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THE PHOTOGRAPHIC NEWS. Von. XII. No. 537.—December 18,1868. CONTENTS. PAGE Decline in Photographic Book Illustration 601 “Watching the Lark” 601 Photography in the Theatre 602 New Style of Mount for Photographs 602 Washing Sensitive Plates 602 An American Examination of Mr. McLachlan’s Discovery 603 Pictures by the Action of Cold. By D. Winstanley 603 Photography in Connection with the Abyssinian Expedition. By II. Baden Pritchard 604 A Visit to the Photographic Studio of the Imperial Military Geographical Institute in Vienna. By Alois Nigg 605 PAGE On Intensifying Negatives. By George H. Fennemore 606 Means of Equalizing Exposure with Wide-angle Lenses. By John M. Blake 607 The Cause of Pinholes in Dry Plates. By Sebastian Davis 608 Proceedings of Societies—Edinburgh Photographic Society— South London Photographic Society—French Photographic Society 608 Correspondence—Lux Graphicus on the Wing 610 Talk in the Studio 611 To Correspondents 611 DECLINE IN PHOTOGRAPHIC BOOK ILLUSTRATION. The extended application of photography to the purposes of book illustration which has prevailed during the last few years has been a feature ot considerable interest and im portance in connection with the progress of the art. For some years past there was a steady growth in this branch of the art. Photographs from nature, photographs from draw ings made for the purpose, photographs from paintings and engravings, have variously been employed in taking the place of engravings in illustrating new works or choice edi tions of standard works. This form of illustration has of late years been especially chosen for Christmas books, and, at this season of the year, it has always been a matter of interest to us to examine the advertising pages of literary journals for announcements relating to photographic illustration. We have more than once, however, felt it necessary to put on record a protest against the quality of much of the pho tography we have met with in this branch of the art. It has frequently been far below or far behind the standard of the day : sometimes poor and inartistic in result, often so careless in execution as to give no promise whatever of per manence. The explanation has been a very simple one: it has been done by contract, at a low price, and often under great pressure for time. We have feared, however, that such facts, which were the only things coming under the atten tion of the public—the explanation being neither known nor cared for—must eventually seriously damage the art, and we now fear that a decline rather than an extension in this branch of the art is taking place. We have been struck with the singular paucity at this period, when they should be plentiful, of the advertiements of books illustrated with photographs. But this alone might not necessarily indicate a falling off in the actual issue. A singular but significant fact, however, was recently brought under our attention. In conversation, a few days ago, with the reviewer-in-chief of one of the principal daily papers, he informed us that of nearly one hundred and fifty volumes of Christmas books now on his table for review, there was not one illustrated with photographs, a circumstance unprecedented in his experience for many years past. We wish to draw no sweeping or general conclusions from insufficient premises ; but such circumstances as those to which we have just referred are sufficiently significant to suggest some grave thoughts on the subject, and especially to give emphasis to the importance of adopting permanent printing processes, and of conducting silver printing pro cesses with all attention to the best known conditions of permanency. “ WATCHING THE LARK.” We have refrained from noticing the charming picture presented to the members of the London Photographic Society by Messrs. Robinson and Cherrill until copies were ready for distribution. A specimen print was ex hibited at the Society’s meeting in May, and received general admiration ; and another formed a great source of attraction at the recent exhibition in Conduit Street. The subject and treatment combine to render this picture one of the most charming, and, we think, one of the most popular subject-photographs ever issued. The scene is a landscape in Borrowdale: seated on a knoll in the fore ground, surrounded by wealth of wild flowers, weeds, and ferns, is a pretty little child. She has been gathering the wild flowers, and her little basket, filled with them, has just dropped from her hand, which still lingers resting upon the handle. But the basket and flowers are no longer absorbing her attention ; the upturned face is filled with wonder and delight as she watches the circling flight of the lark, and listens to its song. Every feature of the face, every muscle of the body, expresses rapt attention and childish ecstasy. The scene, we said, is in Borrowdale, and Wordsworth’s lines, written on the spot, accompany the picture,— “ Up with me I Up with me, into the clouds 1 For thy son?;, lark, is strong ; Up with me! Up with me, into the clouds! Singing, singing, With all the heavens about thee ringing.” Beyond the knoll on which the child is seated, forming the foreground, stretches a fine landscape with woodland, and stream, and bridge in the middle distance, and the grand hills of the English lake district in the distance, sur mounted by a fine sky. The picture is so full of life and thought, and so perfectly harmonious, and has so much the feeling of spontaneity and naturalness, that it is not until the student examines it to gain a lesson that he will think of the composition, or even imagine that it has been com posed at all; and then he will be struck with the admirable pictorial and technical skill involved in its production. Pictorially, the composition of the lines is excellent, the figure and immediate accessories forming an irregular pyramid. The head thrown back to watch the soaring chorister, and the position of the body which naturally follows, would give the figure an uncomfortable, imperfectly balanced effect; but the little arm, resting on the basket, forms a line which supports the body, and the basket and the little hat, which is carelessly thrown down, complete the pictorial balance. As in a hilly county it should do, the horizon line, is high, being not less than a third of the depth of the whole from the top of the picture. The result is, that the tender but atmospheric nicely graduated greys of the distance and middle distance form the practical