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

554 THE PHOTOGRAPHIC NEWS. [November 20, 1868. plate pictures were good. Mr. Bowen’s portraits were spoiled by a noisy mount. The cabinets with natural backgrounds, by Mr. N. Briggs, were exceedingly perfect. A variety of styles of portraiture, all displaying very fine taste, were ex hibited by Dr. Wallich. Mr. Downe’s portraits were deli cate, forcible, and well arranged. Mr. B. J. Edwards exhibited some portraits possessing excellent qualities in a rare degree ; they were singularly fine in texture, solid, well modelled, delicate, and artistic in feeling. Mr. Bateman, of Canterbury, has some very admi-able vignettes, at once delicate and forcible. Mr. J. H. Redin, the Governor of Carlisle Gao], has a frame of capital portraits fixed with hyposulphite of ammonia; nothing could be finer than the tone and quality; time alone will, of course, be the true test of the superior value of the fixing agent. Messrs. Bullock Brothers also exhibited some good portraits. In the absence of a catalogue it is easy to neglect the mention of some meritorious pictures, but we have mentioned the chief examples of plain portraiture which came under our attention. The pictorial compositions and art studies inthis exhibition are, for the most part, of unusual excellence. Occupying a place of honour, Mr. Robinson’s “Returning Home” formed a constant centre of interest to visitors. We have before fully described this picture, and need not enter into further criti cism. Mr. Rej lander has a splendid collection, both on the walls and in a portfolio. Few artists, either in photography or painting, have ever exceeded him in giving expression to a thought in the treatment of a single figure, and here are dozens of examples illustrating that photography is wonderfully plastic in the hands of a true artist. Perhaps nothing in the exhibition exceeds in beauty and artistic feeling a little study by Mr. Hubbard, representing a young girl looking out of the window upon a street scene, admi rably made out, yet perfectly atmospheric. It is a small picture, about five inches by four inches, and is obtained by double printing, the result being charming. Some other artistic pictures of the same size are exhibited by Mr. Hubbai'd, and a twelve by ten study, which is full of clever ness. It represents the interior of a cottage with large, old- fashioned fire-place, and various articles of furniture spread around. An old woman sits peeling potatoes, and forms the centre of interest in the picture. The perfect harmony and keeping of the picture, the quietness with which every accessory keeps its place, the admirable blending of the real objects with the painted background, all form a most effec tive picture, which half the visitors pronounced unhesita tingly a copy of a painting. Mrs. Cameron sent some good examples of her peculiar style, amongst which were some fine examples of artistic feeling, with less slovenliness of execution. than we have before pointed out. Mr. C. Twy man’s picture, “ Be asy, now!” is another of the examples of the plastic power of photography in which this exhibition abounds, and is one of the cleverest pictures in the exhibi tion. Mr. Crawshay sends several studies, in which the photography is very excellent indeed: we prefer “ What can ho be doing?” as a picture. Mr. Brewer’s “ life studies ” arc fine vigorous heads with fine expression. Mr. H. R. Rump had some fine large character portraits, which were very effective. Mr. E. W. Dallas, whose name used to be familiar to photographers a dozen years ago, sent a single study, entitled "Samuel,” which had many fine qualities. Amongst portrait studies, a fine rugged head, entitled “ On the look out,” by Mr. Ashdown, maybe mentioned. Be longing to this branch of photography, also, may be men tioned some pretty cattle studies by Mr. Archer Clarke, some horseback pictures by Mr. Avey, and some small pictures, of animals by Mr. Jewell, and some others, all very excellent. We had hoped to complete our brief notice of the exhibi tion, which must possess the character more of a chronicle of facts, than a criticism, this week; but wc find that specia lities, processes, coloured pictures, and apparatus must be deferred until our next. CHEMICAL ACTION OF LIGHT. We print on another page an account of a series of exceed ingly interesting experiments on the Chemical Action of Light, presented by Professor Tyndall to the Royal Society. To men of no profession can research of this kind present so much interest as to photographers. Upon the chemical action of light is based every possibility in their pursuit; and although its practical operation in their art is at present limited within a comparatively narrow range, and has refer ence to a small number of substances only, yet every step which widens the field of research, and every discovery which extends the domain of knowledge in this especial direction, are of value to the photographer, if not in pre senting materials for immediate application, at least for enlarging the possibilities of his art. The interesting researches of Professor Tyndall as to the action of light on certain vapours and liquids may have no immediate effect upon the practice of photography, but it is impossible to say at what point in his discoveries a practi cal application may become obvious. Let us illustrate by a speculation upon the possibilities attending his recent discoveries. In his paper before the Royal Society he states that actinic light decomposes the vapour of nitrite and nitrate of amyl. Amyl is a radical analogous to ethyl and methyl, the hydrated oxide of amyl being known as fusel oil, as the hydrated oxide of ethyl is known as ethylic, or common alcohol, and the hydrated oxide of methyl is known as methylic alcohol. Fusel oil is known to be a common impurity in ordinary alcohol, and its presence in collodion has long been regarded as injurious, and conducive to fog, without any knowledge of the reason why it should produce mischief. Prof. Tyndall’s experiments suggest a series of possibilities. When fusel oil is in collodion, and comes into contact with nitric acid, either free in the bath or liberated by action of free iodine in the collodion, a trace of nitrate of amyl may be formed, and this body, being present in the film when exposed to the action of light, and possibly decomposed, would, under some circumstances, yield, as a product of decomposition, valerianic acid, a sub stance answering to acetic acid, as the product of the oxida tion of common alcohol, or formic acid in methylic alcohol, Or, possibly, in the decomposition, intermediate bodies analogous to acetone or aldehyde, might be formed, with a well-known tendency to produce fog when present in a collodion film. Such a series of possibilities exist, and might furnish a clue to the fogging action of fusel oil when present in collodion, which, arguing from ordinary analogies, ought not to be more inimical to success than the ordinary alcohol employed in the manufacture of collodion. DOES WATER EXPAND ON FREEZING? We gave in our last an extract from Scientific Opinion, in which M. Barthelemy denied the commonly-received opinion that water expands on freezing. The subject, although not strictly photographic, is one which will interest our readers sufficiently to justify a few more words on the question, which tend to negative the statement of the French savant. We append a letter from one of our readers who is a most shrewd and intelligent observer, in which he describes a fact which could not bo accounted for on M. Barthelemy’s theory. Our correspondent says :— “ A short extract in your last impression on the above subject calls to my mind a curious circumstance that came under my notice two winters ago. My operator, at night, filled a stoppered bottle with water, and in the morning the stopper was driven out, and projecting from the mouth of the bottle was a rod of ice about two inches long, perfectly smooth and transparent; the whole contents of the bottle was solid ice. I considered the case sufficiently curious to keep the bottle for some days to show some friends. The bottle was unbroken. What explanation could M. Barthelemy offer to this?—Yours, respectfully, A. L. Henderson.”