Volltext Seite (XML)
In appointing the medal jury this year, it will be seen that the Photographic Society has somewhat modified the custom of the past few years ; no painter’s name is among the seven gentlemen nominated, all of whom are members of the Society. The formula recommended by Dr. Stolze for preparing sensitized paper that will keep is not very different from several we have already published ; it is briefly as follows: Float the albumenized paper, in the ordinary way, upon a ten per cent, solution of nitrate of silver for four minutes, draw it over a glass rod to drain, and then float the back of the sheet for another four minutes upon a bath com posed of— Citrate of potash 1 part Water 30 parts Final washing in rain-water succeeds, and toning is best undertaken with sulpho-cyanide of gold. Mr. Horace Wilmer, one of the engineers of the Great Eastern Railway, showed us the other day a charming little photographic map he had produced for the pocket. It represented the whole of the eastern counties with their net-work of railways, upon a most minute scale, while yet every town and station was clear to the eye. The idea may possibly find application with many of our readers; it would be practicable to carry a whole atlas in the waistcoat pocket. A curious circumstance is told in connection with the burning down of Mr. Griggs’ photo-lithographic establish ment, of which we made mention at the time. Mr. Griggs it seems, from the first was thoroughly convinced that the fire was the work of an incendiary, who must have thrown some inflammable material through the sky-light ; and now, from information received, as the police say, he has little doubt the mischief was done by a Fenian, who mis took Mr. Griggs’ establishment for that of a studio close by, where the negative of “No. 1” (Tynan) was taken, copies of which have been circulated in every direction. The Photographic Society of Great Britain publishes to the world the fact that it now possesses a series of flanges and camera screws which have been approved by the Society as Standards. How far opticians and others will be prepared to adopt these standards, is a matter to be settled hereafter ; but anyone desirous of obtaining information about them is invited to apply to the Secretary of the Society. We have several times alluded to the sun-engine in these columns, the boiler of the engine consisting of a long cylin drical vessel blackened on the outside, upon which the sun’s rays are directed by means of huge reflectors. The heat under a tropical sun is more than sufficient in these cir- cumstances to bring water to the boiling point, and hence the generation of steam fit to work a small engine. It was but a short time ago that a printing-press was exhibited in action in the Tuileries Garden set in motion by one of these sun-engines ; but, as a matter of course, it is only in a Southern climate that the engine would work with any thing like regularity. Taking this circumstance into consideration, Dr. Hervey Macaulay has hit upon a clever idea, that may very possibly be feasible. He suggests the use of the sun-engine for cooling rooms and buildings ; when the weather is hot, the sun-engine can always work, and then it is obviously that cool air is most welcome. He proposes to assist ventilation by pumping cold air into buildings situated in the Tropics, with the sun-engine, and as the working of this would go on automatically as long as the sun shines, it would be possible to reduce the temperature of dwellings at the very time cool air is most wanted. The Chinese new iron-clad, Ting-Yuen, is lighted between decks with 240 Edison lamps. In this case, however, the Flowery Land is not in advance of the navies of the West. The Inflexible, our premier battle-ship, which carries four 80-ton guns, and took part in the recent bombardment of Alexandria, was fitted,with the Swan lamp a twelvemonth ago, her dull little cabins below the water-mark and the black recesses of the hrd thus being as brightly and clearly illumined as a modern ball-room. In fact, the eternal dark ness of our ’tween decks is likely to be swept away altogether before the electric lamp. A novelty is being introduced into the stationery trade in the shape of a visiting card with a photographic view in the corner. The views are taken to suit particular localities, and of course would only find purchasers in ths residents. Perhaps the next “ fad ” will be to have one's house photographed, and a picture in miniature placed on the card. According to a trade journal, the respective estimation in which we hold our friends and acquaintances may be determined by the size of the photograph we send in each case. In noticing the new “ Carte Midgets,” the journal in question says: “For sending to acquaintances or friends of recent acquirement, and where the ordinary C. D. V. or cabinet would be deemed a little out of place, these very small photos will be found very useful.” No doubt; but if a scale of acquaintanceship, leading up to “ a friend ship of recent acquirement,” and so on to close intimacy, and possibly affection, is to be established, some tact and discretion will be necessary to avoid giving offence. Besides, if the size of the photograph is to indicate the state of one’s feelings, nothing short of a life-sized enlarge ment will serve between engaged couples. And this would be not only awkward, but expensive. Everything concerning the sun should be of interest to photographers, but we do not know that up to the present they have busied themselves with what has been unkindly called the science of “ sun spotting.” From time imme morial, more or less importance has been attached to the presence or absence of spots on the sun, according to the favourite theory of the particular observer; but nothing