Volltext Seite (XML)
Jam: 29, 1883.1 THE PHOTOGRAPHIC’NEWS. 409 Mr. G. Lavis, of Eastbourne, sends us a portrait of the Princess of Wales, taken, we believe, by Bassano ; a group of the Prince and Princess of Wales and family, by Downey ; and a portrait also of Lord Wolseley, from the original of Fradelle, all of which he purchased atone penny each from a hawker. Mr. Lavis says : “ They were exhibited for sale in th principal street of our town, together with copies of pictures of most of the leading houses, all the originals being, I believe, copyright." “I suppose there is no remedy,” sums up Mr. Lavis. We suppose not, nor will there be any until photographers balloon photography. Fifteen years ago we were presented with a photograph of Boston, U.S., taken from a balloon during a fixed ascent, the picture being secured by the wet process; that balloon picture we have now had copied, so that our readers may judge for themselves about recent pro gress in this branch of the art. The picture is a little unsharp, owing to the exposure not being rapid enough ; but if it is not the best balloon photograph yet taken—the fine photographs of Nadar were secured some years after— this Boston picture is certainly one of the earliest specimens of balloon photography. choose to bestir themselves. It is only a question how long it will last; either photographers must take up the matter, or there will be no photographers left to take it up. If people can purchase portraits of celebrities for one penny a-piece, it is not likely they will pay the shilling demanded at shops. An Elementary Treatise on Photographic Chemistry for sixpence! We are glad to announce that Mr, Arnold Spiller’s simple lessons have been issued in the form of a little volume, which Messrs. Piper and Carter published this week. Hereafter there should be no excuse for photographer or assistant being ignorant of the principles of photographic chemistry, since, with Mr. Spiller’s assistance, all can acquire the rudiments with a little study and application. The latest American photographic sensation is “ a means of tattooing by photography, so that photographs may be transferred to the human body.” We scarcely imagine such a fashion can ever become popular. Certainly Edwin could, if he chose, wear the photograph of Angelina liter ally next his heart; but how awkward it would be if, after all, he never married Angelina, but somebody else instead ! Is it possible the ingenious inventor contemplates creating a demand for photographs in tattoo among the South Sea Islanders ? Blisters in albumenized paper during washing are best prevented, according to Herr Silomon, of Dresden, by putting into the first washing water—after the prints come from the fixing bath—a handful of common salt to every dozen quarts of water. Herr Silomon, as a well-known manufacturer of albumenized paper, speaks with! some authority, and he says that after years of experience, this means has never failed him, even in the case of very highly albumenized paper; neither does the salt influence the toning. Dr. Vogel also speaks well of this method— scarcely new, perhaps—of avoiding blisters, albeit not so enthusiastically as Herr Silomon. A solution of iodine in iodide of potassium is found useful by the photographer for many things, the removal of silver stains being one of them; in Mexico they have discovered that this same iodine solution is an effective antidote against the rattlesnake-bite. Mr. Common, of Ealing, who was elected a member of the Photographic Society at the last meeting, has made an enlargement of his nebula of Orion photograph, and printed it in Woodburytype, for the purpose of presenting copies to various scientific societies. The photograph was taken by Mr. Common, in January last, with his great three-foot reflector, the exposure being thirty-seven minutes. The photograph shows several features not In a recent lecture on “Military Ballooning,” atthe Royal United Service Institution, Lieutenant Baden Powell is reported to have told his hearers that “ small balloons retained by a string have been used for taking plans of the country beneath, by instantaneous photography, an electric wire connecting the apparatus with the ground.” It would be interesting to know something more of these plans of the country taken by instantaneous photography in this way. The only balloon apparatus, of the nature specified, we are aware of, is that of Mr. Walter Woodbury, which, however, has not been tested practically. Captain Elsdale, E.E., we believe, has obtained some successful little views bv means of a camera attached to a small balloon; but, in this case, the latter was free, and not retained by a string. We published last week a photo-print by the old Pretsch process to show that we had not advanced much in the pre paration of typographical blocks from photographs during the past twenty years. It is apparently the same with rendered in any drawing of the nebula, and is therefore a distinct advance on previous observations. A South London photographer adopts a novel mode of advertising. He employs a “sandwich-man” with two cases of portraits hung over his shoulders, one on his chest and the other on his back, to promenade up and down the principal thoroughfares. This method may be effective, but it is scarcely dignified. Our readers may like to know what sort of business some of the first-rate Paris firms do. Ten years ago, one of the best establishments in the French metropolis made our thousand pounds a-year, and did so, we are informed, 'our years in succession at least. Another studio, whose head was absent during the siege of Paris, received, on return after six months’ absence, takings amounting to twelve hundred thousand francs, or £4,800 ; and neither of these studios probably employs more than eight or ten hands.