face of each. A sliding lid pasted over with paper, and the box stood on end in the hamper, are the other precautions to be adopted. The plates are easily repacked after exposure with the same pieces of board. Those who buy plates know how trouble ¬ some it is to re-pack with the small pieces of crimped paper sent out with plates. “ I think Mr. Cowan told me the box was suggested by a German photographer, Herr Schwarz by name. No better testimony to its value can be required than this seven weeks’ knocking about on the Continent, and in so many different towns, without the slightest breakage.” That our readers may understand more clearly Herr Schwarz’s mode of packing, we here reproduce the sketch of it. k k represents the box as we look down into it, with the cover removed. The plate, P, is represented by dotted lines. Four wooden uprights—Mr. Whaite, for want of a better name, calls them posts—are at each corner of the box, marked v v v v, and serve to wedge the plate in position. The plates are simply laid flat in the box, and separated by strips of card, a a, one at each end. The uprights, v v v v, keep the strips of card in their places. We may further remark, in addition to what Mr. Whaite says, that the simplification of Mr. Cowan, to which we recently alluded in our “ Notes,” is a very desirable one. By its means, all the plates are facing one way—so that in taking out there can be no mistake about back and front —and half the number of strips of card are saved. Mr. Cowan merely packs his plates all face downwards, and inserts between each but one strip of board, this strip being put alternately to the right and left of the box, as the packing goes on. A NEW SHUTTER BY MR. COWAN. There can be no doubt as to the advantages of placing a shutter close to the plate, rather than near the lens ; and the considerable space ordinarily occupied by a shutter so placed, is reduced to a minimum by an ingenious arrange ment due to Mr. Cowan. The shutter, A, which may be made of hard wood or ebonite, can slide freely in grooves, and is slotted out between B and B. A disc, C, carries a pin, G, this pin working freely in the slot, BB ; and it will be readily under stood that each complete revolution of the disc will cause the shutter to open and shut. Mr. Cowan first tried to