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728 THE PHOTOGRAPHIC NEWS. LNOvEMBER 16, 1883. one of the ferrous oxalate recommendations, not to speak of the immense advantage of having this kind of it, with tartaric in it, saving the trouble of having to make up a fresh preparation at each development. I have noticed, in my experience, after a time’s cessation, that a scum is apt to form in the bottle which contains M. Audras’ solution ; it is well to watch this, and filter always on putting it into the dipping baths. Motes. On Tuesday evening, the President of the Photographie Society, Mr. James Glaisher, F.K.S., presented the medals won at the recent Exhibition at Pall Mall. We regret to announce the death of Mr. John Lessels, who has for some years past occupied the presidential chair of the Edinburgh Photographic Society. Mr. Lessels, who was born in 1809, held a high position as architect in the Scotch capital, and was one of its most widely-known and respected citizens. No little of the success that has attended the popular Edinburgh Society was due to its late president. Mr. Peter Mawdsley has, we learn, established himself as a dry-plate manufacturer in Rochester, New York. Major Waterhouse, the Deputy Surveyor-General of India, will write in the Year-Book, “ About Bitumen,” that mysterious sensitive body that has puzzled photo graphers since the days of Nicephore Niepce; while M. Chapiro, of St. Petersburgh, the Court photographer to the Emperor of Russia, will tell British photographers how their Russian brethren manage to apply that exqui site glaze to albumenized prints which has long formed a feature of first-class Moscovite photography. Mr. W. J. A. Grant told us last week something about gelatine plates passing the English Customs—or, rather, not passing that department. Mr. C. Chesterman tells us now that the Russian Custom Office is also slow to under stand the nature of dry plates. Sometimes these are classed with one kind of goods, and sometimes made to pay duty with another. The last idea, however, is a singularly happy one; seeing that photographic plates represent glass with a silvered film, the Russian Custom House now place them under the same category as looking glasses. Dr. Frohlich has reported to the Berlin Physical Society the results of some careful experiments he has made in reference to the radiation of the sun. Six measurements taken during the months of June, July, August, Sep tember, show marked variations in the radiation of heat, and, curiously enough, comparing his data with the daily photographs of the sun taken by Dr. Lohse, of the Pots dam Observatory, he finds that the lower degrees of solar heat correspond to the photographs showing most sun spots, while the greater degree of heat is registered when the solar photographs show few sunspots. This is a very important fact to have established, if it is a fact; but Dr. Frohlich, although he has little doubt upon the subject, will institute more comprehensive experiments before finally laying down this law. Photography seems likely to put an end to the “ Sleeping Beautythat is to say, beauty asleep is not beautiful in this practical world of ours, whatever it may be in the world of romance. Some pictures we have lately seen of sleeping men and women are, to say the least, exceedingly disagreeable to look upon. Sleeping babes and chubby five-year-olds are often pleasing enough, but the little lad of twelve already has a load of care in his sad face as you look at it thrown back upon the pillow. The face of a sleeping woman is full of remorse—there is no other word for it—while the countenance of a sleeping man has usually the impress of pain and long suffering very distinctly. Even the casual observer may see this if he takes the trouble ; let him note the features of fellow-passengers in railway or steamer when they drop off to sleep, and he will find that the most beautiful face ceases to be so when it slumbers. According to The Eye, the prices of the best photo graphic work in Chicago is ten dollars for a dozen cabinet portraits (two positions). This may be likened to two guineas with us, which, as everybody knows, is a goodly figure, if not so high as one or two first-class London houses charge. “The Photographic Society consists mainly of pro gressionists,” said Mr. Jabez Hughes on Tuesday ; and he pointed out that a large proportion of our professional photographers, who derive large profits from the latest development of photography, altogether fail to support the societies and other agencies which have contributed so largely to the advancement of photographic art. Perhaps they will take the hint. It would be interesting to know why the Town Council of Stratford-on-Avon object to a private photographer having possession of the negatives of certain manuscripts and documents deposited in Shakspeare's house. The objection was the outcome of a discussion on a request made by Dr. Ingleby, one of the life trustees of the house, for permission to autotype the documents in question. Subsequently it was decided to grant the request, but only upon the express stipulation that the manuscripts should not be taken out of the house, and that the negatives should become the sole property of the Corporation. A condition of this kind seems likely to lead to complication. How much better it would have been for the Corporation to have taken the matter in their own hands, and themselves have had the document photographed. Considering the intense interest which Shakespearian relics possess for all the English- speaking race, it is a wonder this has not been done before. The experience of an editor of an illustrated paper almost leads one to think that there must be something amiss