The photographic news

• Bandzählung: 12.1868
• Erscheinungsdatum: 1868
• Sprache: Englisch
• Signatur: F 135
• Vorlage: Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst Leipzig
• Digitalisat: Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst Leipzig
• Digitalisat: SLUB Dresden
• Rechtehinweis: Public Domain Mark 1.0
• URN: urn:nbn:de:bsz:14-db-id1780948042-186800009
• PURL: http://digital.slub-dresden.de/id1780948042-18680000
• OAI: oai:de:slub-dresden:db:id-1780948042-18680000
• Sammlungen: LDP: Historische Bestände der Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst Leipzig
• Sammlungen: Fotografie
• Strukturtyp: Band

• Digitalisat: SLUB Dresden
• Strukturtyp: Ausgabe

? 488 THE PHOTOGRAPHIC NEWS. [October 9, 1868. for me to enter into either comment or eulogy thereon. I may remark, however, that they go far to negative a common apothegm, that very little of art can be taught. But there is another form of art teaching of which we have too little, and another class of art teachers of whom we have too few. I refer to those most valuable of all teachers who strive to produce by photography the highest results of which it is capable in pictorial art, not simply as a matter of business, not as a means of bread-winning, but from a love of the art, from a profound belief in its capabilities, and a resolve, at much cost and much labour, to demonstrate its fitness for rendering pictorial effect. For this, the highest reward they as a rule desire is, the appreciation and honour of their fellows; and this reward they do in the main receive. Such appre ciation, I doubt not, in their estimation faroutweighsthe gibes of the envious and incapable which they must also receive. But putting this latter small class of small detractors aside, it has often struck me that there is too little active and demon strative appreciation amongst photographers of this highest class of art teachers. I believe that the works they produce are rarely published or offered for sale ; but where they have been so published, have photographers generally purchased them, and shown, by their eagerness to secure them, that they appreciated the work ? Many of the photographs of the late Mr. Grundy were gems of real art, and, so. far as monochrome can go, might have rivalled the works of Gerard Dow or Teniers. And yet I question if one photographer in a hundred ever saw a copy. If I wanted to purchase a copy now I should not know where to procure it, and the nega tives are, I believe, scattered about and lost. When Rej- lander exhibited his first great picture, the “ Two Ways of Life,” it was received with coldness by some, with condem nation by others, and with the enthusiastic admiration it deserved by scarcely any. Of the hundreds of photographic triumphs in the field of art, full of fine lessons, which he has since issued, how few have found their way into the port folios of photographers! When the pictures of Adam- Salomon were introduced to attention—pictures which have unquestionably shown to photographers a new and higher hase of photographic portraiture than they had before reamed of—-many photographers vied with each other in striving to ascertain how little merit they possessed, and how much of the qualities which they could not deny was due to trick or adventitious aid. Robinson, it is true, has been more fortunate; such of his art studies as he has published have, I believe, sold largely, and honours have attended his works wherever they have been exhibited, at home and abroad ; not less than a score of medals, if I am rightly in formed, having been awarded to them within half as many years. The form of art study I should especially like to recom mend to photographers would extend this class of art teachers. I should like to see more photographers enter the list to produce purely pictorial photography, and demonstrate the capacity for art purposes of camera and chemicals. Lessons in art are now not wanting ; so much of art—espe cially in its relation to photography—as can be taught is now accessible in your pages; but this will be of little value without frequent effort to apply it; and this effort can only be imperfectly attempted in the regular course of the busi ness ot portraiture. It is only in the attempt to produce subject pictures, with time at their disposal, with sitters or models under some control, and with discretion as to choice of draperies, accessories, backgrounds, &c., that the photo graphic art student can hope to develop his powers, and only by such exercise that he can fit himself for securing the highest excellence in the ordinary practice of his profession as a portraitist. The imperfect appreciation of such work already alluded to may, it is true, be cited as affording but little encourage ment to effort in this direction. This is an objection of little weight, and that for many reasons. The reward will be found in the effort itself, and in the skill, facility, and com mand over ordinary professional duties the portraitist will acquire by indulging in such studies. The power and con fidence gained will be worth much, even if the pictorial studies fall short of the highest art excellence. The ait would undoubtedly be elevated by such effort, and many worthy pictures would doubtless be produced, illustrating in various ways the plasticity of photography. Dryden tells us, in one of his pregnant lines, that— “ They had crowns who but endeavoured well.” I fear that in photography the mere aim or intention to succeed would win no crown amongst photographers, because, as a rule, the endeavour could only be made manifest by its success; but of this I am satisfied, that if all photographers who love their art, and are interested in its advancement, would make effort now and then to illustrate its pictorial power in other modes than by the production of “ pot-boilers,” not only would they gain in skill as individuals, but the standard level of excel lence in photographic portraiture would rapidly rise, and with that must come a simultaneous elevation of the general status of photography and photographers. I should have liked to say more on some phases of art study; but in undertaking to write one of the “ short ” essays on photography and art, I find space only for a few desultory thoughts is available. Possibly on another occasion I may offer a few further suggestions on the subject. o ON THE EMPLOYMENT OF COLLODIONIZED PAPER. BY LUDWIG SCHRANK.* The Industrial Employment of Collodionized Paper. W E should feel some embarrassment were anybody to ask us if we could guarantee the successful introduction of collo- dionized paper, and we therefore propose to place the reader in such a position that he may be able to form his own opinion on the subject. In the first place, the price of the prepared paper is notably higher than that of albuminized paper, for in the fabrication of the former it is necessary to take into calculation the amount of loss incurred by the evaporation of the ether, alcohol, &c. But at the same time it must be remembered that in sensitizing a quire of albuminized paper as much as two or three ounces of nitrate of silver is expended, and this, added to cost of superintendence and the amount to be allowed for waste and spoilt materials, forms an important item, which is sel dom sufficiently considered by photographers. The collodio- chloride paper is almost half as sensitive again as albumin ized paper, and is always ready for employment, whereas the other must be freshly prepared from time to time. Then the prints produced are much sharper than those on albuminized paper, or, as we heard a Berlin referee express himself, they possess “ fabulous sharpness.” Lastly, even if the price charged is somewhat high, in these days of competition, it would be well worth while securing superior advantages, even at a notably increased outlay. The facility with which the collodion film may be removed from the paper renders the material remarkably suitable for making transfers, and in this capacity it is of so great a value to the photographer that no studio should be without it, more especially the studio of the enameller. The latter generally employs collodion positives, produced in the camera by means of an ordinary negative, for the powder ing of the porcelain colours; but if these negatives have been designed for making positives on paper, they are too vigor ous "for the enamel process, and produce, therefore, very hard results; moveover, the-half tones sometimes suffer from the great heat to which they are subjected in the burning pro cess. We have now before us several positive pictures produced by means of collodionized paper, in which softness and vigour are blended to such a degree that no better result could possibly be wished for. That the collodionized paper is in every way well suited, not only to the production.o * Continued from p. 478.